2025 Peace, Security and Conflict

From Confrontation to Cooperation? The United Nations’ Engagement with Non-State Armed Groups

Jenniina Kotajoki

Non-state armed groups (NSAGs) are central in many conflicts. The dissertation summarized here explores how the UN interacts with NSAGs at different levels, for example in Mali, Lebanon and Côte d’Ivoire. Interactions with armed groups affect the possibilities for humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts, but can also influence perceptions of neutrality, impartiality, and legitimacy, leading to difficult trade-offs.