Suchergebnisse

The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, established in December 2005, was designed to strengthen efforts to consolidate peace in countries emerging from civil war. It has three broad aims: first, to bring coherence to the activities of peacebuilding actors around a shared strategy; second, to marshal resources and commitments in support of this strategic vision; and third, to enhance decision-making processes relevant to conflict-affected countries across UN bodies and the international financial institutions. Two years into the life of the Commission, this article assesses its performance in these three areas and argues that progress has been limited by three main factors: the Commission's lack of clarity on the nature of a peacebuilding strategy; its vague interpretation of the mandate to marshal resources; and ongoing tensions between intergovernmental organs for influence over the Commission. There is evidence that the Commission is developing institutional momentum and learning important lessons from its first cases, but it will need to capitalise on them rapidly to achieve worthwhile results. Adapted from the source document.

The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, established in December 2005, was designed to strengthen efforts to consolidate peace in countries emerging from civil war. It has three broad aims: first, to bring coherence to the activities of peacebuilding actors around a shared strategy; second, to marshal resources and commitments in support of this strategic vision; and third, to enhance decision-making processes relevant to conflict-affected countries across UN bodies and the international financial institutions. Two years into the life of the Commission, this article assesses its performance in these three areas and argues that progress has been limited by three main factors: the Commission's lack of clarity on the nature of a peacebuilding strategy; its vague interpretation of the mandate to marshal resources; and ongoing tensions between intergovernmental organs for influence over the Commission. There is evidence that the Commission is developing institutional momentum and learning important lessons from its first cases, but it will need to capitalise on them rapidly to achieve worthwhile results.

This article provides a brief overview of the conceptual and institutional context in which the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) was created. This is followed by an examination of the PBC's mandate, structure and the 'state of play' toward the end of its inaugural year. Finally, some strategic and operational priorities are outlined, which could overcome shortcomings in the design and initial efforts of the Commission. Upon the arrival of the new Secretary-General, this article aims to further the debate on what can be done to ensure the progressive development of this potentially powerful new instrument for building sustainable peace. Adapted from the source document.

The creation of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission in 2005 was a landmark event for the UN as an institution. However, the true measure of success for any institution is not found in its lofty ideals, but in its ability to deliver a positive impact on people's lives. In mid-2007, ActionAid, CAFOD and CARE researched the Peacebuilding Commission's work in Sierra Leone and Burundi to try to capture local opinions and experiences of interacting with this nascent institution one year after its establishment. What they found was an institution whose impact was largely positive, but which faced important challenges and lessons to be learned. Now, one year on from that initial research, the Peacebuilding Commission has had time to overcome many of the initial teething problems common to new organisations and has become better placed to articulate its unique role in post-conflict contexts. Adapted from the source document.

The creation of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission in 2005 was a landmark event for the UN as an institution. However, the true measure of success for any institution is not found in its lofty ideals, but in its ability to deliver a positive impact on people's lives. In mid-2007, ActionAid, CAFOD and CARE researched the Peacebuilding Commission's work in Sierra Leone and Burundi to try to capture local opinions and experiences of interacting with this nascent institution one year after its establishment. What they found was an institution whose impact was largely positive, but which faced important challenges and lessons to be learned. Now, one year on from that initial research, the Peacebuilding Commission has had time to overcome many of the initial teething problems common to new organisations and has become better placed to articulate its unique role in post-conflict contexts.

This article examines the role played by small states in the promotion or reinforcement of new ideas and emerging norms within international society. More specifically, it examines the role played by Norway in reinforcing the normative framework of 'women, peace and security', with a particular view to Norway's first period of membership in the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. Norway is regarded internationally as one of the lead countries in terms of promoting women's rights in relation to peace and security. The article discusses four possible reasons that may explain Norway's apparent suitability and effectiveness as a norm entrepreneur in this particular issue-area.

Controversy is at the heart of politics. Theories of practice offer a productive way of understanding controversies and potentially negotiating in them. In this paper, drawing on the work of Theodore Schatzki, Michel Callon and Bruno Latour, I introduce a heuristic for understanding controversies. I argue that what is often at stake in controversies are different types of practices of how a political issue should be handled. I introduce five of these types of practices. I analyse a case from global politics to demonstrate the value of such a perspective – the controversies in the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission are analysed as clashes between different practices of handling peacebuilding.

The sixtieth UN General Assembly opens on September 14, 2005, with a three-day summit of heads of state and government to conduct the five-year review of the Millennium Declaration of 2000. Institutional reform of the United Nations will also be on the top of the agenda. One substantial outcome is expected to be the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission. This body will be particularly significant for Germany if it is decided not to expand the Security Council in the foreseeable future (SWP comments / SWP)

As the United Nations lacks the capacity to implement the multidimensional tasks of peacebuilding, it resorted to formal inter-organizational networking in Kosovo. The network structure gave birth to various coordination mechanisms and could accomplish some of the tasks, especially those involved with establish-ing straightforward institutional structures. However, it could not accomplish substantial change in Kosovo to ensure sustainable peace because there was no effective coordination. The analysis highlights the reasons for the lack of coordination among networking organizations and concludes that the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission has to be given more powers in order to overcome these problems and to bring about a degree of accountability among networking organizations.

Abstract: "This paper explores the changing distribution of international power by taking the example of the establishment of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The paper points to tensions between the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly over the responsibility for the PBC and in the composition of the Commission's Organizational Committee. These tensions portray the reality of the current international system that is characterized by a shift in the geopolitical power distribution. It is a shift from a system in which the Security Council, strongly marked by the veto power of the permanent members, is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security to a multilateral one that reflects an increased involvement of non-permanent members in the governance of international peace and security. The Commission marks a transformation of the UN from a system in which power of a state is understood in military terms to one that recognizes the growing importance of other aspects such as economic influence and geographical representation." (Seite 304)