Over 1800 formal peace agreements have been signed in over 150 different conflict situations (PA-X Peace Agreement Database; Bell & Badanjak 2019). These deals aim to establish ceasefires, bring the conflict parties to the negotiation table, resolve power-sharing issues and/or implement previous agreements. Peace agreements come in three broad types: partial, full and transitional.
Procedural components delineate the HOW of building and maintaining peace and include schedules, institutions and mechanisms that help to resolve subsequent/future conflicts over substantive issues like elections, justice and human rights. They also often address the type of reforms that are needed to address past injustices in a society.
In any protracted violent conflict, latent cultural and religious identities can be activated by political entrepreneurs who seek to acquire or control resources and are willing to commit horrific crimes in the pursuit of their goals. Structuring peace agreements to account for the impact of these identity-based transgressions is a critical element in ensuring that an agreement leads to a more lasting and enduring peace.
During this latest conflict, the White House has set up a framework for a Palestinian State and Israel to return to the negotiating table over disputed territories. The pause in violence and Israel’s agreement to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were key moves in this effort. However, the fact that neither side has agreed to a permanent deal yet is cause for skepticism about whether these efforts will lead to a more durable peace.
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