Peace agreement
A peace agreement is the formal end of a conflict. Its main aim is to create a lasting stability in a region, including political, economic and social structures that will provide an equitable future for the affected population.
To have a good chance of being durable, a peace agreement must tackle the root causes of the conflict. It also has to ensure the proper functioning of public services (including security), create change in the situation on the ground, and address past abuses, regardless of who perpetrated them.
Moreover, it must allow the affected communities to participate in the negotiation process. This will not only increase the chances of a genuine sense of ownership over the peace agreement but will also reduce the likelihood of spoilers that may undermine it.
In addition, the participation of external actors in peace negotiations is important – as long as they are not imposed. This is why the Kroc Institute maintains a Peace Accords Matrix that allows scholars and practitioners to compare 51 different aspects of comprehensive peace agreements signed since 1989.
A good peace agreement should lay out realistic compromises that satisfy the parties’ interests and have some chance of being implemented for the most important issues – like cessation of hostilities, political and security power-sharing, foreign troop withdrawal, constitutional reform, transitional mechanisms and monitoring/verification. However, it is not necessary to negotiate on all of the issues that are causing the conflict; sometimes it is acceptable to leave some of them unaddressed if they are less urgent and sensitive.
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