Academics and policymakers attend workshop on how paramilitaries end

SOC ACE researchers attended a closed workshop hosted by Queen’s University Belfast on 17 June 2026, bringing together academics and policymakers to explore ‘How do paramilitaries end? Lessons from Academia and Practice’.

The workshop forms part of SOC ACE’s wider exploration of the relationship between paramilitaries, organised crime and illicit economies in conflict-affected settings. The project examines how paramilitary groups differ from other armed actors during transitions from war to peace, particularly through their connections with political establishments and criminal economies.

The researchers’ participation contributes to ongoing engagement with academic and policy perspectives on how these relationships can be addressed in conflict management, peacebuilding and post-war crime reduction.