From Conflict Prevention & Peacekeeping to Peacebuilding

The Challenges of Rebuilding a Just Peace

Dr. Rama ManiMEDIA WORKSHOP18 MAY 2009

‘Peacemaking, Peacekeeping’ & ‘Peacebuilding’Distinct & Linear or Overlapping?

Boutros Boutros-Ghali – Agenda for Peace

1992/95:

(Preventive Diplomacy)

Peacemaking

Peacekeeping

Peacebuilding

Increasing overlap since 1990s –

Post-Conflict ‘Peacebuilding’ Defined

“PEACEBUILDING: ‘actions taken to identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid a relapse into conflict’

(Boutros Boutros-Ghali – Agenda for Peace (1992):

“By post-conflict peace-building, I mean actions undertaken at the end of a conflict to consolidate peace and prevent a recurrence of armed confrontation.”(Kofi Annan, Report, “The Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa”, 1998)

Peacebuilding cannot be divorced from Nature of Conflict , conflict prevention & Peacemaking processes

Conflicts today: though lowest level, brutal, complex, internal-internationalised, with entrenched war economies. Endemic Violence‘Culture of prevention’ not inculcated: remains rare, invisible, incomplete: focus on ‘operational prevention’ and to some extent on ‘structural prevention’ but not systemic.Peacemaking processes: despite ‘industry’ of mediators, remains exclusive, elitist, incomplete, unaccountable. Frequent relapse. MEDIA MUST TAKE MORE INTEREST: make conflict prevention visible, scrutinise – and criticise – mediators mediators, support & critique international peacebuilders, nurture local peacebuilders.

Peacebuilding in Practice: Dual Interdependent

Objective Short term security & long term consolidation

Balancing ‘Positive’ and ‘Negative’ Peace• ‘Negative Peace’: the cessation of hostilities

and direct violence • ‘Positive Peace’: the consolidation of peace

through structural change, to avoid relapse • Not a trade-off – but a careful balance

Nature of Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

Dynamic process

twinned objective: Balancing security and consolidation; short and long term exigencies

Identifies and eliminates causes

Inherently political, not technical task

Social process – rebuilds relationships

Inclusive, rebuilds inclusive political, social and ‘moral’ community of ‘survivors’

Peacebuilding’s Multiple Objectives:

Providing securityDemilitarising society: DDR, Security Sector Reform – separating police and militaryAccountability: Reversing impunity, Transitional justice, reconciliation Human Rights, women’s, child, minorities(promoting gender and ethnic balance)

Multiple tasks:Rebuilding rule of law; judiciary, police, prisons State building: governance, institutionsDemocratising society, civic participationElections and Constitution Building, Statebuilding Strengthening Civil SocietyFostering economic and social development (equity)Overcoming war economies, fighting crime and corruptionHumanitarian: Caring for Refugees, internally displaced, handicapped.

How to confront thesechallenges?

No magic formula: riddled with dilemmas, no easy decisionsOne simple lesson – “Peace without Justice is only a symbolic peace”‘Accountable’, ‘Inclusive’ and ‘Just’ are key words. Ie peacebuilding is not only about ‘security’, ‘power-sharing’ and ‘elections’, important though they are. Critically important that the peace being built is seen to be ‘just’ in the eyes of the population and ‘inclusive’ of all parties, stakeholders and communities – not only warlords and elites.

How to build a Just Peace? Start by understanding that

Injustice is embedded in all phases of ConflictCAUSES: Real and perceived inequality

between groups, exclusion and marginalisation (political, econ, religious, ethnic, racial)

SYMPTOMS: Manipulation, corruption or breakdown of legal justice & rule of law; no legal redress to grievances

CONSEQUENCES: war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, discrimination, displacement, looting, war economies

THREE Dimensions of Justice to address simultaneously

DISTRIBUTIVE or ‘SOCIAL’ JUSTICE(addressing underlying CAUSES of conflict)

LEGAL JUSTICE/Rule of Law (addressing the SYMPTOMS, regenerating the rule of law)

RECTIFICATORY JUSTICE (redressing the CONSEQUENCES of war crimes) – traditional focus of ‘Transitional Justice’

3 Dimensions of Justice: Distinct but Inter-dependentVarying priorities (eg Rwanda, vs Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka)

Different time frames and exigencies(eg Cambodia, Namibia, vs Zimbabwe)

Inter-dependent and mutually reinforcing(eg Haiti, Sudan)

Justice is Implicit in and Essential to all Dimensions of Peacebuilding

Rule of Law is a both a Security and Governance priority

Rectificatory justice is both a Security and Human Rights Priority.

Distributive Justice is a Development priority, and only way to avoid relapse, and ensure sustainability of peace.

A Strategic Framework for Achieving Just Peace

Hence a STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK for JUST PEACE would embed justice in all 4 dimensions of peacebuilding: I.e.

1. Security 2. Governance3. Human Rights 4. Development

Ie Strategic Peacebuilding must combine‘what is right and what is stable’, long & short term. It must balance Negative & Positive Peace It must work at all levels from grassroot to national,

regional and international.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE….Riddled with Dilemmas & Hurdles!

Balancing Negative and Positive Peace isn’t so easy!

Threat of return to violence by military and armed groups (Latin America, Haiti, Angola, SL)Resistance to rule of law change by powerful political, economic and military elite (el Salvador, Guatemala)Resistance to economic redistribution by economic and political elites (El Salvador)Competing Post-conflict/transition priorities and material limitations: It costs a lot & needs expertise!

Rule of Law – the new panacea – but what does it really MEAN?

Secretary-General:‘It refers to a principle of governance in

which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the state itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards.’

Rule of Law: Judiciary, Police, Prisons

ChallengesForm over substanceImposing foreign laws. Ignoring customary laws and traditional practicesTechnical vs Politically-sensitive approach‘1 size fits all’Order over justice (SSR)Reductionist, minimalist

ResponsesEthos of law is more important than form. Incorporate acceptable customary laws. Only Resonant and just laws will be observed by locals.Politically savvy Adapt, learn from locals Order without justice backfiresIncremental maximalism: high vision but step by step

Rectificatory or ‘Transitional’ Justice – in vogue

MECHANISMS:1. TRIALS Focusing on perpetrators: 2. TRUTH Commissions: Focusing on Victims 3. LUSTRATION/VETTING (East, Central Europe)4. INSITUTIONAL REFORM (ROL, SSR) None is

perfect! Or Sufficient alone! Observations & Lessons:

Still ‘Victors’ justice’: need for consistency.Internationally determined/funded: id. local wishesSingle Template, standard solutions imposed: need diverse, ‘home-grown’, innovative approaches.Survivor oriented ‘Reparative’ vs retributive JusticeNot a trade off. ‘negative’ peace & ‘legal justice’ may clash but ‘peace’ and ‘justice’ can be married.

No peace without social justice

So far social justice – addressing the structural injustices and systemic inequalities that often caused the conflict – was largely ignored.Today populations are insisting that social justice, as also war economies, corruption and violent crime be addressed as central elements of peacebuilding.

Orient PC reconstruction around Social & Distributive Justice

Errors & Problems:Looking forward as if past didn’t existAddressing effects but ignoring causesWashington consensusPursuing growth, overlooking equityDangers of privatisation, liberalisation…Placating the elite, angering the masses

Responses

Look Back before Looking ForwardAddress causes & inequities ALONGSIDE material effects Seek Economic Growth WITH Equity, redistribution Pursue political AND economic stabilisationHeed demands & needs of the local population, not only of the global marketSocial justice: part of Transitional J

The Rough Ride of Post-Conflict Peacebuilding – 1989-2005Namibia to Iraq: Relatively Simple to Increasingly ComplexPeriod of dynamic changes, expansion, adaptationMany ‘lessons learned’ But many costly mistakes made –Glass Half-full or half empty viz relapse into conflictDilemmas, tough choices, tradeoffs‘Getting Their Act Together’ – Utstein Report: realisation of failures and setbacks

60th Anniversary: The Call for a Peacebuilding Commission

“If we are going to prevent conflict we must ensure that peace agreements are implemented in a sustained and sustainable manner. (…) No part of the United Nations system effectively addresses the challenge of helping countries with the transition from war to lasting peace. I therefore propose to Member States that they create an intergovernmental Peacebuilding Commission, as well as a Peacebuilding Support Office within the United Nations Secretariat, to achieve this end.”(Kofi Annan, Report, “In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All”, March 2005)

Establishment of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (2005 World Summit Outcome (§ 98)):

“The main purpose of the Peacebuilding Commission is to bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery. The Commission should focus attention on the reconstruction and institution-building efforts necessary for recovery from conflict and support the development of integrated strategies in order to lay the foundation for sustainable development. In addition, it should provide recommendations and information to improve the coordination of all relevant actors within and outside the United Nations, develop best practices, help to ensure predictable financing for early recovery activities and extend the period of attention by the international community to post-conflict recovery. NB CONFLICT PREVENTION EXCLUDED!

2. The UN Peacebuilding Commission

AgendaThe Commission provides advice to the Security Council, ECOSOC, Member States or the Secretary-General.The Commission deals only with countries emerging from conflict, once a peace accord has been concluded and a minimum degree of security exists. Countries are expected to express an interest in appearing before the Commission.Burundi, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau are now on the agenda of the Commission.Possible addition: Central African Republic.

Healthy media crucial for building lasting

peace in post-conflict States Conf. 12/12/08

Amb Takasu(Japan) Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, told the meeting that the Commission needed the media as a partner at the local, national and international level to generate attention and mobilize support towards countries emerging from conflict. “a media environment conducive to independent and accessible media can build public will and hold governments accountable to their citizens.” Delegates focused discussions on how the media has promoted and strengthened governance and democracy in countries coming out of conflict, reviewing past efforts as well as examining current initiatives and exploring possibilities for future action.

Observations & LessonsUNPBC is not panacea or miracle cure‘Obsolescing Welcome ‘of International intervention and peacekeeping forcesPeace Agreements often fail as incompleteViolence in many forms in Post conflict societiesDespite efforts/expenditures, donors frustrated: lack coherence, coordination, complementarity.Problem is too many tasks without unified strategic objective

The Way Forward:Make Peacebuilding’s objective: ‘inclusive just peace’Make peacemaking more inclusive, accountableInvest ‘Ownership’ in all sectors of local population not just warlords, political, economic eliteAll ‘survivors’ must come together to rebuild an inclusive viable political and civic community: not just victors or beneficiaries; perpetrators, or victims.Accountability of international AND local communityPeacebuilding divorced from peacemaking and conflict prevention cant work.Address structural systemic causes of violence and conflict: global inequity, exclusion, despair. PREVENTION of conflict IS BETTER THAN ‘CURE’

Media’s role in prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding

MEDIA, local and international, has a major role to play to question & enlighten, to awaken & mobilise. Make conflict prevention visible: highlight unheard of success stories; underline systemic prevention; structural causes of violenceScrutinise mediators and peace processes: insist on inclusion of women, civilians, & accountability.Support – and critique – local and international peacebuilders. Report successes not only failures.Media can and must once again become the conscience of a society that today is over-informed but lacking in wisdom and understanding. It is the Media that can and must make visible what is invisible, speak aloud what is whispered or silenced.