Impact of civil society on peace agreements

Desirée Nilsson

Chapter 25 in Handbook on the Politics of International Agreements, 2026, pp 388-400 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: What is the impact of civil society on peace accords in civil war? This chapter reviews the literature on how civil society actors – including women's groups, human rights organizations, trade unions, and religious associations – can contribute to resolving civil wars and shaping the prospects for lasting peace agreements. It addresses several essential questions regarding how to conceptualize civil society, its diverse forms of engagement, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of including civil society. The chapter further discusses the conditions under which civil society is included in peace processes, as well as how inclusion, in turn, shapes outcomes such as peace agreement provisions and durable peace. The chapter concludes by identifying promising areas for future research, including the need to better incorporate civil society into bargaining models of civil war termination, to explore civil society's roles beyond peace accords, and to further examine the drivers of inclusion.

Keywords: Civil Society; Peace Accord; Peace Process; Durable Peace; Non-State Actors; NGO (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035318582
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