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Authority under Pressure: Syria, the United Nations, and the Contestation of Legitimacy in Peacebuilding

Rosenblad, Saga LU and Wohlfahrt Kämpe, Mira LU (2026) FKVA23 20252
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The emergence of alternative actors in peacebuilding has raised questions about the legitimacy of the United Nations in contemporary peacebuilding. This essay examines: Did the emergence of the Astana Process Challenge the Legitimacy of UN Peacebuilding? Drawing on a qualitative discourse analysis, the study analyzes Syria's and France's statements made to the UN Security Council from 2012-2021. Legitimacy is conceptualized as a relational and discursive phenomenon, and measured through discursive instrumentalization of UN symbols. The findings reveal a clear post-Astana shift, where Syria increasingly contests UN legitimacy from within the UN framework, whereas France moves towards more strategic expressions, leveraging UN legitimacy to... (More)
The emergence of alternative actors in peacebuilding has raised questions about the legitimacy of the United Nations in contemporary peacebuilding. This essay examines: Did the emergence of the Astana Process Challenge the Legitimacy of UN Peacebuilding? Drawing on a qualitative discourse analysis, the study analyzes Syria's and France's statements made to the UN Security Council from 2012-2021. Legitimacy is conceptualized as a relational and discursive phenomenon, and measured through discursive instrumentalization of UN symbols. The findings reveal a clear post-Astana shift, where Syria increasingly contests UN legitimacy from within the UN framework, whereas France moves towards more strategic expressions, leveraging UN legitimacy to justify state action. Our results are then complemented with a qualitative research interview with Björn Brenner, former principal Military Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria. The results from the discourse analysis and insights from the interview are then compiled, analysed and elaborated on in a discussion. We draw the conclusion that the shift in discourse correlates with the emergence of the Astana Process. However, a causation is not definite. (Less)
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author
Rosenblad, Saga LU and Wohlfahrt Kämpe, Mira LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
A discourse analysis on the legitimacy of the United Nations, before and after the emergence of the Astana Process
course
FKVA23 20252
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Legitimacy, the Astana Process, Syria, France, the United Nations, Peacebuilding
language
English
additional info
The authors would like to thank Björn Brenner for generously sharing his time and invaluable insights in an interview conducted for this paper. Any remaining errors are solely the responsibility of the authors.
id
9218226
date added to LUP
2026-04-10 14:44:44
date last changed
2026-04-10 14:44:44
@misc{9218226,
  abstract     = {{The emergence of alternative actors in peacebuilding has raised questions about the legitimacy of the United Nations in contemporary peacebuilding. This essay examines: Did the emergence of the Astana Process Challenge the Legitimacy of UN Peacebuilding? Drawing on a qualitative discourse analysis, the study analyzes Syria's and France's statements made to the UN Security Council from 2012-2021. Legitimacy is conceptualized as a relational and discursive phenomenon, and measured through discursive instrumentalization of UN symbols. The findings reveal a clear post-Astana shift, where Syria increasingly contests UN legitimacy from within the UN framework, whereas France moves towards more strategic expressions, leveraging UN legitimacy to justify state action. Our results are then complemented with a qualitative research interview with Björn Brenner, former principal Military Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria. The results from the discourse analysis and insights from the interview are then compiled, analysed and elaborated on in a discussion. We draw the conclusion that the shift in discourse correlates with the emergence of the Astana Process. However, a causation is not definite.}},
  author       = {{Rosenblad, Saga and Wohlfahrt Kämpe, Mira}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Authority under Pressure: Syria, the United Nations, and the Contestation of Legitimacy in Peacebuilding}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}