The programme Conflict and Cooperation over Natural resources in developing countries (CoCooN) explores the dynamics of cooperation and conflicts over natural resources. The outcomes will contribute to evidence-based policy, interventions and practice. The CoCooN Conference is co-organised by NWO-WOTRO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and offers a critical learning space for policy makers, researchers and civic actors. How can CoCooN contribute to making policies more conflict sensitive? What can we learn from research in a concerted effort of civic actors and academics? We will harvest what the CoCooN approach has yielded so far and the lessons learned to be used for policy development.

Challenging and fueling policies, practice and research

In this conference NWO-WOTRO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will explore how Dutch policies can be made more conflict sensitive. The foundation of the conference is formed by the findings of the CoCooN research and innovation programme. During the last five years, CoCooN has supported consortia of activists and researchers across the global North and South to research the dynamics of natural resource conflicts and to translate their findings into recommendations for policy and practice.

Preliminary programme

The day will start with setting the scene: a panel discussion guided by Jacqueline Cramer on the potential contribution of CoCooN to enable conflict-proof policy development. In particular we will focus on natural resource extraction and public-private collaboration, but also on the role of civil society in flagging, researching and brokering natural resource-based conflicts. The panel discussion will be followed by break-out sessions on specific resources and sectors. In the afternoon, the CoCooN approach will be reflected upon in a plenary debate and specific aspects of the approach will be further discussed during break-out sessions. An interactive closing session will be facilitated by Ton Dietz.

• 09:00 – 09:30 Welcome
• 09:30 – 09:45 Formal opening with Prof. Jacqueline Cramer, chair of the CoCooN Steering Committee
• 09:45 – 10:40 Opening panel ‘Conflict sensitive policies and practices for natural resource extraction: difficult to design, tougher to implement, but in the end worth the effort?’ with:
  • Danielle Hirsch (Both ENDS)
  • Dirk-Jan Koch (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands)
  • Marti Orta – Martinez (Autonomous University of Barcelona – NEBE)
  • Alexandra Uran Carmona (Universidad de Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia – Gomiam)
  • V. Vivekanandan (South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS) – Reincorpfish)
• 10:40 – 11:00 Coffee break
• 11:00 – 13:00 Break out project sessions:
  • ‘Adaptation in mitigation landscapes‘ – Paul Van de Logt (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands) & Poshendra Satyal (University of East Anglia- CoCooR) & Sebastiaan Soeters (Utrecht University – TICCI)
  • ‘Good Gold‘ – Marjo de Theije (CEDLA – Gomiam) & Dirk-Jan Koch (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  • ‘Policy and politics‘ – Frank van Steenbergen (MetaMeta – Groundwater) & Karin Roelofs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  • ‘Soy and palm oil‘ – Tim Boekhout van Solinge (Utrecht University – Land and Rights)
  • ‘Addressing conflicts affecting small-scale fisheries‘ – Maarten Bavinck (University of Amsterdam – Reincorpfish)
• 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch break
• 14:00 – 14:50 ‘Knowledge, research and innovation: the CoCooN approach‘ with Han van Dijk (NWO-WOTRO) and Ton Dietz (African Studies Center)
• 15:00 – 15:50 Break out sessions on methodology:
  • ‘Hobby or Lobby‘ – Kifle Woldearegay (Mekelle University – Groundwater)
  • ‘Ruggie and Research‘ – Tim Boekhout van Solinge (Utrecht University – Land and Rights)
  • ‘Scientists and Practitioners: an unholy marriage?‘ – Maarten Bavinck & Joeri Scholtens (University of Amsterdam – Reincorpfish)
  • ‘XChange with knowledge platforms‘ – Corinne Lamain (NWO-WOTRO)
• 16:00 – 17:00 Closing discussion with Ton Dietz (African Studies Center – former chair of the CoCooN Steering Committee)
• From 17:00 Drinks

Register

Please follow this link to register for the conference on the NWO-WOTRO website.