Conflict Resolution on intergovernmental level and in politics

1. First International ConferenceMEDITIONA DAYS No Borders for Justice Conflict Resolution on intergovernmental leveland in politics Dr. Thomas R. Henschel European School of Governance Portoroz, Slovenia 14-16 June 2007

2. 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

3. Trends in Society People in agriculture • 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 GDP

4. Trends in Society • 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)

5. 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 Number of people in % living in democratic societies

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. 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

9. Security Policy Development Policy Peace Consolidation International conflict and conflict preventionsearch for new concepts of constructive conflict management • 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)

10. International conflict and conflict preventiona change in paradigma • 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)

11. Concepts of multilateral peacekeeping 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) III. I. II.

12. Concepts of multilateral peacekeeping The current modell of peace building: Peace Bulding Experts: Operative Prevention Structurell prevention • Early warning and intervention • Preventive diplomacy • Economic measures (Sanctions, Benefits) • Erzwingungsmaßnahmen • 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

13. Concepts of multilateral peacekeeping • 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?

14. 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

15. Mediation: a concept for international peace keeping • 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

16. Mediation: a concept for international peace keepingHow mediation could be usefull Mediation • 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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.

22. Contact Dr. Thomas R. HenschelEuropean School of Governance, BerlinIm Palais am Festungsgraben Am Festungsgraben 110117 BerlinTel.: +49 (0)30 20 61 62 57FAX: +49 (0)30 20 61 62 92Email: henschel@eusg.dewww.eusg.de