Emphasizing the regional component of peace- and statebuilding, this book provides an in-depth empirical analysis of external engagament, primarily in Sri Lanka and also in Myanmar. Sanchez-Cacicedo argues that though identified as 'global' forms of involvement, a liberal peacebuilding approach and Western-led international interventions in statebuilding processes lack the necessary legitimacy at local and regional levels. The book specifically explores the lack of consensus between non-regional and regional actors involved in the 2002 peace process and its implications in Sri Lanka; it further looks into the similar situation of external involvement in Myanmar's statebuilding process. Both case studies provide a rich contextual insight into the specificity of external engagement in Asia, against the backdrop of a globally rising China and India, and their evolving neighbourhood policies.
Building States, Building Peace highlights how the regional can prevail over the global structure, reconfiguring our views on the optimal ways in which to achieve peace- and statebuilding.

Sanchez-Cacicedo provides a critique of liberal peacebuilding approaches and of international interventions in statebuilding processes, questioning how 'global' these initiatives are, using case studies from the Asian region including Sri Lanka and Myanmar.