Comparative study of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) efforts in Montenegro and Kosovo

In this dissertation, we assume that creating and sustaining institutions that are likely to foster stable peace is a process far less demanding in times before large scale violence occurred as opposed to after its cessation. This assumption, if proven to be true, would then suggest that conflict prevention is a worthy undertaking for reasons not only concerning ethics and morals, but also for the more technical aspects of creating a long term stability and peace. The impetus for the research here is provided by the great many ongoing and intractable conflicts globally that, through targeted international conflict prevention initiatives may have been prevented.; Specifically, this dissertation examines conflict prevention efforts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Montenegro and post conflict peace building measures in Kosovo. The ensuing analysis posits six conclusions. First, our two case studies reveal that conflict prevention aimed at forestalling occurrence of violence should command far more attention of the international community and should be institutionalized on a supranational level. Second, there is evidence that international assistance is channeled differently in pre conflict versus post conflict cases whereby in the former case the OSCE employed a bottom-up approach, whereas in the latter it adopted a top-down method. The analysis suggests that a bottom-up approach was far more suitable at ensuring local support than a top-down tactic. Third, consensus on substantive political, economic and social issues among the local interlocutors is far more difficult to obtain in a post-conflict setting versus a pre-conflict setting. Fourth, proper sequencing of institution building efforts geared toward sustaining peace in both pre and post conflict countries is essential in ensuring stability. In both cases, improper sequencing of conflict prevention and peace building efforts has had harmful effects for sustainability of reforms. Fifth and related, international efforts at reforming local self government proved far more successful in pre conflict versus post conflict case. Sixth, a pressing problem in both pre conflict and post conflict international efforts remains ensuring a sustainability of projects and capacity building initiatives.