Peace, Governance and Rule of Law, and Transitional Justice: Interrogating the Connections

In conflict-affected countries, significant political, peacekeeping and development resources are devoted to preventing future conflict, frequently through the use of transitional justice and rule of law promotion, often linked to promoting peace agreements with specific governance measures. However, despite the importance of the goals and the scale of resources committed, the evidence that such measures promote peace is mixed. Further, the way in which these measures interact, positively and negatively, has not been sufficiently analysed by academics or practitioners. Drawing on the author’s years of fieldwork in Sierra Leone, Uganda, Colombia, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Sudan, among others, this policy note elaborates on the challenges of using law for peace through governance and rule of law measures, as well as through transitional justice.