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Peace Mediation and Diplomacy: Joining Forces
01 May 2023 - 12:10

Joining Forces for More Effective Cooperation

The Mediation Support Network (MSN) is a global network of primarily non-governmental organizations that support mediation in peace processes. This edition of the MSN Discussion Points aims to explore the cooperation between diplomatic and mediation actors who are involved in peace processes and to give recommendations to increase the effectiveness of this cooperation. The paper draws on a perception study that was conducted by Clingendael Academy in 2020 and 2021 on third-party cooperation.

The first chapter focuses on the perceptions mediators and diplomats have of each other and themselves concerning their roles and interaction. It is mostly based on data from the study conducted by Clingendael, and thus represents the personal views of those who were interviewed. The second chapter looks at challenges that may hinder (the improvement of) cooperation, and the third highlights how to create and increase opportunities for collaboration. The fourth chapter showcases a number of good practices where third-party cooperation had positive effects. Combining the interview results and MSN discussions, the last chapter gives eight recommendations.

Contents

  1. Third-party perceptions: role and cooperation
  2. Challenges in cooperation
  3. Opportunities
  4. Examples of goof practices
  5. Recommendations to strenghten cooperation

Download the paper.