osloforum

Oslo forum 09 - Annual Mediators' Retreat

16-18 June 2009, Oslo

Some 90 participants gathered at the Oslo forum 2009 to discuss openly how mediation and diplomacy can adapt and respond to the current changing environment. The meeting considered how to reassert diplomacy as the premier instrument for the resolution of armed conflict, and how to improve its effectiveness. Those attending were senior mediators of armed conflict, representatives of governments and international organisations, and outstanding analysts and decision makers.

The motivations, key challenges and prospects for efforts to promote discreet dialogue between the US and Iran were debated, as were the implications of North Korea’s recent demonstrations of its nuclear capability on the progress of the Six Party Talks. Participants also exchanged experiences on a number of specific conflict situations, including Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Philippines, and the forum included an assessment of the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and of the lessons from (not) dealing with Hamas and Hezbollah. Other sessions included a discussion of the challenges of preparing conflict parties for negotiations, and a review of the roles and impact of regional mediators. There was also a practical exchange on how mediators can work in military environments, and a discussion of the impact of international justice on peace processes.