"It is by reintroducing the rule of law, and confidence in its impartial application, that we can hope to resuscitate societies shattered by conflict," declared Kofi Annan as he opened the 2004 session of the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting the growing emphasis on rule of law policies in peacebuilding contexts. Coming out of the Rule of Law Project of the International Peace Academy's Security-Development Nexus Program, this collection of 12 papers provide analysis of rule of law policies adopted by international actors engaged in peacebuilding with a view to "assess the relevance and use of rule of law programs as a means to help provide stability in postconflict contexts and prevent the recurrence of conflict;" "highlight some of the underlying tensions in the all-embracing claims that are commonly made about what the rule of law is expected to achieve in peacebuilding contexts;" and "identify policy-relevant recommendations in different areas of rule of law programming, as a way to either consolidate existing practice, or highlight important policy gaps and tensions in rule of law polices undertaken as part of peacebuilding," to quote editors Hurwitz (deputy chef de cabinet, Office of the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia) and Huang (a doctoral candidate in political science at Columbia U., US). They organize the papers into sections addressing conceptual perspectives on the rule of law; conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding; and linking security, development, and human rights. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)