Peacebuilding and security are not parallel concepts; security is essential to peacebuilding. This document, published by the United Nations (UN) Office at Geneva (UNOG) and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), discusses the crucial role of security in post-conflict external interventions. While security in peacebuilding is paramount, it must be combined with humanitarian assistance, development and human rights protection.
This publication is a compilation of presentations given at a 2005 seminar organised by UNOG and DCAF to discuss the UN’s role in the security dimension of peacebuilding processes. In light of the recent establishment of a UN Peacebuilding Commission, experts at the seminar discussed the linkages between security and other peacebuilding activities.
In conflict situations, security is the most crucial issue. If states or factions choose to fight, the UN’s capacity is limited to providing a forum for dialogue, a legal framework to guide behaviour and an appeal to conscience. Security is ultimately the responsibility of the state. Other key points presented were:
- There is a continuing lack of balance between the “trusteeship” role of external interventions and local ownership of peacebuilding programmes.
- Peace operations often do not have a tangible impact on people’s lives. There is a perception in some post-conflict countries that peace operations only benefit the rich.
- Development activities in peacebuilding missions are key to the recognition of underdevelopment as a root cause of conflict. The development community has not found the right balance between short-term externally-driven results and “less glamorous” medium- to long-term capacity building.
- Peacebuilding operations often do not see humanitarian efforts as central to post-conflict missions. Military actors may cause security problems for relief personnel and knock-on effects for those in need of help.
- The UN Peacebuilding Commission could help ensure sustained international attention that is vital for countries moving from recovery towards development. It could also help decrease duplication of effort and delays within the UN system in delivery of economic assistance as a tool to prevent conflict recurrence.
A major recommendation of the seminar is a call to the international community to make a collective commitment to address the root causes of conflict in order to build and retain peace. Other recommendations include:
- Peacebuilding programmes need to take national factors into account and promote local participation in and ownership of peacekeeping operations.
- Future UN peacebuilding operations should contain more police and fewer military components, and improve communication with the public about peacebuilding activities.
- Post-conflict development programmes should immediately focus on both disarmament and economic (livelihoods) programmes. The development community should improve local capacity building to ensure local ownership of longer-term development.
- Peacebuilding actors need to acknowledge that humanitarian action is vital; humanitarian space in peacebuilding environments needs to be safeguarded.
Analysis of lessons learned yields the following ‘golden rules of peacebuilding policy making‘:
- understand that peacebuilding is the beginning, not the end, of a process;
- coordinate and allocate functions carefully;
- commit the necessary resources;
- understand local political dynamics;
- multi-task objectives simultaneously; and
- know when it is time to leave.
