Th e international administration of territory, in which comprehensive administrative powers are exercised by, on behalf of or with the agreement of the United Nations (UN) has recently re-emerged in the context of reconstructing (parts of ) states after confl ict. Th e cases of Kosovo and East Timor have frequently been described as ground-breaking and unique in peace-building and post-confl ict reconstruction literature, and have triggered both interest and criticism. Th e subsequent post-confl ict operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have prompted similar mixed reactions, in respect of both their achievements and their diff ering approaches
