The UN's Role in Nation-Building: From the Congo to Iraq

Dobbins, James; Jones, Seth G.; Crane, Keith; Rathmell, Andrew; Steele, Brett D.; Teltschik, Richard; Timilsina, Anga R.

doi:10.7249/mg304

Cited by 79 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The UN administration found that only about 70 Timorese citizens who still lived in the country had graduated from law school, while none of them had been practising law under the Indonesian control of the country. 40 Other sources confirm that the number of indigenous lawyers remaining after the referendum on independence was fewer than 10. 41 A similar situation has occurred in Kosovo, where the collapse of the law enforcement and the judicial system was pretty clear since the very beginning of the UN mission.…”

Section: Collapse Of the Previous Justice Systemmentioning

confidence: 93%

From Neo-Colonialism to a ‘Light-Footprint Approach’: Restoring Justice Systems

Tondini¹

2008

International Peacekeeping

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The article analyses peacebuilding theories and methods, as applied to justice system reform in post-conflict scenarios. In this respect, the international authorities involved in the reconstruction process may traditionally choose between either a dirigiste or a consent-based approach, representing the essential terms of reference of past interventions. However, features common to most reconstruction missions, and relatively poor results, confirm the need for a change in the overall strategy. This requires international donors to focus more on the 'demand for justice' at local levels than on the traditional supply of financial and technical aid for reforms. The article stresses the need for effectively promoting the 'local ownership' of the reform process, without this expression being merely used by international actors as a political umbrella under which to protect themselves from potential failures.Experience has shown that the number of UN agencies flying their flags in a country is not proportionate to the overall success achieved.

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Section: Collapse Of the Previous Justice Systemmentioning

confidence: 93%

From Neo-Colonialism to a ‘Light-Footprint Approach’: Restoring Justice Systems

Tondini¹

2008

International Peacekeeping

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“…Post-conflict statebuilding often refers specifically to efforts by external actors or donors to build or rebuild failed, weak or conflict-affected states (Brinkerhoff, 2007;Cox, 2001;Dobbins et al, 2001;Hartzel et al, 2003;Knoll, 2006;Milikin & Krause, 2002;Steffeck, 2003;Stewart, 2008). It can also encompass Fukuyama's (2004) more general notion of the formation of new governmental structures and the strengthening of existing institutions (see also Chandler, 2006;Englebert & Tull, 2008).…”

Section: Institutional Legitimacy In the Post-conflict Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Rebuilding institutional legitimacy in post-conflict societies: a case study of Nepal

Fisk¹

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Legitimacy refers to the perceived rightfulness of authorities, and is central to citizens' perceptions of institutions such as the government. Legitimate authority is linked to acceptance of institutions and long-term stability of societies. As such, rebuilding the legitimacy of institutions such as the government and judiciary ('institutional legitimacy') is essential for stability in post-conflict societies. In this thesis, I explore the factors that lead citizens to view their government as legitimate following the reconstruction of central government institutions after a conflict. I draw on sociological, political science, social psychological and statebuilding theories to develop and present a theoretical model of post-conflict legitimacy.The model has three key components. The first encompasses relational and instrumental antecedents of legitimacy. Relational antecedents encompass fair and neutral decision-making, as well as respectful and dignified treatment, and are referred to collectively as procedural justice. Instrumental antecedents are those which involve outcomes to citizens, and include distributive justice (fairness in outcome distribution), outcome favourability (personal gain in outcomes), and government performance (the ability of the government to function effectively and provide services to citizens). These main variables are investigated along with contingencies relating to social groups that may influence the relationship between procedural justice and legitimacy, such as national identification and group power. Testing of the first model component revealed that procedural justice was by far the strongest predictor of post-conflict institutional legitimacy, and was significantly stronger than instrumental variables such as distributive justice, government performance, and outcome favourability. Further, the relationship between procedural justice and legitimacy was moderated by national identification and group power, suggesting that procedural justice operates through social identity to exert its positive effect. Moreover, the effect of procedural justice on government legitimacy was not simply due to trust and performance perceptions of local institutions, and was not diminished by the government's ability to provide essential services (as predicted by the statebuilding literature). 4Testing of the second model component revealed that two elements of local ownership-voice and local influence-weakly predicted legitimacy, with these relationships varying according to participants' position in the Nepalese caste hierarchy.Testing of the third model component revealed a significant social interaction effect, such that citizens' legitimacy beliefs are influenced by the legitimacy views of those around them. This effect persisted even when demographic, regional, and individual-level variables were controlled.This thesis concludes that procedural justice is more predictive of post-conflict institutional legitimacy than instrumental outcomes. Further, the relationship appears to operat...

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“…9 This neoliberal state building model has been adopted after several military interventions since the end of the Second World War and its advocates argue that it is a rapid remedy for poverty, tyranny, and human rights violations. 10 As several scholars have pointed out, this model has mostly been deployed when a foreign power wants to minimise their post-conflict commitment by super-imposing their own preferred model of governance through the use of armed forces in the aftermath of a crisis. 11 This has led to a great deal of criticism of neo-liberal state building, including that it has not only proven to be ineffective, but that in some cases it can also exacerbate conflict by entrenching social, ethnic, political and ideological divides.…”

Section: Neo-liberal State Buildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Failures of Neo‐Liberal State Building in Iraq: Assessing Australia's Post‐Conflict Reconstruction and Development Initiatives

Hassin

Isakhan

2016

Aus J of Politics History

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This article examines Australia's post-conflict reconstruction and development initiatives in Iraq following the intervention of 2003. Overall, it finds that Australia privileged the neoliberal model of post-conflict state building by investing in projects that would enhance the capacity of the new Iraqi state, its key institutions and the private sector towards the imposition of a liberal democracy and a free-market economy. To demonstrate, this article documents the failures of the Australian government's stated aims to "support agriculture" and "support vulnerable populations" via interviews conducted in Iraq with rural farmers and tribal members and those working in, or the beneficiaries of, Iraq's disability sector. It concludes by noting that such failures are not only indicative of the inadequacy of the neo-liberal state building model, but also that these failures point the way forward for future post-conflict reconstruction and development projects which ought to be premised on a genuine and sustained commitment to addressing the needs of those made most vulnerable by war and regime change. Acknowledgement must go to the Deakin University PhD scholarship program and the ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE120100315), which helped fund the research reported in this article. Also, the authors would like to acknowledge the insightful comments and suggestions of the two anonymous reviewers and the editor of this journal, Ian Ward.

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The UN's Role in Nation-Building: From the Congo to Iraq

Cited by 79 publications

References 3 publications

From Neo-Colonialism to a ‘Light-Footprint Approach’: Restoring Justice Systems

From Neo-Colonialism to a ‘Light-Footprint Approach’: Restoring Justice Systems

Rebuilding institutional legitimacy in post-conflict societies: a case study of Nepal

The Failures of Neo‐Liberal State Building in Iraq: Assessing Australia's Post‐Conflict Reconstruction and Development Initiatives

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