The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) has recorded ongoing violent conflicts since the 1970s. The data provided is one of the most accurate and well-used data-sources on global armed conflicts and its definition of armed conflict is becoming a standard in how conflicts are systematically defined and studied.
About UCDP
Major data releases
The UCDP released six new versions of the annually updated datasets in late July and early August. The updated versions of the UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset and the UCDP Dyadic Dataset were released on 29 July. The latest versions of the UCDP Actor Dataset, the UCDP Battle-related Deaths Dataset, the UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset and the UCDP One-sided Violence Dataset were released on 2 August. All datasets can be downloaded from the UCDP website´s Datasets section.
UCDP Database updated for 2010
The 2010 update of UCDP’s state-based, non-state conflict and one-sided violence categories in the UCDP Database has now been completed. Updates regarding the conflicts, battle-related deaths, third party activities, negotiations, peace agreements and actor descriptions are now available for perusal, complete with variable- and annual-level search possibilities.
UCDP journal article the most downloaded in Journal of Peace Research
The UCDP article “Armed Conflicts, 1946-2009” by Lotta Themnér (formerly Harbom) and Peter Wallensteen was the most downloaded article in the Journal of Peace Research (JPR) in 2010 (of all articles published in 2009 and 2010).
This year’s article, “Armed Conflicts, 1946-2010”, was published in JPR in late July. The article presents the latest developments on armed conflicts during 2010 by drawing on data from the most recent version of the UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset (v.4-2011) as well as from the Uppsala Conflict Database. In 2010, UCDP recorded 30 active armed conflicts, which is a substantial reduction from the 36 active conflicts recorded in 2009 and the lowest number of active conflicts since 2003. It is also noted in the article that the number of wars (1,000 or more battle-related deaths) declined from six in 2009 to four in 2010. However, only two peace agreements were concluded during the year, which is decidedly below the annual average for the post-Cold War period.
UCDP data on armed conflicts have been published yearly in the Journal of Peace Research since 1993. A free version of the last year’s article “Armed Conflicts, 1946-2009” can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
UCDP data published in the SIPRI Yearbook 2011
UCDP contributed to the SIPRI Yearbook 2011, launched in June, by reporting on trends in major armed conflicts, as has been done annually since 1987. In 2010, 15 major armed conflicts were active, which is a decline from the year 2009, which saw 17 major armed conflicts.
The UCDP receives Lijphart/Przeworski/Verba Data Set Award, 2011
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) is the winner of the Lijphart/Przeworski/Verba Data Set Award for 2011. It is the Comparative Politics Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) which rewards a publicly available data set that has made an important contribution to the field of comparative politics.
– UCDP was an “enthusiastic and unanimous choice of the Committee” says its chairperson Mark Tessler, University of Michigan, when conveying the news to Professor Peter Wallensteen, Director of the UCDP.
The award is named after the three path-breaking scholars in comparative studies of democracy: Arend Lijphart, now at University of San Diego, Adam Przeworski at New York University and Sidney Verba at Harvard University.
– These gentlemen are true giants in the systematic study of democracy. Their contributions are highly relevant for peace research, which makes this reward particularly encouraging, says Professor Wallensteen and adds that “we have learnt how democracy can solve conflicts, and made the observation that democracies do not fight wars with one another thanks to access of systematic data. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program provides a basis for this type of studies as well as other kinds of research concerning peace and war. The fact that UCDP information is available free of charge makes it useful in practice not only for the research community.”
APSA is the leading political science association. The award ceremony will take place at its annual meeting in Seattle, USA, in September 2011.
The UCDP Database iPhone application Demonstrated on National Television
The new UCDP Database iPhone application was launched in cooperation with Uppsala University in 2010. The application allows the user to search among more than 300 armed conflicts, more than 200 summaries of peace agreements, data on casualties etc, without having access to the Internet.
The iPhone application was demonstrated by Professor Peter Wallensteen, UCDP Director, on 23 March on Swedish national TV. The program, “Dagens gäst”, a part of “Gomorron Sverige”, aired the live interview with Professor Wallensteen at 8.45 on channel 1. Peace research in general was also discussed.
Meet UCDP at the ISA convention!
The UCDP will participate in the annual International Studies Association (ISA) annual convention, this year held in Montreal, Canada, on the 16-19 March 2011. The program will display the UCDP database in the exhibit hall as well participate in several panels.
New data on external support in armed conflict, violence against peacemakers (UCDP PAR) and third party peacemaking (UCDP MIC) will be presented on the 17th at 10:30 AM (room TB23). The new georeferenced event data (UCDP GED) will be presented on the 16th at 1:45 PM (room WC10).
States in Armed Conflict 2009 launched
The 22nd edition of the annual report of States in Armed Conflict was released on 21 December 2010. The report contains three parts, focusing on UCDP’s three categories of organised violence. Besides listing conflicts in the three categories, the report includes UCDP’s 2009 article in Journal of Peace Research and a global analysis on non-state conflicts in the time period 1989-2008.
For more detailed information on the specific cases of organized violence in 2009, visit the UCDP Database.
Launch of new book by UCDP Mediation Project
"The Go-Between: Jan Eliasson and the Styles of Mediation", a new book by Isak Svensson and Peter Wallensteen, with a preface by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, was launched on Monday, 15 November, at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington D.C.
The book analyses six cases where Jan Eliasson, now Visiting Professor with the Department, was principle mediator. It spans three decades of mediation experience.
Further information about the event.
The UCDP related project on International Mediation in Internal Armed Conflict
New UCDP Papers published
In October 2010, the UCDP Paper No. 7, "A New Start for EU Peacemaking? Past Record and Future Potential", was published and is now available for download.
The report draws on UCDP data to demonstrate that there is a need for a new beginning for the EU in international peacemaking. Reviewing EU engagement in international affairs, the report finds the record to be below expectations. The report also asserts that there is a potential for the EU to take on a more significant role in international peacemaking.
The report recommends that the EU should refocus its international conflict activity to constructive engagements for peace and security, and integrate these engagements into a new doctrine of international conflict resolution, firmly rested on the values expressed in the Lisbon Treaty.
Press release for UCDP Paper No. 7 (in Swedish).
Also in October 2010, the UCDP Paper No. 6, "Meeting the New Challenges to International Mediation", was published and is available for download.
The report summarises the Uppsala conference on Meeting the New Challenges to International Mediation, held on June 14-16, 2010. The conference highlighted a number of issues novel either to researchers or to practitioners.
The meeting was organized around eight special themes, that have recently received attention or that are emerging as new challenges. The discussions under each theme have been summarized in separate sections in this executive report. For each theme there are also implications for research as well as for mediation practice.
Launch of the UCDP Database iPhone application
On 8 July, 2010, the new UCDP Database iPhone application was launched in cooperation with Uppsala University. The application allows you to search among more than 300 armed conflicts, more than 200 summaries of peace agreements, data on casualties etc, without having access to the Internet. Download application.
Launch of the UCDP Update Alert
In order to better promote and inform the global community of scholars and practitioners on the products created and launched by the UCDP, a newsletter focused specifically on updates and forthcoming material has now been produced. The alert will continuously inform its recipients of completed updates of the UCDP Database, launches of new datasets and the approximate dates of launches of forthcoming products. The first UCDP Update Alert was sent out on 3 June, 2010. Sign up for the UCDP Update Alert.
Click image for the UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia (UCDP database)
Click image for the UCDP Georeferenced Event Data
Latest News
New UCDP GED YouTube-video!
A short video of organized violence in 1989-2010, over time and space. A derivative of the UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset (out now!)
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Major UCDP data release
On 8 December, 2011, the UCDP released its latest addition to its vast number of datasets; the UCDP GED version 1.0-2011. The UCDP GED is an event-based and georeferenced dataset on organized violence, detailing all of the UCDP’s categories of violence (state-based conflict, non-state conflict and one-sided violence) in Africa between 1989 and 2010 at the level of the individual event of violence.
Also on 8 December, 2011, the UCDP released new data on external support in internal armed conflicts for the time period 1975-2009.
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The Arabian spring in the UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia
The events of the Arabian spring will shortly be added in the UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia. Click on the links below for a background note on the Arabian spring and a timeline including events until late December 2011.
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