The recent rise in intrastate armed conflicts and decline in peace processes

With 57 ongoing intrastate armed conflicts around the world, 2024 was one of the deadliest years. The end of the Cold War was followed by two relatively peaceful decades, as peace process settlements ended numerous armed conflicts. Since the early 2010s, the onset and persistence rates of armed conflict have been significantly higher than their termination rates, indicating a decline in peace agreements. This article examines five shifts in international peacebuilding practices driving this trend: a pivot in US foreign policy from peacebuilding to statebuilding, the decline in multilateral solutions to armed conflicts, an increase in religious conflicts and a lack of culturally informed mediation support, a well-intended emphasis on inclusive peace processes that are practically difficult to implement, and a slower implementation pace of the most recent peace agreements. The concluding section explores what could lie ahead for peacebuilding and peace processes.