Can international interventions secure the peace?

Abstract

The international community uses a number of interventions to make and build peace. How effective are these interventions? What works and what does not? Some of the commonly advocated interventions have been assessed in large-n studies.This article provides an overview of the current knowledge and highlights the uncertainties. Although there is no evidence that development aid helps to prevent wars in general, aid stabilizes post-war situations. There are also a considerable number of studies suggesting that UN Peacekeeping Operations do indeed keep the peace. Although there are fewer studies, there is some emerging evidence that arms embargoes do restrict arms transfers to conflict zones and thus help to make conflicts less deadly. This suggests that internationally binding rules on arms transfers and the use of private military and security services are effective means of conflict management. On the other hand, the evidence arising from the analysis of mediation and sanctions is mixed. They are frequently used third-party interventions, often in conjuncture with other interventions. However, our knowledge about the optimal policy mix of economic, diplomatic and military interventions is still limited.