Toward a Better Understanding of Multiparty Mediation in International Relations

Peacemaking in contemporary violent conflict tends to involve a myriad of third-party actors of various kinds, including states, international and regional intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The past experiences of such "multiparty mediation" in many conflict situations have shown that interconnections between individual third-party initiatives significantly affect the overall effectiveness of the mediation process. Indeed, much of scholarly attention has been devoted to the issue of how the involvement of multiple external actors can be managed and turned into assets, not liabilities, for international peacemaking. This article is an attempt to put the accumulated body of literature in perspective and highlight concepts and issues to be addressed to improve a conceptual understanding and practical efficacy of multiparty mediation efforts.