Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and Reconstruction

Peacebuilding involves a range of measures targeted to reduce the risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict by strengthening national capacities at all levels for conflict management, and to lay the foundations for sustainable peace and development

Throughout the Cold War, the United Nations (UN) and the broader international community had primarily confined their efforts to humanitarian relief, peacemaking, and peacekeeping activities within the context of conflicts

According to Annan, peacebuilding may involve the creation or strengthening of national institutions, monitoring elections, promoting human rights, providing reintegration and rehabilitation programmes, and creating conditions for resumed development. These efforts aim to build on, add to, or reorient activities in
ways designed to reduce the risk of a resumption of conflict and contribute to creating the conditions most conducive to reconciliation, reconstruction and recovery

Kofi Annan was UN Secretary-General in 1997

While the term peacebuilding was relatively new, external assistance for post-war rebuilding traced back to the earlier reconstruction efforts such as the Marshall Plan in the aftermath of World War II. What was
new in the post-Cold War environment was that the end of the Cold War has not only brought
diversifying challenges but also opened up new possibilities for international action

Post-conflict reconstruction is mainly composed of four phases- namely emergency relief, rehabilitation, reform and modernization, and peace consolidation. 

Rehabilitation phase includes the physical reconstruction of social infrastructures such as schools, roads, health care facilities, and the restoration of basic public services such as governmental administration, policing, and restructuring of other security apparatuses. 

Political reconstruction includes efforts to build a legitimate and capable state. In this respect, capacity-building concentrates on the issues of strengthening local institutions, transferring

Actor-related transformation does refer to  individual changes in the emotional, perceptual, and spiritual aspects of the conflict

National capacity building is central to international peacebuilding efforts from the very beginning since peace is fragile and national capacity is displaced, especially at the earlier stages. Capacity building involves transferring technical knowledge and skills to the local community to help them develop effective policies and administer public services across the economic, social, political, and security realms

Disarmament is the collection, documentation, control, and disposal of small arms, ammunition, explosives, and light andn heavy weapons of the combatants and the civilian population

 Armed groups and usually  includes support packages, which is called "reinsertion".

Together with the police, the armed forces constitute one of the most prominent major objects of the SSR reforms. 

stable governance include:
• the provision of essential services such as basic security, the rule of law, and economic governance;
• stewardship of state resources by accountable and responsible personnel;
• political moderation and accountability to address grievances through debate, compromise, and
inclusive dialogue; and finally,
• civic participation and empowerment that enables participation in governance through civil society
organizations, independent media, and political parties 

The reform of public administration deals with the essential features of capacity building and restructuring of state institutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of core mechanisms.

Social development include reconstruction of physical infrastructure, poverty reduction and income security, voluntary repatriation, empowering local communities, and social cohesion.

Empowering local communities aims to foster conditions of development that are sustainable
under the circumstances of collaborative and solid social context. While foreign donors can play a leading
role in development initiatives, the participation of local stakeholders in planning and implementation stages are required to build ownership.

Education is an essential tool for eradicating poverty and the generation of sustainable livelihoods. Education does not only play a crucial role in promoting human and social capital but also inspires cultural and moral changes that transform societal structures and encourage peaceful coexistence.

Negotiating long-term goals and creating a shared vision for the future necessitates social cohesion, participation, and shared institutions that provide legitimate ways to manage conflicts. Strengthening social bonds and building trust between the members of society proves to be an effective way of dealing with the societal factors and processes that necessitate constructive transformation

Among a large number of actors, the United Nations stands as one of the most ambitious actors in the peacebuilding process with its broadening repertoire of tools and partnerships with other organizations. The UN responds to the country’s specific post-conflict security, political, humanitarian, and development challenges underm its diverse areas of expertise.