In Germany, the debate about the security/development nexus is gathering pace. The reality of life in crisis regions, the management of post-conflict situations and the precautionary anticipation of demands arising in the context of crisis management all require the highest level of coordination at political and local level and on a cross-sectoral basis. Long-term improvement of this coordination, both vertical and horizontal, is the most important resource factor for these two policy areas and can be achieved without mobilising additional budget funds. As one ' by no means insignificant ' outcome, coordinated activities can lay reservations to rest that may otherwise prevail among the various actors working in crisis regions.

Axel v. Hoerschelmann
Head of 'International Relations, Foreign Trade, Western Europe, USA, CIS, Asia' Division, Brandenburg
State Chancellery
Potsdam, Germany
Axel.Hoerschelmann@StK.Brandenburg.de

Dr Bernhard Voget
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development
University of Göttingen, Germany
BVoget@uni-goettingen.de