Peace and justice in EU foreign policy: from principles to practice

TJI Seminar Series - Dr Laura Davis 

The European Union is increasingly engaged in peace processes around the world. The Treaty on European Union lists many principles the EU is to promote in its external relations. Two of these – peace and justice for human rights violations – may be in tension in fragile situations. This article examines how the EU translates the principles of peace and justice into policy and puts them into practice.

Dr. Laura Davis is a researcher and consultant specialising in transitional justice and peace mediation. Now based in Jerusalem, she has worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo for nearly a decade and has extensive field experience, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has advised transitional justice components of peace processes, and worked extensively with communities in conflict areas.

Dr Davis has published widely on transitional justice, peace mediation, security sector reform, women's rights and EU foreign policy for scholarly and policy-oriented audiences. Her book EU Foreign Policy, Transitional Justice and Mediation: Principles, Policy and Practice (Routledge 2014) is the first scholarly analysis of EU engagement in these fields.  She holds a PhD from the University of Ghent.