UCDP Conflict Termination Dataset Codebook1
Version 1.0 – September 28, 2005
Joakim Kreutz

When using the data, please cite Kreutz, Joakim, 2010, ‘How and When Armed Conflicts End:
Introducing the UCDP Conflict Termination Dataset’, Journal of Peace Research.
Please refer to the dataset as the UCDP Conflict Termination Dataset and always include theversion number in analyses using the dataset.

Uppsala Conflict Data Program
Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University

1. Introduction
This document describes the Armed Conflict Termination Dataset, a project within theUppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at the Department of Peace and ConflictResearch, Uppsala University. The Termination Dataset builds on the UCDP/PRIO
Armed Conflict Dataset, a joint collaboration between UCDP and the Centre for the Studyof Civil War at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO).
Funding for the UCDP Conflict Termination project was provided by the Human Security
Centre at the University of British Columbia.

2. Definitions of conflict activity
The basis for the Conflict Termination Dataset is the UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict
Dataset. For information about definition of conflict, Sub conflict IDs, and variables fromthe main conflict table; see the Armed Conflict Dataset Codebook (version 3)
http://www.prio.no/cwp/armedconflict/current/Codebook_v3-2005.pdf
For a summary of these variables, see Table 1 below:

1

The UCDP Conflict Termination Project was initiated in 2003 by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program. This is
the first version of the Codebook, which was compiled with additional help from Peter Wallensteen, LottaHarbom, Stina Högbladh & Margareta Sollenberg. For updated versions of the UCDP Conflict Termination
Dataset and the codebook, please see http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/UCDP/data_and_publications/datasets.htm

2No
1
2
3

VariablePrimkey
ID
SubIDLabelPrimary key
Conflict identifier
Sub-conflict identifier

4Location

Country name(s)5Side_ACountry name(s)6Side_BCountry name(s) orOpposition actors

7
8

Incompatibility
Territory

Conflict incompatibility
Name of territory

910

Year
Intensity

Year of observation
Intensity level

11

Type

Conflict type12

Startdate

Date of conflict initiation

13
14

Startprecision
Startdate2

Precision of Startdate
Date of conflict initiation

15

Startprecision2

Precision of Startdate2

16

COW_A2COW numbers of Side A

17

COW_B

COW numbers of Side B

18

COW_location

19Region

COW numbers ofLocation
Region of Location

20

Lat

Latitude of conflict centre

21

Lon22

RadiusLongitude of conflictcenterRadius of conflict area

23

VersionVersion number

COW: Correlates of War project.

Description
The unique identifier of all observations
The unique identifier of all conflicts
Identifying sub-conflicts within adefined conflict
The name(s) of the country/countries
whose government(s) have a primary
claim to the object in dispute.
Identifying the country/countries of side
A in a conflict. Always the governmentside in civil warsIdentifying the names and/orcountry/countries of side B in a conflict.
In a civil conflict, this includes militaryopposition organizations.
A general coding of the conflict issue
The name of the territory over which
the conflict is fought, provided that theincompatibility is territorial
A two + one level assessment of thenumber of battle-related casualties per
year in the conflict period covered by
the observation, plus a special levelindicating conflict history in lowintensity conflicts
Four different types of conflict(interstate, extrastate, internal,internationalized internal)The date, as precise as possible, of thefirst violent action of the conflict
resulting in death
The level of precision for the initial date
Similar to Start_date, but truncated sothat there are no dates earlier than thefirst year of 25 battle-related deaths
The level of precision for the truncatedinitial date
COW numbers of all countries in SideA, separated by semicolons
COW numbers of all countries in SideB, separated by semicolons
COW numbers of all location countries,
separated by semicolons
See Section 3.19 for the definition ofthe different regions.
First component of the geographic
coordinates of center of the conflict
Second component of the geographic
coordinates of center of the conflict
Assuming that all conflict areas arecircles, the radius of the conflict area
The current version of the dataset. SeeSection 2.4.

3. Conflict Termination Dataset
3.1 Termination Variables.
The concept of conflict termination in the dataset focuses on at least one year of nonactivity, or more specifically, when the conflict seizes to be registered in theUCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset. Non-activity in this sense mean that the criteriawith regards to incompatibility, level of organization, and 25 battle-related deaths are
not met. Concerning the information about type of termination, the coding is based on
observations about the relations between the parties in the last year of activity and thefirst year of non-activity that follows.
3.1.1 Conflict terminated is a dummy variable that records if the conflict theyear coded was the last of activity. Since at least one year on nonactivity is required, nothing is coded for on-going conflicts. The variablefocuses specifically on the conflict level, i.e. fighting with regards to thelisted incompatibility. It does not take into account any possible changes
with regards to the identity of the belligerents, or periods of inactivity
within the respective years. (0= no, 1= yes)
3.1.2 Type of termination consists of 6 different types of termination:
1

Peace Agreement: Agreement, or the first or last in a series ofagreements, concerned with resolving or regulating theincompatibility – completely or a central part of – which issigned and/or accepted by all or the main parties active in lastyear of conflict. The agreement is signed either during the lastyear of active conflict or the first year of inactivity.

2Ceasefire Agreement with conflict regulation: Agreement
between all or the main parties’ active in last year of conflict on
the ending of military operations as well as some sort of mutual
conflict regulatory steps. The agreement is signed and/oraccepted either during the last year of active conflict or the firstyear of inactivity. In cases when a ceasefire agreement withconflict regulation is immediately followed by a morecomprehensive agreement (peace agreement), the latter isconsidered the main cause of termination.

3Ceasefire Agreement: Agreement between all or the main
parties’ active in last year of conflict on the ending of military
operations. The agreement is signed and/or accepted either during
the last year of active conflict or the first year of inactivity. In
cases when a ceasefire is immediately followed by a morecomprehensive agreement (peace agreement, or ceasefire withconflict regulation), the latter is considered the main cause oftermination.

4

Victory: One side active in the last year of conflict is eitherdefeated or eliminated, or otherwise succumbs to the power ofthe other through capitulation or public announcement.

5No or Low Activity: The conflict is not reported as active, i.e.
does not fulfil the UCDP criteria with regards to fatalities, levelof organization, or incompatibility.

6

Other: Any other theoretically possible outcome.

The separate elements of the definitions of peace and ceasefire agreements areoperationalized as follows:
Incompatibility: the stated generally incompatible positions. The incompatibility,
as stated by the parties, must concern government and/or territory.
Incompatibility concerning government: incompatibility concerning the typeof political system, the replacement of the central government or the changeof its composition.
Incompatibility concerning territory: incompatibility concerning the statusof a territory, e.g. the change of the state in control of a certain territory(interstate conflict), secession or autonomy (intrastate conflict).
Concerned with resolving or regulating the incompatibility: to resolve theincompatibility or explicitly suggest and create a specific process for theresolution of the incompatibility. This process must include clear visible stepsand not consist of unspecific statements to “continue discussing issues in thefuture.”
Signed and/or accepted by: The conflict parties must be signatories to theagreement or have made public commitments to accept the terms of theagreement.
Party: a government of a state or any opposition organization or alliance ofopposition organizations.
Government: the party controlling the capital of the state.
Opposition organization: any non-governmental group of people having
announced a name for their group and using armed force.
Mutual conflict regulatory steps: Practical steps with regards to the militaryforces of the parties intended to prevent the outbreak of renewed fighting. Thesteps could consist of measures such as the demobilization or withdrawal offorces, security guarantees, and/or acceptance of peace keeping forces, etc.

3.2 Conflict Episode Variables
A Conflict Episode consists of a continuous period of conflict activity. The concept
focuses specifically on the conflict level, i.e. fighting with regards to the listedincompatibility. It does not take into account any possible changes with regards to theidentity of the belligerents, or periods of inactivity within the respective years.

3.2.1 Episode SubID is a count variable which records how many times aconflict has recurred after at least one year of non-activity concerning thesame incompatibility since 1946. It does not take into account any
possible changes with regards to the identity of the belligerents.
3.2.2 Episode Start date is the date, as precise as possible, when the conflictfor the first time after at least a year of non-activity reached the level of
25 battle-related deaths in a year. The first time a conflict becomes active;
this corresponds to Start date 2 in the Armed Conflict Data Set. If aconflict has terminated through no or low activity, and recurs with thesame parties, this date is by default set to January 1 in the first year ofnext conflict episode.
3.2.3 Episode End date is the date, as precise as possible, of the terminationof the use of armed force. For conflict episodes that terminate through noor low activity, this date is by default set to December 31 in the last yearof activity.

3.3 Termination specific variables
Some specific information about certain types of termination is provided. Thesevariables are only included for the last active year of conflict.
3.3.1 Agreement Date is the date, as precise as possible, when a peace orceasefire agreement is signed or, if the agreement is unwritten, whenpublicly announced by the parties. In so-called peace process agreements,
the date observed is, if possible, (a) the date of the concluding (last)
agreement or (b) the date of the (first) agreement that establishes theprocess. The variable is coded for the observed terminations of type 1-3.
3.3.2 Victory Side is information about which side in the conflict has been
victorious. The variable is coded for the observed terminations of type 4.
1. Victory for Side A in the Conflict
2. Victory for Side B in the Conflict
3. Other

3.4 Recurrence variables
This variable offers some information concerning the time period between different
conflict episodes. These variables are only included for the last active year of conflict.
3.4.1 Conflict Terminated 5 years is a dummy variable recording whether
the year of termination is followed by at least five years without activity.
(0= no, 1=yes)
3.4.2 Conflict Terminated 10 years is a dummy variable recording whether
the year of termination is followed by at least ten years without activity.
(0= no, 1=yes)

3.4.3 Recurrence Start date records the date, as precise as possible, for thestart of a new episode in the same conflict (see 3.2 Conflict Episodevariables). It does not take into account any possible changes withregards to the identity of the belligerents.
3.4.4 Recurrence Dyad is a dummy variable recording whether the specificparties in the last active year of the conflict episode are active in any
later conflict episode. (0= no, 1=yes)

3.5 Missing Data Problems
The dataset does not include any missing data codes. This should not lead anyone toassume that there are no such problems. A number of conflicts have been recorded as
possible in accordance with the criteria for inclusion. Similarly, additional years might
have been listed for those conflicts that are included, although so far UCDP have failed
to find sufficient evidence for inclusion. These observations are currently coded asabsence of conflict.
The data coders have made a decision whether there was an active conflict according tothe definition for all countries for all years they are independent after 1945. This does
not mean there are no uncertainties regarding the coding. For a discussion of unclear
cases in 2004, see Appendix 2 in Harbom, Lotta & Peter Wallensteen, 2005. “ArmedConflict and Its International Dimensions, 1946-2004.” Journal of Peace Research
42(5): 623-635.