Caution: No Exit - The Struggles of Post-Conflict International Administrations

Paper Presented at the University of Toronto Political Science Undergraduate Research Conference 2017 organized by the Association of Political Science Students on March 8, 2017 at the Hart House Music Room. Submitted to T-Space on May 12, 2017.International administrations are intrusive means to establishing a peaceful and stable end for post-conflict states. However, past examples of these administrations such as Bosnia, Kosovo, and Timor-Leste have shown how difficult achieving a successful exit can be – exponential costs, inefficient and corrupt political institutions, and underlying tensions persistently cause delays to a final withdrawal of international forces. This paper suggests a state must have four stable aspects – dependable and unprejudiced police and military forces, an uncorrupt system of taxation, strong domestic state ownership, and some plan for a successor mission – before an international administration can withdraw successfully.Professor Rodney Haddow, Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Political Science, University of Toront