Since the end of the Cold War the nature and perception of international conflict has changed significantly. Instead of inter-state war, intra-state conflicts now constitute the majority of current conflicts. “Global nuclear warfare is no longer the primary international security concern. It has been displaced by […] excessively violent and destructive intra-state or internal conflicts.” And these conflicts, which would have been regarded as purely internal matters during the Cold War, are now seen as being of international concern. Civil wars which are normally regionalised, are often nevertheless deemed to be a threat to international peace and security. As a result, the international community has become more and more involved in the resolution of civil wars, often by mediating peace negotiations between the parties involved.
However, the resolution of civil war is one the most challenging tasks in Conflict Resolution. Only a minority of negotiations result in a lasting peace and only under exceptional circumstances is this achieved without a third party mediating the negotiations. Although many of the attempts to settle civil wars by mediation have failed, it is clear that the involvement of international mediators makes civil war negotiations more likely to succeed and in some cases indeed helps to find long-term solutions to the conflict.
Table of Contents
1. Getting to lasting peace: Does mediation suffice to settle civil wars successfully?
Research Objectives and Topics
This work examines the effectiveness of mediation in resolving civil wars, specifically investigating whether mediation alone is sufficient to ensure long-term peace or if additional mechanisms are required to secure the implementation of peace agreements.
- The changing nature of post-Cold War conflicts toward internal civil wars.
- The advantages of mediation during the negotiation and pre-negotiation phases.
- The limitations of mediation regarding the enforcement of peace treaties.
- The application of Barbara F. Walter's "credible commitment theory".
- The necessity of third-party security guarantees for successful conflict transition.
Excerpt from the Book
Getting to lasting peace: Does mediation suffice to settle civil wars successfully?
Since the end of the Cold War the nature and perception of international conflict has changed significantly. Instead of inter-state war, intra-state conflicts now constitute the majority of current conflicts. “Global nuclear warfare is no longer the primary international security concern. It has been displaced by […] excessively violent and destructive intra-state or internal conflicts.” And these conflicts, which would have been regarded as purely internal matters during the Cold War, are now seen as being of international concern. Civil wars which are normally regionalised, are often nevertheless deemed to be a threat to international peace and security. As a result, the international community has become more and more involved in the resolution of civil wars, often by mediating peace negotiations between the parties involved.
However, the resolution of civil war is one the most challenging tasks in Conflict Resolution. Only a minority of negotiations result in a lasting peace and only under exceptional circumstances is this achieved without a third party mediating the negotiations. Although many of the attempts to settle civil wars by mediation have failed, it is clear that the involvement of international mediators makes civil war negotiations more likely to succeed and in some cases indeed helps to find long-term solutions to the conflict.
Summary of Chapters
Getting to lasting peace: Does mediation suffice to settle civil wars successfully?: This chapter analyzes the role of international mediation in the context of post-Cold War civil conflicts, arguing that while mediation is vital for reaching initial agreements, it often fails to guarantee long-term peace due to the implementation gap addressed by credible commitment theory.
Keywords
Civil War, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Credible Commitment Theory, Peace Negotiations, Implementation, Third-party Guarantees, International Security, Intra-state Conflict, Peace Process, Demobilisation, Trust, Dispute Settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay evaluates the effectiveness of mediation as a tool for ending civil wars and explores whether it is sufficient to maintain long-term peace or if further interventions are necessary.
What are the central themes of the work?
The core themes include the transition from direct to mediated negotiations, the psychological barriers to peace in civil wars, and the critical importance of security guarantees during the implementation phase of peace treaties.
What is the central research question?
The work seeks to answer whether mediation alone suffices to settle civil wars successfully or if the lack of enforceable guarantees undermines mediated outcomes.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The author employs a qualitative analysis of conflict resolution literature and theoretical frameworks, notably Barbara F. Walter's "credible commitment theory," to assess the efficacy of mediation processes.
What does the main body cover?
The main body discusses the advantages of mediation in building trust and overcoming communication barriers, followed by a critical assessment of why mediated agreements frequently collapse without external security guarantees.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include civil war, mediation, credible commitment theory, third-party guarantees, and conflict implementation.
How does "credible commitment theory" relate to the mediator's role?
The theory suggests that because combatants cannot trust each other to disarm, they require a neutral third party to monitor and guarantee the implementation of the treaty to prevent a return to violence.
Why is the South African example mentioned as an exception?
South Africa represents a rare case where the parties successfully renegotiated their political system with minimal external mediation, demonstrating that while mediation is highly beneficial, it is not an absolute requirement in every unique scenario.
- Citation du texte
- Patrick Wagner (Auteur), 2003, Getting to lasting peace: Does mediation suffice to settle civil wars successfully?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/22373
