European school of governance Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance Portoroz, Slovenia 14-16 June 2007 Conflict Resolution on intergovernmental

european school of governance

Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance

Portoroz, Slovenia 14-16 June 2007

Conflict Resolution on intergovernmental level

and in politics

First International ConferenceMEDITIONA DAYS

No Borders for Justice


content

Trends in Society and international relations

Democratisation

Global society world and international conflicts

International conflicts and conflict prevention

Concepts of multilateral peacekeeping

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


The elite today has no longer the monopol 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:

democratisation

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

century“

(Samuel Huntigton)

Trends in Society


Democratisation

Increasing wealfare leads to growing demands for democratic participation

Globalisation promots democratisation Wealfare and developement needs the

autonom and innovative citizizen, who participates in decission 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

ended the classical international war between states

In 2001 the UN registered 105 violant 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-violant way that answers the demand

for participation?


International conflict and conflict prevention

1945: creation of the United Nations

Multilateralism should be institutionalised

Consensus building as a principle in international politics and peace keeping

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

unilateral policy is a treat for the international community

Challenge today: how can the principle of multilateralism and consensus building in international politics be re-established?


International conflict and conflict preventioncrisis of classical crisis-management

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

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

the international community seamed to be almost helpless A massive conceptionel gap in security and peace policy This became even more true after 9/11

Spending of Ressources: millions of Dollar where spended for reactive crisis management (military

forces, humanitarian aid, recouvery programms)

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


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

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

Otto Czempiel)

International conflict and conflict preventiona change in paradigma



Peace building (UN / OSCE)A sytematic and longterm oriented process to deal with the sources of violant conflicts and to build the framework, the institutions and structures for a society to life in peace together

Three phases of Peace Building (UN / OSCE)

I.

Preventing deadly conflicts

Preventing escalation

Preventing rebirth of conflict

II.

III.



The current modell of peace building:

Peace Bulding

Experts:

Operative Prevention

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

Structurell prevention

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

political participations, sustainableDevelopement)

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

short term mid term long term


Current modell of UN and OSCE: Experts are analysing the conflict, it 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 modell for de-escalation of deadly conflicts by force,but

also the best modell for a sustainable peace building?


Problems of the current concept

Peace Consolidation is basicaly seen as a technological project concerning ressources, techical support, capacities, methods of external acteurs to act most effective according to the operational needs on the ground

Gap between early warning and eraly action

Lack of co-ordination cohrrent 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 prevalling of new wars


Empowering civic society by empowering the people

Mediation is an approach that empowers the civiv 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 visualiziation 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 usefull

Mediation


Where mediation could make a difference:

Phase I: Prevention: transfering 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 strategie developement process


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

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

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

Coherence building of acteurs 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 organisations, 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 cpacities for peace could be forstered and their capacity could be strengthened


Mediation

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

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

Mediation forsters 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: democratisation Democratisation demands participation of the citizien and a

strong civic society Democratisation and the growing global society has ended

the classical international war between states Today deadly conflicts are civil wars and terroristic acts The UN / OSCE modell 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 Continous prevention (developing sustainable structures

and regulations for peace building and keeping) Mediation is a key ressource 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 suffienced approach and tool to deal in a peacefull and participative way with international conflicts.

An approach that empowers the civiv society by empowering participation and the citiziens 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

European school of governance Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance Portoroz, Slovenia 14-16 June 2007 Conflict Resolution on intergovernmental