Inside the UN Security Council: Mediation and the Settlement of Disputes
By Colleen Bromberger, United Nations Security Council Monitor
Mossarat Qadeem, Co-founder of PAIMAN Alumni Trust, addresses the Security Council meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security, with a focus on mediation and settlement of disputes (Photo: UN Photo/Evan Schneider)
On 29 August 2018, under the Presidency of the United Kingdom, the Security Council convened an open debate on the importance of mediation for conflict prevention. Briefers and representatives of Member States used the debate as an opportunity to both highlight good practices in settling disputes as well as address problems in the current practice of mediation. Many representatives and briefers noted that women’s participation as mediators in peace processes and peacebuilding are linked to more durable peace, which is the key to the sustainability of peace in post-conflict settings.
Women mediation networks, including FemWise, Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, Nordic Women Mediators and Women on the Frontline, were recognised to provide opportunities for women mediators to share their expertise, collaborate on enriching future work in mediation, and change the trajectory of negotiations in conflict settings for more durable outcomes in peace processes. Also, mediation initiatives focused on Track 1 processes must connect formal with informal women mediators to strengthen and interlink constituencies for peace. Mediation must be just one part of a broader push for participation that strengthens women’s political participation to meaningful participation in peace processes.
Read WILPF’s Analysis of the UNSC Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: “Mediation and the Settlement of Disputes” here>>