Stabilisation can generally be thought of as a form of engagement in fragile conflicts that seeks to establish a political settlement and level of stability that enables an area to return to civilian life following a period of violence. While there are different approaches to undertaking stabilisation, it generally includes a set of activities that build the political and security conditions required for normal development programming. Such activities can include those that help to prevent violence, protect and/or rebuild institutions providing basic services, rebuild local and national governance structures, and that increase public trust in the environment and local or national institutions.

Stabilisation is aligned with conflict sensitivity in that there are three types of stabilisation (as described in ‘The UK’s Government’s Approach to Stabilisation’), much like there are three types of conflict sensitivity considerations: 

Through promoting an supporting a political process to reduce violence. This interacts with the first conflict sensitivity consideration of the impact of aid on the ability and willingness of political actors to negotiate a solution. 

By protecting the means of survival through addressing immediate security concerns and building space for peaceful political processes. This interacts with the second conflict sensitivity consideration of the impact of aid, as a new resource, on local violence levels. 

By preparing a foundation for longer term stability. This interacts with the third conflict sensitivity consideration of the how aid reinforces or weakens political, economic, or social structures. 

However, stabilization is the most difficult form of aid to make conflict sensitive. This is because it usually entails purposeful reinforcement of, or alignment with, political actors. As such, stabilization programming requires a greater level of conflict sensitivity support than other types of aid.