January 10, 2014

International Politics and Conflict Resolution

Paula Duarte Lopes

This thesis analyses how the concept of 'peacebuilding' gained life in the United Nations (UN) in the early 1990s and the implications of this process for the Organisation's approach to societies affected by armed conflicts. The main argument herein advanced is that the way the concept of 'peacebuilding' emerged and gained notoriety in the particular context of the United Nations had a profound and lasting influence in the Organisation's provision of support to societies affected by armed conflict, as this process has not only influenced the core meaning of, but also prevented substantial changes to, 'peacebuilding' itself.