When interests meet norms: The Relevance of Human Rights for Peace and Power-Sharing

A typical feature of contemporary peace accords and power-sharing agreements are references to human rights. Using a data set of 82 peace agreements from 20 sub-Saharan African countries signed between 1989 and 2011, this article studies the prevalence, origin and relevance of human rights norms to power-sharing agreements. We argue that a fine balance needs to be struck between resolving conflicts and addressing human rights concerns. While most peace and conflict literature so far focuses on war termination, more scholarly attention is due for the role of human rights and their potential in achieving durable peace.