The Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) advances U.S. national security by breaking cycles of violent conflict and mitigating crises in priority countries. We engage in conflict prevention, crisis response and stabilization, aiming to address the underlying causes of destabilizing violence.
Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Rick Barton delivered the keynote address at the Alliance for Peacebuilding Annual Conference on May 11, 2012 at the United States Institute of Peace. The 2012 conference, “Peacebuilding 2.0: Managing Complexity and Working Across Silos,” focused on new models for peacebuilding that work across disciplines to address the complexity of today’s conflict environments. Video>> Transcript>>
On November 28, 2011, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country that has suffered tremendous instability and violence in the last two decades, held its first elections completely organized by the Congolese government since the end of the Mobutu era. This represented both a milestone and a challenge for the country... More>>
On April 17, 2012, Ambassador Rick Barton delivered his first public remarks as Assistant Secretary of State. He presented his vision and priorities for the new Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Brookings Fellow Noam Unger delivered introductory remarks and moderated the discussion. Audio>> Transcript>>
Secretary Clinton delivered remarks and answered questions about the new Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations and the Civilian Response Corps during a recent town hall meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Video>> Transcript>>
Secretary Clinton delivered remarks on George Marshall and the foundations of smart power at the Virginia Military Institute. Video>> Transcript>>
On March 13, 2012, Ambassador Rick Barton appeared before the U.S. Senate Commitee on Foreign Relations to give testimony and answer questions about his nomination. Video>> Transcript>>
