International Organisations: Their Role in Conflict Management

Progress in confl ict management shows that more disputes than ever are being settled by negotiation and not on the battlefield, and that international organisations are playing an increasingly important role in settling these disputes. At the same time, the complexity of contemporary confl icts and confl ict management is posing great challenges for the structures, resources and roles of most international organisations.

This book deals with a wide range of different international organisations, which operate in different regions of the world and have different histories, legal foundations, security partners and resources. It is our hope that the book will provide readers with a deeper understanding of these international organisations, their establishment, how they have evolved and the tools of confl ict management they use.

The book is primarily directed towards students of international relations, confl ict management and war studies, and appeals to both theorists and practitioners. It is therefore hoped that policy makers, scholars, students and government offi cials will fi nd it a valuable source of information in organising lectures, conducting research and using the book as an encyclopedia of the differing roles in confl ict management of seven selected international organisations.

I greatly acknowledge the work of the authors of the book, who have contributed with their sound knowledge of the various international organisations they deal with. They have succeeded in providing a solid understanding of the toolboxes of these international organisations in the peace and security realm, while at the same time remaining critical of their workings, successes and failures. I would also like to thank the reviewers, who provided thoughtful and insightful comments of the earlier drafts of the individual chapters, as well as Jens Ringsmose (University of Southern Denmark) and Nicolai Stahlfest Møller (Defence Command Denmark) for helping develop the idea of the book. Lastly, I would especially like to thank my research assistant, Maja Meilby Pedersen for her hard work, academic understanding and patience during the course of writing the book.