CIAO DATE: 05/2009
November 2007
Statebuilding—the construction of legitimate, effective governmental institutions—is a crucial element in any larger effort to create the conditions for a durable peace and human development in countries that are just emerging from war. In recent years, statebuilding has emerged as a central goal of multidimensional United Nations peace operations in war-torn societies, and for good reason. Without functioning and legitimate state institutions, postconflict societies are less likely to escape the dual “traps” of violence and poverty.
Resource link: Managing Contradictions: The Inherent Dilemmas of Postwar Statebuilding [PDF] - 157K