The decision to create a United Nations Peacebuilding Commission demonstrates the international community's recognition of the need for further efforts to prevent the recurrence of conflict in fragile States. Indeed, there are still considerable gaps in the development of concepts, policies and practice that would facilitate post-conflict peacebuilding and make it more effective.

One such gap lies in the security dimension of post-conflict peacebuilding. Applying a security governance approach to the range of security issues that must be addressed by both post-conflict societies and the international community - ranging from security sector reform (SSR) to disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) as well as rule of law and transitional justice - provides a means to better understand the opportunities for more effective and coordinated international efforts to build up efficient and accountable domestic capacity for the provision of security.