ABSTRACT
Violence and brutality commonly occur in every conflict. However, ending the conflict can be meant bringing the order back, since there is no post-conflict law. The incorporation of human rights provisions in the peace agreement is therefore vital in preventing the future violations. By using the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict, this paper aims to analyse the relationship between human rights and conflict resolution. The analysis is based on the review of the Dayton Peace Agreements. There are at least four key findings found by this research. First, international communities push the warring parties to sit in a negotiation of peace agreement as a result of strong political and military pressure. Second, although the agreement incorporates numerous provisions on human rights protection, it mentions nothing about accountability for the human rights abuses that happened during the conflict. Third, in implementing the agreement, international communities play an important role, particularly in ensuring the refugees and internally displaced persons are returned to their own homes, although they may well become a minority in some cases. Fourth, learning from the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict, human rights laws can become complementary to the peace process when dealing with the protection of the rights of minorities and prevent future abuses but it is inadequate when dealing with war crimes, and the returning process of refugees and internally displaced persons.
