Mechanisms for Dialogue: A Means to Prevent Civil War Recurrence

This paper argues that the effects of civil war recurrence can be mitigated if peace agreements include mechanisms that enable the warring parties to continue dialogue throughout peace processes beyond the implementation of a peace agreement. Based on an examination of 147 agreements across ten peace processes that experienced at least one relapse into violence, it identifies three types of mechanisms for dialogues—platforms for engagement, implementation reviews, and dispute resolution provisions—for settling differences that, left unresolved, might lead to a resumption of violence.