The Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Policy Advisor is a department-level resource on the planning, implementation and evaluation of DDR programmes in UN peacekeeping operations. The overall aim of the Advisor’s work on DDR is to ensure that DPKO plans, implements and manages DDR operations in a more effective and consistent manner. The focus of the DDR Policy Advisor’s work and the Unit on DDR for the year 2004 is four-fold: (a) policy development on DDR; (b) planning and policy support to start-up and ongoing peacekeeping missions with a DDR component; (c) establishment of stronger DDR partnerships within and outside the UN system on DDR planning and implementation; and (d) development of a body of knowledge on DDR. In conjunction with other agencies and partners, the DDR Advisory team is currently developing DDR policies, guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and a DDR planning template. In late October 2004, the team is planning to hold a workshop, in collaboration with other UN agencies, on the UN approach to DDR, focusing on operational structures and UN DDR policies. The workshop is aimed at formulating recommendations for future DDR operations and developing a common UN approach to DDR, including joint policies and guidelines. A simulation exercise to validate these approaches is also planned for 2005.