ABSTRACT
Most violent conflict since the Second World War has been intra-state:
civil war, state failure and low-intensity violent conflict. The impacts
associated with these phenomena include the direct human costs –
death, injury, human rights abuse, forced migration – the destruction
of infrastructure, and the destruction of societal institutions. Civil wars
and situations of state failure also contribute to international insecur-
ity, in the form of refugee flows, the trafficking of arms and narcotics,
and the spread of insurgencies. Civil wars and weak states can also form the bases for terrorist planning, recruitment and organization,
with implications for regional and international security. Civil war and
state failure are therefore primary challenges in international politics
and for international organizations. Yet the history of multilateral
efforts – including those of the UN – to prevent and resolve civil wars
and build peace after conflict shows a mixed record. This chapter
considers whether the failures of international organizations such as
the UN in preventing and resolving civil conflict – as a humanitarian as well as a security challenge – undermine the legitimacy of multi-
lateralism in this area. Three main themes are explored: the functional
effectiveness – or lack thereof – of the UN’s approach to civil war; the
normative stance of the UN, which has traditionally been based upon
ideas of impartiality and neutrality; and the ‘‘liberal’’ value system
which accompanies international peacebuilding efforts.
