Many of today’s internal conflicts feature a mix of fragmented actors and vested interests. Within and beyond the United Nations (UN) there is understanding that mediation must move beyond a focus on processes involving national political or military leaders (Track 1) to engage in peace efforts at the local level.
On assuming office, Secretary-General António Guterres called for a surge in diplomacy for peace and highlighted the need to pay greater attention to this level of work, often undertaken by local actors at great personal risk. He encouraged mediation actors, including the UN, to increase efforts to assist in local conflict resolution efforts, and ensure that necessary support is granted when needed.
In response to the Secretary-General’s call, over the past two years, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs’ (DPPA) Mediation Support Unit (MSU) conducted a number of field deployments, reflection exercises and case studies on local mediation efforts. The aim was to deepen understanding of the UN’s engagement at the local level and home in on the strategic and political relevance of this type of engagement to its peacemaking efforts. Here we take a closer look at some of the key reflections, insights and lessons emerging from this line of work, which are compiled in a new DPPA report, “UN Support to Local Mediation: Opportunities and Challenges”.
Identify and Leverage the UN’s Comparative Advantage
Across different contexts, based on the nature and perception of its presence, the UN can act as a convener, facilitator and trusted third party, providing critical logistical, capacity-building, technical and good offices support to local level mediation initiatives. In many settings, the UN has substantial field presence as well as access to the highest circles of national and international decision-making. It can thus help advocate with donors to support local mediation efforts. It can also strengthen or solidify links between conflict resolution processes at different levels, bringing coherence to a multiplicity of concurrent efforts and amplifying the impact of local mediation processes.
Within and beyond the United Nations (UN) there is understanding that mediation must move beyond a focus on processes involving national political or military leaders (Track 1) to engage in peace efforts at the local level.
Do No Harm
At the same time, it is critical that the UN weighs the potential risks and pitfalls of getting engaged more actively at the local level. In some instances, UN involvement might overwhelm or be detrimental to local processes, for instance by drawing unwanted attention, raising undue expectations, or impeding the flexibility of planned or ongoing initiatives. Sometimes, the best the Organization may do is to take a step back and help identify other actors who are better placed to engage with local mediation processes in an effective and sustainable fashion.Promote Local Ownership
Championing local actors and approaches not only promotes the credibility of efforts and the responsibility of stakeholders for mediation processes. It also significantly increases the chances of achieving comprehensive and sustainable outcomes. Successful mediation requires specific skills, experience and a holistic understanding of the conflict system in question. Actors who are well connected across the conflict spectrum, grounded in local realities, trusted by the parties in conflict, will invariably be placed best to facilitate local mediation processes. The most significant resources for conflict resolution are the know-how and skills in the countries the UN is mandated to support. Building on and strengthening national and local conflict resolution capacities must thus be a priority.
Identify and Foster Linkages Across Different ProcessesConflict dynamics often span across multiple levels. At times, local conflict is triggered by or emblematic of national level fissures. Local patterns of violence may escalate, creating knock-on effects that feed into national level conflicts. Conversely, actors operating in a national conflict theatre may opt to deliberately manipulate local level disputes, aggravating tensions formerly dormant or absent. To better understand, foster or ring-fence linkages across different levels of engagement, effective UN collaboration between the field level and senior leadership is essential. Engaging relevant government structures, local stakeholders and mediation actors with access to various levels and processes, is equally important. In combination, this may strengthen the UN’s capacity to identify entry points that allow for linkages between local and national issues, or synergies with national priorities, and to carefully calibrate its own level of engagement.Pushing for the inclusion of marginalized groups is paramount for effective and sustainable peacemaking at all levels. Youth, women, indigenous groups, victims and survivors, or other, often disregarded stakeholders are major actors of change that have to be able to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes. Often, they play a key role in helping to inform and connect processes, actors and issues, and assist sustained engagement across different levels. In supporting inclusive approaches at the local level, the UN’s involvement requires deep understanding of contextual specificities, and the willingness to act flexibly and creatively. At the same time, this calls for a principled approach whereby the UN’s fundamental values, particularly with regard to the inclusion of women and the respect of human rights, are promoted and translated into local terms.
Support Inclusive Approaches
Pushing for the inclusion of marginalized groups is paramount for effective and sustainable peacemaking at all levels. Youth, women, indigenous groups, victims and survivors, or other, often disregarded stakeholders are major actors of change that have to be able to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes. Often, they play a key role in helping to inform and connect processes, actors and issues, and assist sustained engagement across different levels. In supporting inclusive approaches at the local level, the UN’s involvement requires deep understanding of contextual specificities, and the willingness to act flexibly and creatively. At the same time, this calls for a principled approach whereby the UN’s fundamental values, particularly with regard to the inclusion of women and the respect of human rights, are promoted and translated into local terms.
For UN conflict prevention and resolution strategies to effectively contribute to an end in violent conflict they need to be strategic, comprehensive, inclusive and multi-layered. Doing so requires process design that incorporates various levels, actors, issues and timelines, a flexible allocation of resources, and, where appropriate, the inclusion of engagement at the local level in mission mandates. This recognition challenges the UN to continuously review its overall strategic role, comparative advantage and risk-management mechanisms tied to its approach to, and engagement with, local conflicts.