As a conflict ends and the parties begin working towards a durable peace, practitioners and peace-builders are faced with the thrilling possibilities and challenges of building new or reformed political, security, judicial, social, and economic structures. This Handbook analyzes these elements of post-conflict state building through the lens of international law, which provides a framework through which the authors contextualize and examine the many facets of state building in relation to the legal norms, processes, and procedures that guide such efforts across the globe. The volume aims to provide not only an introduction to and explanation of prominent topics in state building, but also a perceptive analysis that augments ongoing conversations among researchers, lawyers, and advocates engaged in the field.

The Research Handbook on Post-Conflict State Building provides keen insights for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in programs related to peace and conflict, governance, and international justice and law. Practitioners such as United Nations staff, government officials, international institution and think tanks engaged in post-conflict state building will glean important lessons and guidance from the Handbook’s chapters.