Resources
The Oslo forum process strives to critically examine the current practice of conflict mediation. The themes raised at each event are intended to provoke discussions, suggest interesting questions and propose new or unconventional approaches.
Background papers are prepared prior to the retreats to set the tone for discussions and to sensitise participants to current debates and innovative ideas.
Mediating election-related conflicts
Beyond major conflicts in Africa over the territorial integrity of states such as Sudan and Somalia, many recent conflicts on the continent are ignited by grievances over bad governance and exclusionary political practices. In many cases, flawed or failed elections have either precipitated political disputes or aggravated simmering tensions into an outburst of conflict. For example, in the last five years, violent conflicts have ensued from the competition for political power in Africa as demonstrated by dramatic election-related crises in Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The challenge of building sustainable peace in the DRC
Over the last ten years, the Democratic Republic of Congo has witnessed an extraordinary number of attempts by both regional and international actors to solve what is considered Africa's largest conflict. As we are about to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement which ended the second Congo war, the author reviews the key lessons to be drawn from past efforts and looks at missed opportunities for a durable peace in the DRC.
Why should mediators consider the economic dimensions of conflicts?
In this paper, the author looks at the reasons why mediators should be giving more attention to the economic dimensions of conflicts, in particular when natural resources are at stake, and some of the ways in which they might achieve this.
A role for the private sector in peace processes? Examples and implications for third party mediation
The role of the private sector in different aspects of conflict resolution has received increasing attention in recent years. This paper discusses the diverse roles played by the private sector during Track 1 peace processes in particular, drawing on a variety of examples from different contexts. The examples illustrate that where the private sector enjoys credibility (sometimes higher than state parties), has access to conflict parties, and a strategic interest in the resolution of a conflict, it can become actively involved and have significant impact on the course of a peace process, for better or worse.
Against conventional wisdom: mediating the Arab-Israeli conflict
Usually described as the core conflict in the Middle East, and with obvious impact on international peace and security, the Arab–Israeli conflict seems to cry out for mediation. However, Israel has consistently maintained that the conflict is better dealt with directly and exclusively by the parties, with little or no external interference, and its view has become a conventional wisdom in the Arab–Israeli peacemaking community since the mid-1970s. This paper argues against this wisdom.
China's role in the mediation and resolution of conflict in Africa
The salience of China in relation to Darfur has generated a paradox in popular perceptions whereby China is seen as both the cause and the potential solution to an armed conflict. Such a black-and-white view may make effective ammunition for advocacy, but China’s role in Sudan and the African continent more generally is actually more complex. This paper offers a short assessment of China’s role in the mediation and resolution of conflict in Africa, with Darfur used as a key example – in many ways forming the exception to the wider rule.
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The views expressed in papers posted on this website are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the HD Centre.