The German Government adopted in 2004 an “Action Plan for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Conflict Management”. Members from different parties of the national parliament and civil society actors had pushed for this plan. It was drafted together with experts from peace research institutions and Foreign Ministry officials. The Action Plan was meant as a first step for stock-taking in order to strengthen and further develop civilian capacities for crisis prevention. The question, however, is whether or not it was able to significantly shape German politics. This contribution concludes that the Action Plan was an important joint initiative that led to a more systematic cooperation of state and non-state actors. As part of the efforts, several important institutions have been established that helped to improve capacities for international peacekeeping missions and peacebuilding activities. However, the ten-year anniversary of the Action Plan also offers an opportunity to point to deficits. There is still a lack of coherence between different parts of external policies, and much more could be done in order to increase the visibility of peacebuilding activities. In particular, it is important to illustrate and explain the logic of civilian approaches to the broader public. And since the Action Plan remains a rather technical document, a document with political guidelines is needed. Such a document should present a vision of German foreign politics committed to international law and peaceful settlement of conflicts, and it should outline a comprehensive approach to facing global challenges.
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