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NORGLOBAL2-Norge - global partner

On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation

Alternative title: På rimelige vilkår: Etikk for fredsforhandlinger og fredsmekling

Awarded: NOK 6.0 mill.

What makes peace negotiations fair? The purpose of this project is to unpack the ethical considerations made by conflict parties, mediators and observers in negotiation processes. Our ambition is to establish firm foundations for more coherent debates and decisions on ethical problems and solutions in peace negotiations and peace mediation. The project is divided into four complementary research components: - an overview of the field, setting the agenda through a book project and journal special section, - a set of case studies of normative controversies, - expert consultations on ethical principles for negotiations, and - philosophical analyses of justice in peace negotiations and mediation. The project is run by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and involves partnerships with: - Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Ghana - Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia - Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), and the NUPI-led Efficiency of Peace Operations Network (EPON) The project is led by Henrik Syse and Kristoffer Lidén (PRIO) and has a team of 15 researchers from philosophy and social science, as well as a group of leading international peace negotiation experts. It had its kick-off meeting 23 October 2020 where the theoretical and methodological backdrop was presented, and the project members engaged in discussions on ethical dilemmas in peace negotiations. In continuation, Syse and Lidén conducted a literature review and started developing a new analytical framework. Through spring 2021, a series of meetings were held with the researchers involved in the case studies of the project. The project held a workshop on 9-10 September 2021 (in hybrid format) where these studies were presented and discussed. Revised versions went through peer review by the end of 2021 and have been published as "case briefs" throughout 2022. See ‘other publications’ for an overview. We have also conducted research interviews with leading peace negotiators and mediators that are being used both for theory development and as a basis for a guide to ethical considerations in peace negotiations. In October 2022, we arranged a major workshop in Cyprus with the project members and expert group on the form and content of such a guide. In this way, we could generate a comprehensive exchange between researchers and practitioners on the subject that could draw on all the elements of the project. In Nicosia, we also had a seminar politicians, diplomats and international organisations that related the project topic to the Cyprus peace talks. Please see the PRIO project page for updates on our activities and publications: https://www.prio.org/projects/1885.

Introducing the ethics of peace negotiations and mediation as a field of systematic research and debate, this project is divided into four complementary research components: (1) an overview of the field, setting the agenda through a book project and journal special section, (2) a set of case studies of normative controversies, (3) expert consultations on ethical principles for negotiations, and (4) philosophical analyses of justice in peace negotiations and mediation. Aiming at influencing public debate and negotiation practices as well as research and education, the project is designed to have an immediate as well as a longer-term impact. The immediate impact is guaranteed by the participation of central actors in international peace mediation - scholars as well as practitioners - who will be involved in workshops on the ethical dimension in their work. This expert group will also be challenged to formulate ethical guidance for peace negotiations - as an invitation to reflect on ethical problems and dilemmas rather than as a ‘rulebook’ for negotiations. The longer-term impact will be achieved through a variety of targeted outputs - ranging from scholarly articles to podcasts and a book directed at a broader audience. The project is led by Henrik Syse, Research professor at PRIO, and mobilizes a strong research team of philosophers and social scientists as well as a group of leading international peace negotiation experts. PRIO is joined by three partner institutions of high quality and outreach: The Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana; the Department of Politics and International Relations at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia; and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).

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NORGLOBAL2-Norge - global partner