Towards a Human Security Approach to Peacebuilding

In recent decades, international peacebuilding and reconstruction after civil wars have managed to promote stability and contain conflict in many regions around the world, ending violence and enabling communities to rebuild their lives and societies. However, the peacebuilding record indicates that there are problems related to the effectiveness and legitimacy of peacebuilding, especially related to the promotion of liberal democracy, market reform and state institutions.This brief considers these limitations and argues that a new human security-based approach may offer insights for a more sustainable form of peacebuilding.