My plan was to answer Steve's question by commenting on the USIP monograph in general; and on its Rule of Law section in particular.

I do have some initial thoughts - without commentary now.

In Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction (Glossary), one finds the following definitions, which provide some boundaries for the scope of "Stabilization and Reconstruction":

Stabilization
Ending or preventing the recurrence of violent conflict and creating the conditions for normal economic activity and nonviolent politics. (UK Stabilisation Unit, “Helping Countries Recover From Violent Conflict.”)

Violent Conflict [defined by USIP]
A clash of political interests between organized groups characterized by a sustained and large-scale use of force.

Peace Enforcement
Coercive action undertaken with the authorization of the United Nations Security Council to maintain or restore international peace and security in situations where the Security Council has determined the existence of a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression. (UN DPKO, “Peacekeeping Operations Principles and Guidelines.”)

Peacekeeping
Action undertaken to preserve peace, however fragile, where fighting has been halted and to assist in implementing agreements achieved by the peacemakers. (UNDPKO, “Peacekeeping Operations Principles and Guidelines.”)

Peacebuilding
Measures aimed at reducing the risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict, by strengthening national capacities for conflict management and laying the foundations for sustainable peace. (UN DPKO, “Peacekeeping Operations Principles and Guidelines.”)

Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR)
A process that contributes to security and stability in a stabilization and reconstruction context by removing weapons from the hands of combatants, taking the combatants out of military structures, and helping them to integrate socially and economically into society by finding civilian livelihoods. (United Nations, Integrated DDR Standard.)

Reconstruction
The process of rebuilding degraded, damaged, or destroyed political, socioeconomic, and physical infrastructure of a country or territory to create the foundation for long-term development. (United States Army, Field Manual 3-07: Stability Operations.)

Development
Long-term efforts aimed at bringing improvements in the economic, political, and social status, environmental stability, and the quality of life for all segments of the population. (DRAFT UK CAWG, Inter-Departmental Glossary of Planning Terminology.)
These are not modest boundaries even if one reads them conservatively.

The scope of the Stabilization and Reconstruction concept is established by its summaries of End States:

2.1 End States

Below is a summary description of each end state, framed according to the perception of the host nation population, as they will be the final arbiters of whether peace has been achieved.

• Safe and Secure Environment
Ability of the people to conduct their daily lives without fear of systematic or large-scale violence.

• Rule of Law
Ability of the people to have equal access to just laws and a trusted system of justice that holds all persons accountable, protects their human rights and ensures their safety and security.

• Stable Governance
Ability of the people to share, access or compete for power through nonviolent political processes and to enjoy the collective benefits and services of the state.

• Sustainable Economy
Ability of the people to pursue opportunities for livelihoods within a system of economic governance bound by law.

• Social Well-Being
Ability of the people to be free from want of basic needs and to coexist peacefully in communities with opportunities for advancement.
and Key Principles:

3.1 What are the key cross-cutting principles in an S&R environment?

• Host nation ownership and capacity means that the affected country must drive its own development needs and priorities even if transitional authority is in the hands of outsiders. Ownership requires capacity, which often needs tremendous strengthening in S&R environments.

• Political primacy means that a political settlement is the cornerstone of a sustainable peace. Every decision and every action has an impact on the possibility of forging political agreement.

• Legitimacy has three facets: the degree to which the host nation population accepts the mission and its mandate or the government and its actions; the degree to which the government is accountable to its people; and the degree to which regional neighbors and the broader international community accept the mission mandate and the host nation government.

• Unity of effort begins with a shared understanding of the environment. It refers to cooperation toward common objectives over the short and long term, even when the participants come from many different organizations with diverse operating cultures.

• Security is a cross-cutting prerequisite for peace. The lack of security is what prompts an S&R mission to begin with. Security creates the enabling environment for development.

• Conflict transformation guides the strategy to transform resolution of conflict from violent to peaceful means. It requires reducing drivers of conflict and strengthening mitigators across political, security, rule of law, economic, and social spheres, while building host nation capacity to manage political and economic competition through peaceful means.

• Regional engagement entails encouraging the host nation, its neighboring countries, and other key states in the region to partner in promoting both the host nation’s and the region’s security and economic and political development. It has three components: comprehensive regional diplomacy, a shared regional vision, and cooperation.
To me, this looks like a comprehensive state-building program which has its legal bases in the UN Charter and Conventions; International Human Rights Law; and, to a lesser extent, International Humanitarian Law (which goes beyond the Laws of War [LOAC] accepted by the US).

In any event, in considering the value of "Stabilization and Reconstruction", one has to view the concept in terms of - Where am I ? Who am I ? Why am I here ? Who owns me ?

Regards

Mike