Sustaining peace in practice

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the practical application of 'sustaining peace' in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It analyzes the transitions from UN peacekeeping to peacebuilding, arguing that while both nations have shown resilience, UN transitions have often failed to address the root causes of conflict. The document provides recommendations for the UN and regional partners to enhance local ownership, capacity building, and economic diversification to ensure long-term stability.

• The UN's approach to transitions in Liberia and Sierra Leone is criticized for failing to address the underlying root causes of conflict or reduce dependency on foreign aid.
• The Liberian Peacebuilding Plan is identified as a model for UN transitions due to its strategic approach, stakeholder consensus, and criteria for sequencing actions based on national ownership and impact.
• Liberia faces several critical short-term priorities to sustain peace, including the need to harmonize statutory and customary court systems, implement Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations, and conclude the constitutional review process.
• In Sierra Leone, significant challenges to sustainable peace persist, including high levels of corruption, a closing space for civil society, and extreme poverty characterized by some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates globally.
• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is positioned as a vital partner for long-term peace through its focus on infrastructure, regional integration, and the institutionalization of democracy and good governance protocols.
• The document recommends that to sustain peace, high-level government salaries in Liberia and Sierra Leone should be reduced to limit corruption and the drain on national budgets.

APA

Lucey, A., & Kumalo, L. (2018). Sustaining peace in practice. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief114-2.pdf

Chicago

Lucey, Amanda, and Liezelle Kumalo. Sustaining peace in practice. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief114-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lucey |first1=Amanda |last2=Kumalo |first2=Liezelle |title=Sustaining peace in practice |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief114-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lucey2018sustaining, author = {Lucey, Amanda and Kumalo, Liezelle}, title = {{Sustaining peace in practice}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief114-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }