Furthering the understanding of the legitimate authority in internationally-led peace-and state-building interventions



This study focuses on understanding the complexities of legitimate authority in internationally led peace- and statebuilding interventions.
Innovative theoretical approach, engaging with local and contextual forms of legitimacy in peacebuilding contexts
Introduces nuanced understandings of the concept of legitimacy
Based on wide ranging fieldwork and twelve case studies
Broader lessons for IR and for policy-makers
Includes local authors



This edited volume focuses on disentangling the interplay of local peacebuilding processes and international policy, via comparative theoretical and empirical work on the question of legitimacy and authority. Using a number of conflict-affected regions as case studies - including Kosovo, Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sudan - the book incorporates the expertise of a range of international scholars in order to understand the dynamics of local peacebuilding, the construction of legitimate authority, and its interplay with internationally led peace- and state-building interventions. The commissioned chapters advance our understanding of local legitimacy, sustainable international engagement, and the hybrid forms of authority they produce.