These two categories have been arrived at empirically, through studying the main stated reasons for organised violence during the 1980s (Heldt, 1993, p.33-34). In other words an armed conflict may erupt when two competing sides lay claim to the same piece of territory, or the same right to rule a country. In the UCDP’s definition of an armed conflict a stated incompatibility can concern government, territory, or both. In other words, their positions are incompatible, since both sides lay claim to the same scarce resource(s). Such a disagreement is central to when social conflicts emerge, since an unlimited supply of a resource can satisfy all parties for all time. Theoretically an incompatibility is a disagreement between at least two parties where their demands cannot be met by the same resources at the same time. The concept of an incompatibility is central to the UCDP’s gathering of data on armed conflict, being an essential part of the definition. See also Wallensteen 'Understanding Conflict Resolution” Sage (2015) p. How and why does UCDP's and PRIO's data on battle deaths differ (pdf) (Comment written by HSRP in 2012 after input by UCDP and PRIO.)Īn armed conflict is a contested incompatibility that concerns government and/or territory where the use of armed force between two parties, of which at least one is the government of a state, results in at least 25 battle-related deaths in one calendar year.How do I contact the UCDP regarding general questions, area experts and questions regarding UCDP datasets?.The Mexican Drug Wars have killed thousands of people why are there so few non-state conflicts and so low fatality estimates for these conflicts?.

How does the UCDP deal with criminal violence, such as that in Mexico between drug cartels?.

How does terrorism fit into the UCDP’s categories of organized violence?.

How many conflicts were there in the world in 2021?.

Which conflicts are on the 'unclear cases' list and why are they there?.

You are also welcome to contact UCDP at What is a conflict? You can find more questions and answers about the UCDP in the 2009 ICRC interview with Peter Wallensteen, the founder and former director of the UCDP (pdf). This page contains some of the frequently asked questions about UCDP and UCDP data.

It's a Cow's World by Nick Sage