In the last 20 years, international stabilization missions have become a major element of international interventions in conflict-affected settings. Mandated to improve the stability and peace of communities experiencing armed conflict, their stated purpose is to reduce violence and lay the foundations of longer-term security. In practice, they have often failed to meet their stated goals and in many instances, have even worsened local conflict dynamics. In response, some local populations have demanded to know whose interests are being prioritized, while some observers have doubted that such operations, as they are currently designed, in fact, assist local and national actors to manage their security challenges.
To address these concerns, Interpeace implemented a two-year initiative, called ‘Rethinking Stability’, in partnership with the Atlantic Council and with support from a number of strategic partners. Through a series of local, national and international dialogues, bilateral meetings, and original research papers, the program revisited and questioned the conceptual and operational norms behind stabilization efforts, with the aim of improving the effectiveness of future missions to promote peace and protect communities in such contexts. At the end of 2022, two papers were published that set out the challenges for stabilization efforts and made recommendations for their improvement.
Read the publication here.