International Peace Building

Opinion is split on the extent to which international actors should lead the process of peacebuilding. Part of the problem in resolving this is the common belief that post/current-conflict countries often lack the capacity to lead the peacebuilding process. Although the first element of the UNIFIL mandate is charged with preventing the reappearing of hostilities by reducing tension and mitigating its effects in order to restore a sense of calmness the second element of the mandate has proven hard to achieve. It relates to establishing the necessary conditions to deliver to the LAF the tasks related to security involving not only the technical aspect but also the political. Casting the 1701 mandate as a prescribed short term solution stems from

Third parties can assist nationals in peacebuilding, but they cannot import peace or build peace through their actions alone. With UNIFIL existence it can, has and should in future play a role, but that role might be limited to providing financial support, a security umbrella group on advice and reforms. It should be remembered that because UNIFIL’s contributing member states are predominantly western it is unlikely to have a persuasive impact on the warring group’s attitudinal outlook. The peacebuilding process is a national one, and international actors have contributed through donations of troops who have helped oversee the setting up of institutions such as the training and upgrading of the Lebanese armies efficiency. At the same time it should be made known that peacekeeping missions are not explicitly mandated to conduct peacebuilding. (UNMIS, 2005) Instead peacekeeping missions are mandated to advise support and assist national governments in a variety of post-conflict activities in support of peace processes. Perhaps then it is unfair for peacekeepers to endorse peacebuilding programmes since two clear challenges in responding to peacebuilding needs exist that of no clear doctrine defining peacekeeping’s role in peacebuilding, and peacekeeping operations are not designed to perform a wide range of peacebuilding tasks. Since lack of a peacebuilding doctrine exists in terms of how peacekeepers are to contribute to the peacebuilding process, the interviewee implies nevertheless that it is the troops on the ground who are expected to contend with executing peacekeeping’s primary role which is to set the stage for