The post-Cold War world doesn’t look at all as we expected it to look, as little as ten or so years ago. Far from the tranquillity we expected, our global village is looking increasingly more troubled. One of the major challenges we must face in this new world is that of post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction. I would like to share some perspectives on this challenge, from the viewpoint, not of a theoretician, but of the practitioner in the field, after four years as High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

I believe that with a clear vision, the right resources, a firm destination to head for, a good plan and the will to carry it through, you can, in at least some cases, successfully re-build a secure peace even after the most devastating war. In BiH, mistakes were made, and lessons were learnt. We now know that postwar reconstruction must be holistic, and fully engaged with local people. Since we took those lessons on board, BiH has made remarkable progress. The list of economic, social and political reforms it has implemented constitutes a practical blueprint for taking BiH into the modern democratic world. Bosnia demonstrates that nation building can work.

We must learn from the successes; we should not give up in those cases where success has not yet been achieved. As fighting a war is considerably more expensive than peace stabilization, postwar reconstruction represents a sound economic investment. The example of failed states such as Afghanistan, and their ability to spread horror well beyond their borders, gives us a moral reason for intervention. Finally, there are powerful reasons of self interest in getting it right as well; states such as Bosnia can become sound allies.

We owe it to ourselves and perhaps above all to the citizens of failed states – our fellow citizens in the global village – to make sure that where possible the example of Bosnia is followed, intelligently and effectively, in other parts of the world.

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