Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

Post-Conflict Peacebuilding comes at a critical time for post-conflict peacebuilding. Its rapid move towards the top of the international political agenda has been accompanied by added scrutiny, as the international community seeks to meet the multi-dimensional challenges of building a just and sustainable peace in societies ravaged by war. Beyond the strictly operational dimension, there is considerable ambiguity in the concepts and terminology used todiscuss post-conflict peacebuilding. This ambiguity undermines efforts to agree on common understandings of how peace can be most effectively 'built', thereby impeding swift, coherent action. Accordingly, this lexicon aims to clarify and illuminate the multiple facets of post-conflict peacebuilding, bypresenting its major themes and trends from an analytical perspective. To this end, the book opens with a general introduction on the concept of post-conflict peacebuilding, followed by twenty-six essays on its key elements (including capacity-building, conflict transformation, reconciliation, recovery, rule of law, security sector reform, and transitional justice). Written by international experts from a range of disciplines, including political science and international relations, international law, economics, and sociology, these essays cover the whole spectrumof post-conflict peacebuilding. In reflecting a diversity of perspectives the lexicon sheds light on many different challenges associated with post-conflict peacebuilding. For each key concept a generic definition is proposed, which is then expanded through discussion of three main areas: themeaning and origin of the concept; its content and essential components; and its means of implementation, including lessons learned from past practice.

There is no question that the volume will help address a serious gap in peacebuilding research. The coverage of this book is impressive and many distinguished scholars involved in peacebuilding, particularly those who work on the legal aspects of peacemaking around the world, have contributed articles...The Lexicon provides a useful introduction to a complex and changing subject area in a lucid and engaging way. The book should be read widely., ...a critical, clear-sighted work of research...the book deserves a wide readership among all sorts of peacebuilders in order to enable them to balance the sensitive elements of peacebuilding

Dr Vincent Chetail is Associate Professor in Public International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva and Research Director at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Refugee Survey Quarterly and has been consultant for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for several years.