Happily ever after

This policy brief analyzes the 2015 United Nations peacebuilding review, which advocates for a shift from 'post-conflict peacebuilding' to a holistic approach termed 'sustaining peace.' The authors examine how UN member states can implement these recommendations to prioritize conflict prevention and address the root causes of conflict through better coordination between UN organs and increased partnerships with regional organizations.

• The 2015 UN peacebuilding review proposes a normative shift from viewing peacebuilding as a linear, post-conflict process to a holistic approach called 'sustaining peace.' Under this lens, conflict prevention is an integral part of peacebuilding and is not limited to post-conflict scenarios, serving as a common principle for all UN engagements.
• The UN Peacebuilding Architecture (UNPBA) consists of three main components: the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), and the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). There is widespread agreement that this architecture has not met expectations, particularly regarding its effectiveness in conflict prevention.
• Member states are encouraged to recognize the UN Security Council as the primary actor in peacebuilding, supported by the General Assembly and ECOSOC, with the PBC serving as an advisory bridge. This requires the Security Council to move from reactive measures to actively addressing emerging threats and root causes.
• There is significant disagreement among the Permanent Five (P-5) members of the Security Council regarding conflict prevention. China and Russia emphasize national sovereignty and the responsibility of affected countries to prevent conflict, while France argues that the international community must act to prevent atrocities.
• To improve the reach and impact of peacebuilding, the UN must strengthen partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations, which often possess better contextual understanding and faster response capabilities. Additionally, the authors suggest expanding the strategic partnership with the World Bank by revising the 2008 cooperation framework.
• Sustainable peacebuilding requires predictable and flexible financing. While the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) has provided catalytic funding, it remains relatively small. The authors suggest multi-year funding commitments to the PBF and the use of national systems in post-conflict countries to enhance long-term capacity and ownership.

APA

Lucey, A., de Carvalho, G., & Gida, S. (2015). Happily ever after. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief78.pdf

Chicago

Lucey, Amanda, Gustavo de Carvalho, and Sibongile Gida. Happily ever after. Institute for Security Studies, 2015. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief78.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lucey |first1=Amanda |last2=de Carvalho |first2=Gustavo |last3=Gida |first3=Sibongile |title=Happily ever after |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2015 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief78.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lucey2015happily, author = {Lucey, Amanda and de Carvalho, Gustavo and Gida, Sibongile}, title = {{Happily ever after}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2015}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief78.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }