Right-financing the future. Lessons for Asian and European peace processes

Abstract

This paper outlines measures to strengthen the sustainment of peace processes through the ‘valued’ utilization of external financial assistance, in line with the proposed ‘right-financing’ framework (see Middlebrook, P (2006), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-financing). While the right-financing concept has relevance across the entire public and private investment spectrum, its application to the peacekeeping and post conflict reconstruction agenda is equally relevant given concerns regarding rising costs; US$5.03 billion in 2006 alone, and more than US$36 billion since 1948. When additional costs for peace enforcement and post conflict reconstruction exercises are factored in, to be measured in untold billions of US dollars (Middlebrook and Miller, Lessons in post conflict reconstruction from the new Afghanistan compact, 2006), the cost represents an increasingly heavy drain on the tax payers whose demands for increased services at home may 1 day see the ‘end of aid’ as the world currently knows it, unless its effectiveness is substantially increased. In so doing, this paper proposes corrective measures to strengthen financing arrangements to enhance the effectiveness and efficient utilization of scarce international resources.