Peace building as state building:
Dealing with failed and fragile states
Marie-Joëlle Zahar
Science politique, Université de Montréal
When? The emergence of the notion of peacemaking
Boutros Boutros Ghali: An Agenda for Peace (1992)
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«To stand ready to assist in peace-building in its differing contexts: rebuilding the institutions and infrastructures of
nations torn by civil war and strife; and building bonds of peaceful mutual benefit among nations formerly at war»
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«The present report in addition will address the critically related concept of post-conflict peace-building - action to
identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid a relapse into
conflict.”
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«Peacemaking and peace-keeping operations, to be truly successful, must come to include comprehensive efforts to
identify and support structures which will tend to consolidate peace and advance a sense of confidence and wellbeing among people. Through agreements ending civil strife, these may include disarming the previously warring
parties and the restoration of order, the custody and possible destruction of weapons, repatriating refugees, advisory
and training support for security personnel, monitoring elections, advancing efforts to protect human rights, reforming
or strengthening governmental institutions and promoting formal and informal processes of political participation.”

«There is a new requirement for technical assistance which the United Nations has an obligation to develop and provide
when requested: support for the transformation of deficient national structures and capabilities, and for the
strengthening of new democratic institutions. The authority of the United Nations system to act in this field would rest
on the consensus that social peace is as important as strategic or political peace. There is an obvious connection
between democratic practices - such as the rule of law and transparency in decision-making - and the achievement
of true peace and security in any new and stable political order. These elements of good governance need to be
promoted at all levels of international and national political communities. »
When? The emergence of the notion of peacemaking
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The UN peacekeeping missions of the mid-1980s
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Multidimensional missions
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« Successful » missions
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Restore order and security
Support the transition from war to peace
El Salvador, Guatemala
Mozambique
The post-Cold War context
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A time of unparalleled international cooperation
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The UN Security Council and the Iraqi invasion of Kuweit
A time of resurgent civil wars
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Bosnia, Somalia
Why: Peacebuilding as statebuilding
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A statist approach
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The State as the guarantee for peace
Failed states: a threat to peace
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State failure and internal conflict (Zartmann)
State failure and threats to international security (Ignatieff, Rotberg)
An inherent tension?
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The State: part of the problem and part of the solution
2nd and 3rd generation peacemaking and the issue of state
sovereignty
The phenomenon of transitional international administrations
What: The menu of tasks
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Through agreements ending civil strife, these may include disarming the previously
warring parties and the restoration of order, the custody and possible destruction of
weapons, repatriating refugees, advisory and training support for security personnel,
monitoring elections, advancing efforts to protect human rights, reforming or
strengthening governmental institutions and promoting formal and informal
processes of political participation.”

The main objectives
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Restore order and stability
Restructure politics, economics and society
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By introducing democratic practices
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By helping to strengthen the rule of law

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The focus on elections
Security sector reform
Reform of the judiciary
The preferred means

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Demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration
Political reforms
Economic and administrative reforms
What: Statebuilding vs. Integrated Missions
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As per the definition Xavier Zeebroek proposed:
An instrument that the UN uses to help countries transitioning from war to
sustainable peace or which can be applied in similar complex situations that
require a response from the whole of the UN system by relying on different
actors or approaches in the framework of a global political and strategic
management of crises.
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An instrument which includes the following tasks
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Restore security
Civilian protection
Support and coordinate humanitarian aid
DDR
SSR
Support to electoral processes
Human rights observation and reporting
Support the reconstruction of the judiciary
Support good governance
Help the State regain control over its natural resources
How: Major debates in peace building practice
Empirical Debates

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Sequencing the tasks of
peacebuilding: Where does
one start?
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Security, democracy,
development
Actors: Who does what?
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Normative /Theoretical Debates
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Civilians or militaries
Locals or internationals
Top-down

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Reforming institutions
Bottom-up

Transforming society
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What we know from comparative politics
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About the link between war and peace
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About the link between democracy and development
What we have learned about peace building
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Simultaneous, multiple transitions: From war to peace; from authoritarianism to democracy; from
socialist to market economies
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The political economy of transitions: managing winners and losers
Actors
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Post-war elites and the need for external assistance
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The issue of « ownership »: the delicate balance between locals and internationals
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Approaches: How best to
proceed?
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Sequencing
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Locals need to own the peace
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Local elites must shoulder responsibility
The « state of exception »: The responsiblity of the international community
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To whom? The UN, national leaderships, the country in which one intervenes
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Can one be at once judge and jury
Approaches
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Criticizing the liberal peace (Paris)
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Balancing deterrence and assurance (Saideman and Zahar)
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Linking conflict transformation activities to the political process (Lederach)
The debate over sequencing: not just about
statebuidling
Post-Conflict
Tasks
Stabilisation
Sustainable
development
LOCAL INSTITUTIONS
ECON. GOVERNANCE
Transition
IFIs: World Bank/IMF
INFRASTRUCTURE
CIVILIAN ADMIN.
ELECTIONS
POLITICAL SUPPORT
SECURITY
Peace
Operations
DDR
UN Country Team,
Bailleurs
RULE OF LAW
STRENGTHENING
CAPACITIES
HUMANITARIAN TASKS
ICRC / Humanitarian NGOs.
Security
Democracy
Development
How: major debates in peacebuilding practice
Empirical Debates
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How to improve coordination
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On the ground
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The Peacebuilding Commission
The PBSO and the Peacebuilding Fund
When does peace become selfsustaining?
Assessing progress in
statebuilding
Improving coordination
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The Pillar Approach
Integrated Missions
How to assess success: exit
strategies
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At the strategic/political level
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Theoretical Debates
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Compatible and convergent
interests
Information sharing
Clear lines of authority
Evaluating success
 The benchmarks approach
 Assessing statebuilding
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Capacity
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Autonomy
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Legitimacy
The Pillars Approach: International
administration in Kosovo
Police and
justice
(UN)
Civilian
administration
(UN)
Democratisation
and Institutionbuilding (OSCE)
Specialisation and Coordination
Reconstruction
and Economic
Development
(UE)
MONUC : UNE MISSION SEMI-INTEGRÉE
SECRÉTAIRE GENERAL ONU
Ban Ki-Moon
REPRESENTANT SPEC. SG
Roger Meece
SRSG ADJOINT PRINCIPAL
Leila Zerrougui
Division Aff.
politiques
Bureau de
l’information
publique
Section Droits
de l’homme
Section
DDRRR/DDR
Unité
Etat de droit
Bureau de la
police civile
DIRECTEUR
DIVISION
ADMINISTRATION
JMAC
Disciplin
e
SRSG ADJOINT/HC/RC
/PNUD RR
Fidèle Sarassoro
COMMANDANT
DE LA FORCE
Lt Général
Babacar Gaye
DIVISION ASSISTANCE
ELECTORALE
SECTION SECURITE
SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM
SECTION AFFAIRES CIVILES
DONATEURS
CICR
Comité
International de la
Croix-Rouge
HAG
(Coordination de l’aide Humanitaire)
Sectio
n
Protec
t.
enfan
ce
Unité
de
liaison
sur les
mines
Unité
HIV/
SIDA
Unité
Sexospécif.
OCHA
ONG
Internationale
s
ONG
Locales
Autres
Agences
PNUD
HCR
UNICEF
PAM
NU
UN COUNTRY TEAM
CERIUM/Université de Montréal – Ecole d’été – Les opérations de paix
21 juin – 9 juillet 2010 – Contribution de Xavier Zeebroek
Coordination: the debate at the DPKO
External partners
UN Country Teams
Mission Components
The New UN Architecture and
statebuilding
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The Peacebuilding Commission: Coordination at the top
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To bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on the proposed integrated strategies for post conflict
peacebuilding and recovery
To help ensure predictable financing for early recovery activities and sustained financial investment over the medium to long-term
To develop best practices on issues in collaboration with political, security, humanitarian and development actors
Peacebuilding Support Office
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The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) was established to assist and support the Peacebuilding Commission, administer the
Peacebuilding Fund, and serve the Secretary-General in coordinating United Nations agencies in their peacebuilding efforts.
PBSO is headed by an Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support and comprises a PBC Support Section, Policy Planning
Section, and a Financing for Peacebuilding Section.
The PBSO helps to sustain peace in conflict-affected countries by garnering international support for nationally owned and led
peacebuilding efforts.
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This includes providing support to the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and catalyzing the UN System, on behalf of the SecretaryGeneral, and partnering with external actors to develop peacebuilding strategies, marshal resources and enhance international
coordination.
This support is firmly based on PBSO’s function as a knowledge centre for lessons learned and good practices on peacebuilding.
The Peacebuilding Fund: Financial Support to Prevent Relapse into Violence
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The PBF allocates money through two funding facilities, the Immediate Response Facility (IRF) and the Peacebuilding Recovery
Facility (PRF).
Both facilities fund initiatives that respond to one or more of the following four criteria:
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Respond to imminent threats to the peace process and initiatives that support peace agreements and political dialogue
Build or strengthen national capacities to promote coexistence and peaceful resolution of conflict
Stimulate economic revitalization to general peace dividends
Reestablish essential administrative services
The UNDP Multi-Donor Trust Fund Office (MDTF Office) is the PBF fund administrator.
The PBF relies upon voluntary contributions from Member States, organizations and individuals.
Peace building and state building after September 11th, 2001
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Failed states and international insecurity
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Can regional or major powers fare better than the UN?
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Means
Interests
Credible commitment
How to intervene?
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Pockets of lawlessness (transnational crime) and instability (terrorism)
The primacy of ‘security’ (particularly troop security) and its impact on civilmilitary relations
Relations with local elites: assisting, shadowing or imposing
Relations with local populations: the issue of collateral damage
The liberal moment in peace building: a thing of the past?
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The choice between democracy and stability