Peacebuilding on the Ground: How Power Shapes UN Operational Practice

Shifting geopolitical balances are increasingly visible within the United Nations system, including in debates surrounding peacebuilding and peace operations. Recent research suggests that UN actors do not share a uniform understanding of peacebuilding, resulting in divergent interpretations of its objectives, instruments, and normative foundations. This paper examines how these differing interpretations are reflected in contemporary UN peacebuilding practice and how power politics among major actors shape both the implementation and evolution of peacebuilding activities. The paper draws on the author’s ongoing PhD research, which identifies a set of criteria characteristic of UN peacebuilding. These criteria are derived from a systematic analysis of key conceptual and policy documents produced by UN bodies responsible for peacebuilding-related tasks. Building on this framework, the paper assesses UN peace operations launched after 2005 to determine the extent to which these criteria have been implemented in practice. The analysis focuses on identifying patterns of continuity and divergence between the conceptual foundations of UN peacebuilding and its operationalization in specific country contexts. Empirically, the study examines which actors, particularly among major powers, were primarily involved in selected peace operations and how their participation correlated with the prioritization of particular peacebuilding tasks, thematic areas, and approaches. By comparing multiple cases, the article highlights how geopolitical competition and strategic interests influence not only mandate design and resource allocation but also the substantive direction of peacebuilding efforts. The findings demonstrate that peacebuilding practice within the UN is not merely the technical implementation of agreed norms but is significantly shaped by political contestation among key actors. Divergent interpretations of peacebuilding norms enable flexibility in practice, which can both facilitate adaptation to local contexts and undermine coherence and consistency across missions. The article contributes to debates on UN peacebuilding by clarifying how power relations intersect with normative frameworks, offering insights into the evolving nature of peacebuilding in a multipolar international order.