Although peacebuilding organisations, just as with development and humanitarian organisations, can inadvertently increase conflict, peacebuilders often fail to recognise the need to adopt conflict sensitive approaches.

Co-ordination between local and national organisations, and between those at the national and international level, on conflict analyses and joint programme and project implementation, can help ensure that peacebuilding operations do not inflame existing tensions. Likewise, a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the strengths and limitations of local or traditional peacebuilding capacities can also serve to conflict-sensitise operations.

Careful planning, based on a comprehensive analysis of the conflict context and actors, will help ensure that peacebuilding operations are conflict-sensitive and thereby more likely to build peace. Co-ordination between international, national and local organisations will minimise opportunities for overlap, missed opportunities and competition. In addition to minimising inadvertent negative impacts on conflict, addressing the considerations outlined above will also serve to augment positive impacts of peacebuilding.