Peace Deals Succeed When Global Partners Stay Involved

Peace agreements don't have to fail, and new research shows exactly how to help them succeed.

Over the past 50 years, 4 in 10 peace agreements have collapsed within five years of signing. But researcher Madhav Joshi from the University of Notre Dame just discovered what makes the difference between failure and lasting peace.

When international partners like foreign governments, the United Nations, or advocacy groups actively help implement peace accords on the ground, success rates soar. The more deeply these partners engage, the better agreements hold together.

Joshi's study, published in the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, examined Colombia's historic 2016 peace agreement. More than 30 international organizations supported the accord between Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC-EP), from the European Union to the Carter Center.

The research tracked 578 individual commitments over seven years. The results were clear: international presence works because it raises the stakes for leaders who might otherwise abandon their promises.

"When domestic actors face higher reputational costs, they are less likely to shirk their commitment to implementing peace," Joshi explained. Leaders don't want to lose face on the global stage, so they work through obstacles instead of walking away.

Colombia proved this principle perfectly. When Iván Duque won the presidency in 2018 by campaigning against the peace agreement, he couldn't simply abandon it. International involvement meant the world was watching.

The Ripple Effect

This research does more than explain the past. It provides a blueprint for future peacebuilding efforts worldwide.

The Peace Accords Matrix at Notre Dame maintains the world's largest collection of peace agreement data, informing policymakers and practitioners working in conflict zones. This study marks the first time a university research center has directly monitored a peace accord in real time.

Joshi's findings show that international partners bring crucial expertise and resources to the most fragile aspects of agreements. They fill gaps that domestic leaders can't address alone, whether due to political pressure or resource constraints.

The implications are practical and immediate. Joshi recommends building international partnerships into peace strategies from the very beginning, before agreements are even signed.

"To 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," he said.

For conflict zones around the world, this research offers genuine hope: peace agreements can work when the global community commits to making them succeed.