ABSTRACT
Over the past twenty years, the United Nations (UN) system has begun to recognize rule of law support as an important, if not essential, element of post-conflict peacekeeping, stabilization, recovery and peacebuilding. Through the past decade, in particular, UN Member States, legislative bodies, the UN Secretariat, and the UN’s many agencies, funds, and programmes have increased their support to host-country aspirations to strengthen the “rule of law”, as broadly defined by the United Nations.1 The seminal report of the Brahimi Panel helped transform the way in which United Nations peace operations are launched and supported, including in the rule of law area. Peacekeeping itself has evolved from the deployment of military observers to monitor a ceasefire, to multidimensional approaches in which peacekeeping operations are called upon to facilitate the implementation of peace agreements, protect civilians, promote human rights, and help national authorities to strengthen and restore rule of law institutions.2
