Over the past 50 years, within five years of signing. New research shows that when international partners help implement an accord, the odds improve 鈥� and the deeper their engagement, the better.
That鈥檚 according to a study by University of Notre Dame researcher . The study, published in the , shows how the visible, on-the-ground presence of partners such as foreign countries, multilateral institutions and policy advocacy organizations keeps peace agreements on track by raising reputational costs for leaders who fail to implement them.
鈥淢y research provides a template that policymakers and practitioners can apply in post-conflict settings,鈥� said Joshi, research professor and associate director of the , part of the at Notre Dame鈥檚 . 鈥淭his evidence-based approach can help support peace agreements.鈥�
Evidence from Colombia
Joshi鈥檚 research drew on evidence from the historic 2016 Colombian peace accord between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People鈥檚 Army (FARC-EP), which illustrates these dynamics in practice.
The Colombian agreement has had high levels of global involvement, from negotiation to implementation. More than 30 international actors have helped support the agreement, including the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the Carter Center and the U.S. government.
Joshi used data from the Peace Accords Matrix , which is responsible for monitoring and verifying implementation of the accord. This is the first time a university-based research center has played such a direct role in supporting the implementation of a peace agreement, and the first time researchers have measured the implementation of a peace accord in real time.
Drawing on this data, Joshi tracked 578 individual commitments from December 2016 through April 2023. He found that international support, and the depth of that support, directly improved implementation outcomes.
Previous research has shown that domestic leaders often fail to implement peace agreements either because they are politically costly or because leaders lose domestic political support. Joshi found that international partners bring expertise and resources to support the aspects of agreements that are most at risk. Crucially, he also found that partners鈥� involvement increases the visibility of these agreements. That motivates leaders to work through obstacles rather than risk losing face on the global stage.
鈥淲hen domestic actors face higher reputational costs, they are less likely to shirk their commitment to implementing peace,鈥� Joshi said.
Colombia鈥檚 story reflects these findings, Joshi said. When Iv谩n Duque won the Colombian presidency in 2018 by rallying voters against the peace agreement, extensive international involvement meant he couldn鈥檛 walk away from it, despite his campaign promise.
Informing global peace policy and practice
The new study builds on Joshi鈥檚 broader body of work, which examines why peace agreements succeed or fail. Previous research has explored how can pave the way for more comprehensive deals and how strengthens accords.
Joshi鈥檚 work plays a central role in the Peace Accords Matrix. It maintains the world鈥檚 largest collection of implementation data on intrastate peace agreements, informing the work of policymakers and practitioners.
The latest study carries direct implications for how future agreements are designed, Joshi said, adding that partners should be built into strategies from the start.
鈥淭o maximize the chances for success, negotiators should design strategies to incorporate partners before the agreement is signed and deploy them as soon as implementation begins,鈥� Joshi said.
Originally published by at on April 28.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu