| Abstract: | In an earlier study Doyle and Sambanis (2000) Doyle, MichaelW., and Nicholas Sambanis. 2000. "International Peacebuilding:A Theoretical and Quantitative Analysis." American PoliticalScience Review 94(4):779–801.] showed that United Nations(UN) peace operations have made positive contributions to peacebuildingin the short term, helping parties implement peace agreements.But are the effects of UN peace operations lasting? Becausethe UN cannot fight wars, such operations should not be usedto enforce a peace. Peacekeeping operations contribute moreto the quality of the peace—that is, to securing morethan the mere absence of war—than to its duration, becausethe effects of such operations dissipate over time. For peaceto be self-sustaining, countries must develop institutions andpolicies that generate economic growth. UN peacebuilding lacksa strategy for fostering self-sustaining economic growth thatcould connect increased participation with sustainable peace.The international community would benefit from an evolutionthat uses economic reforms to plug the gap between peacekeepingand humanitarian assistance on the one hand and developmenton the other. |
