New avenues in peace implementation research: actors, geolocation, and time

Abstract

ABSTRACT Comparative peace processes research shows how the success of peace agreement implementation contributes to durable quality peace in societies emerging out of violent conflict. Less widely discussed in this peace implementation research are three core components: the various actors involved in the peace implementation, the location of implementation activities, and the temporal dimensions involved in the implementation process. While peace process actors receive some attention within the top-down and bottom-up and inclusion and exclusion debates in peacebuilding research, discussions are sparse on the geolocation of peace implementation and implementation timing. By showing how these three components – peace process actors, geolocation, and time – interact with each other, this article makes the case for these three components to build a holistic understanding of and diverse perspectives on the peace implementation process. Information specific to actors, geolocation, and time involving the peace implementation process helps generate and address new research puzzles and thus advance our understanding of the peace implementation process while providing new insights for policymakers and peacebuilding practitioners.