Mediation in the Conflict Resolution Process

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict Studies, Security, grade: 1, Uppsala University (Department of Peace and Conflict Research), course: International Conflict Resolution, language: English, abstract: Mediation is the first step towards many conflict resolution processes. Yet, key aspects on the circumstances of mediation processes and the role of the mediator herself are still disputed. This paper seeks to examine the role of mediation within the field of conflict resolution and its implications on durable peace. Furthermore, mediation will be put in relation to the spoiler concept and deriving consequences are discussed.

The role of mediation is described very differently throughout the literature, depending on the focus of analysis and pre-assumptions on what mediation is, how it works, and what the ultimate goals are. On the one hand, we see scholars framing mediation entirely as a conflict resolution enterprise, whereas others understand mediation as a tool for conflict management and transformation. Research on different levels of mediation like the international states sphere, the intra-state environment, or local mediation has elevated different findings on when mediation is successful and when it is not.

Therefore, it will be clarified in the first place what understandings of mediation we face in research and how these interpretations relate to each other. In a next step, it will be discussed why mediation is important and what theoretical problems are met by the tool. Afterwards, the paper will focus on the conditions of mediation and their positive and negative effects on the process of conflict resolution. Finally, the spoiler concept will be introduced and compared to mediation.