Peacebuilding, Statebuilding and Liberal Peace

The third chapter provides an overview of some fundamental definitions and debates in the literature on peacebuilding and statebuilding. After reflecting on the concept ‘post-conflict’, the chapter introduces the concept peacebuilding and follows its emergence in the international arena in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, its development and debate among scholars and policymakers. This chapter also provides an overview of some fundamental definitions and debates in the literature on statebuilding, liberalism, liberal peacebuilding and the liberal peace with an in-depth analysis of challenges related to them. This chapter also offers a distinction between peacebuilding and statebuilding, peacebuilding and ‘liberal peacebuilding’ and points that these concepts should not be conflated as they are distinct.