EU-UN Cooperation in Peacebuilding: Partners in Practice?

C. Gourlay

This report explores the partnership between the EU and the UN in peacebuilding. It shows that although both organizations employ a mix of crisis management instruments and aid intended to address structural risk factors, there is little agreement on what works and how these instruments should be combined. It confirms that the European Commission funding relationship with the UN is increasingly significant in fragile states, while policies are not always aligned. This report argues that the key to strengthening operational partnerships is to move the needs assessment, planning, priority setting and resource allocation to the country level, and to ensure that assistance is controlled by a partnership of national and international actors.