Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance

european school of governance

Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance

The role of mediation in international relations:

„call for peaceful conflict resolutions in globalization“

culture meets culture03.-06. Mail 2006, EUROAPHAUS WIEN


content

Trends in Society and international relations

Democratization

Global society world and international conflicts

International conflicts and conflict prevention

Concepts of multilateral peace keeping

Mediation: a concept for international peace keeping

Conclusion and perspective


Trends in Society

Economic development and prosperity:

1871: more than 50% in agriculture

2000: less than 3.2% in agriculture

GDP

1830: 2000:

~130.-€ ~ 25.000.- €

Lifetime: doubled

Better education and access to information

48

3,20

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1871 2000

0,13

25

0

5

10

15

20

25

thousands EUR

1830 2000

t

People in agriculture

GDP


Today’s elite has no longer the monopoly of access to information - in the best case they have a little advantage of time

The radical change of the social structure, the revolution in the education and information sector has initiated a change in government:

democratization

„The Democratic Revolution is the most important trend at the end of the 20th

century“

(Samuel Huntigton)

Trends in Society


Democratization

Increasing welfare leads to growing demands for democratic participation

Globalization promotes democratization Welfare and development needs the

autonomic and innovative citizen, who participates in decision making

0

22

58 65

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1900 1940 1980 2001

Number of people in % living in democratic societies


The global society world

The emerging of the „society world“ (E.-O. Czempiel)

has almost eliminated the classical international war

between states

In 2001 the UN registered 105 violent conflicts and

wars,

all of them „new wars“ (intra-state-wars)

Main issue of those conflicts:

political and economic Participation

Challenge of the 21th century:

how to deal with these conflicts in an alternative

and non-violent way that answers the demand

for participation?


International conflict and conflict prevention

1945: United Nations

Multilateralism institutionalized

Consensus building as a principle in international politics and peace keeping

Rule of international law and international government under the control of the United Nations


International conflict and conflict preventioncrisis of classical crisis-management

Collapse of security policy: The crisis in Yugoslavia, Somalia and Rwanda made the collapse of

the classical crisis-management obvious Deadly conflicts, failed states, civil war, violence of human rights,

genocide – the international community seemed to be almost helpless

A massive conceptional gap in security and peace policy This became even more true after 9/11

Spending of Resources: millions of Dollar where spent for re-active crisis management

(military forces, humanitarian aid, recovery programs)

Development policy became a repair workshop

The international community is in need of a concept

for maintaining security in the new emerging world order


Prevention before a deadly conflict and Consolidation after such a conflict became important, conceptional aspects for new forms of appropriate, effective and cheaper security strategies

Development policy aspects and security aspects (peace building) merged to the new concept of peace-consolidation (UN/OSCE)

International conflict and conflict preventionsearch for new concepts of constructive conflict management

Development Policy Security Policy

Peace Consolidation



Peace Consolidation (UN / OSCE)A systematic and long-term oriented process to deal with the sources of violent conflicts and to build the framework, the institutions and structures for a society to live in together in peace

Three phases of Peace Consolidation (UN / OSCE)

I.

Preventing deadly conflicts

Preventing escalation

Preventing rebirth of conflict

II.

III.


A change in paradigm in Security Policy stresses the “culture of Prevention” (Carnegie Commission 1997) and pledges for a coherent conflict prevention strategy development (UN 1/2001)

“Prevention is the only appropriate security policy.” (Ernst-Otto

Czempiel)

International conflict and conflict preventiona change in paradigm



The current model of peace Consolidation:

Peace Consolidation

Experts:

Operative Prevention

•Early warning and intervention•Preventive diplomacy•Economic measures (Sanctions, Benefits)•Enforcement measures

Structural prevention

•Security (in and between states)•Well-Being (i.e. social justice,

political participations, sustainableDevelopment)

•Rule of law and just society (in and between states)

short term mid term long term


Current model of UN and OSCE: Experts are analyzing the conflict, its structure

etc. and developing strategies for peace building

Experts are doing the job and they are trying to bring peace to the people


A good model for de-escalation of deadly conflicts by force,but

also the best model for a sustainable peace building?


Problems of the current concept

Peace Consolidation is basically seen as a technological project concerning resources, technical support, capacities, methods of external actors to act most effective according to the operational needs on the ground

Gap between early warning and early action

Lack of co-ordination coherent approaches between state and non-state actors

One track classical diplomacy

Almost non bottom-up information flow and network

High-tech military warning systems not suited to the prevailing of new wars


Empowering civic society by empowering the people

Mediation is an approach that empowers the civil society by empowering the people itself.

conflict owners and experts The conflict groups and partners are experts

for their problems and conflicts they could be experts for peace building

Mediation: an approved process approach and tool

Mediation is an additional approved instrument for sustainable peace building

When people participate, it enhances the acceptance of the result

Sustainability is a result of the process itself

Mediation: a concept for international peace keeping


supports the conflict parties in understanding their conflict:

Methods to stimulate the exchange about differences

Mapping the conflict by using visualization techniques

creates a room for the differences and for the mutual acceptances of those differences

Helps the conflict parties to find optimal regulations for their situations based on a better understanding of the interests and needs of everybody involved in the conflict

Conducts the creation of a contract and ensures – if needed - that a third party overlooks and guards the implementation process

Mediation: a concept for international peace keepingHow mediation could be useful

Mediation


Where mediation could make a difference:

Phase I: Prevention: transferring preventive diplomacy into

early mediation processes (by professional mediators and not diplomats, only)

Support of early mediation approaches by economic measurements (sanctions or benefits)

Phase III: Sustainable Peace-building Establishing sustainable structures for

peace keeping through the participations of the conflict parties in the strategy development process


Mediation: an instrument for all phases and on all political levels in the process of peace building Mediation could help to overcome structural gaps in

the current concept of peace building: Definition of Interest of the conflict parties, politicians etc.

activation of resources (from non-action to effective action)

Coherence building of actors in all fields of politics

Better coherence and co-operation in foreign policy, security and development policy in an complex and multilevel environment (regional and national governments, international organizations, NGO`s)

Better co-operation of government and private sector

Effective support oriented at the needs and interests of the people on the ground

Humanitarian assistance and development local capacities for peace could be forstered and their capacity could be strengthened


Challenges for Mediation

In new wars the conflict parties are not so easy to identify

Each intervention has its own advantages and risk

Lack of impact assessment tools and methodology

International Organizations such as EU, UN or states such as the US or India have their own agenda and interests

Working without a concept could be after all not such a bad concept (process more import than concepts)

Demands long term stay on the ground

Requires a new self-consciousness of Mediation

Needs conflict sensibility (Ursula König)


Mediation

UN and OSCE should promote the integration of Mediation as a complementary instrument and approach for conflict prevention

Mediation supports the parties, the responsibility for the content stays with the conflict parties

Mediation fosters the civic society by empowering the people itself and giving them back the responsibility for their conflicts and conflict-resolution strategies


Conclusion Most important trend: democratization Democratization demands participation of the citizin and a

strong civic society Democratization and the growing global society has ended

the classical international war between states Today deadly conflicts are civil wars and terrorist acts The UN / OSCE model is an approved - however imperfect

it may be - instrument to de-escalate deadly conflicts Peace building would profit from mediation in three

aspects: Early prevention (preventive mediation etc.)I Continuous prevention (developing sustainable

structures and regulations for peace building and keeping) Mediation is a key resource for all aspects of peace

building


Perspective

In a more and more complex and dynamic world, in which one men could destroy the whole world, we need mediation as a sufficient approach and tool to deal in a peaceful and participative way with international conflicts.

An approach that empowers the civil society by empowering participation and the citizens itself.

An approach that is dialog and process orientated and leaves the responsibility with the people.

Within the states and between the states.


Contact

Dr. Thomas R. HenschelEuropean School of Governance, BerlinIm Palais am Festungsgraben Am Festungsgraben 110117 Berlin

Tel.: +49 (0)30 20 61 62 57FAX: +49 (0)30 20 61 62 92

Email: [email protected]

www.eusg.de

Documents

Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance