The Peacemaking Mandate : Nordic Experiences in International Mediation

Mandates are an essential element of armed conflict mediation for negotiations to be successful. Focusing on three Nordic countries with a commitment to mediation in international conflicts – Norway, Sweden and Finland – this is the first systematic study of mandates by two leading experts in mediation and conflict resolution.

Who are the mediators in international mediation? Where do they come from, why do they take up assignments, and what are their mandates? Isak Svensson and Peter Wallensteen – leading experts in mediation and conflict resolution – focus on the experiences of mediators and their mandates in Nordic countries, primarily Sweden, Norway and Finland. They explore why these countries are popular for this type of work, what their assets and shortcomings are, and how smaller countries can generate support for their efforts. Furthermore, they develop the ''Mediation Staircase'' to assess achievements of mediation as a way to more effectively evaluate mediation with different types of mandates. The Peacemaking Mandate uses the Nordic experiences to provide valuable lessons for contemporary armed conflicts, wars and peace processes, which are becoming ever more important in times of turbulence across the world.