To what extent can decentralisation help to institutionalise citizen engagement in governance and promote sustainable peace? This study analyses the concept of decentralisation and looks at the challenges of implementing it in several post-conflict countries. It argues that participatory governance at the local level facilitates the involvement of local communities in policy decisions. This creates a shared commitment to peaceful progress that reduces the likelihood of violent conflict. Peace cannot be lasting unless both men and women, as well as those in minority groups, participate in shaping post-conflict reconstruction and are able to enjoy its benefits equally. However, effective decentralisation for participatory governance requires political will, civic will, capacity development at the local level and careful implementation.
Governments in post-conflict settings need to adopt strategies that promote institutionalised collaboration among state and non-state actors in identifying, analysing and addressing the root causes of conflict. Experiences from around the world point to the importance of engaging civil society to ensure that actions are responsive to people’s actual needs.
One key strategy is decentralisation, which allows for the shared exercise of power and facilitates the involvement of local communities in policy decisions about their own development. Decentralisation is not a panacea, however:
- If implemented without proper planning and accountability mechanisms, decentralisation can reallocate power and resources in a way that leads to power struggles and renewed conflict.
- If it does not empower citizens to participate in decision-making processes so as to ensure that policies are citizen-centric, responsive and sustainable, then decentralisation is not effective.
- How the process is managed has a great impact on its effectiveness as a tool for participation.
- The engagement of stakeholders in inter-group negotiations reduces the propensity for conflict and fosters social, political and economic stability.
- Barriers to women’s participation include traditional notions about gender roles, women’s caregiving burdens and their inexperience in leadership positions.
Successful decentralisation depends on political will, civic will and capacity development at the local level. It also requires careful implementation to ensure appropriate power-sharing arrangements and allocation of resources. Further:
- Decentralisation strategies need to be tailored to the specific circumstances of every country, especially in the case of states recovering from conflict.
- Women’s participation can be increased by enacting reforms to end gender discrimination, setting quotas for female representation in government and undertaking capacity development to strengthen women’s leadership skills.
- Peace cannot be lasting unless minority groups are engaged in post-conflict governance, especially when ethnic or religious divisions were a root cause of the conflict or a contributing factor. It is important to take concrete steps (such as constitutional reforms or the creation of special mechanisms) to protect minority rights and engage minority groups in participatory decision-making.
- It is important to foster dialogue and reconciliation among antagonistic groups, building a shared national identity that overrides ethnic or religious ties.
