International support for mediation as a conflict resolution mechanism is growing. However, the
potential of mediation to serve as a means of conflict prevention and international capacity-building
support to local mediation instruments have often been ignored. Moreover, the joint UN and Arab
League mediation efforts to tackle the conflict in Syria have brought to the fore the question as to how
mediation could be effectively used in solving the most lethal conflicts and what its role should be in
relation to other mechanisms of conflict prevention, management and resolution.
The Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) is a political commitment adopted by UN Member States in 2005 to
protect civilians from genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing. The purpose
of this seminar is to discuss the linkage between mediation and RtoP: How can mediation be effectively
used to prevent potential conflict situations from escalating into atrocities? How can states and international
organisations, including the UN, develop their early warning systems to enable timely mediation
efforts? What forms of assistance and capacity-building can the international community provide to
local mediation capacities of states to enable them to protect their populations? What is the role and
sequencing of mediation in relation to other mechanisms of conflict management under RtoP? What can
we learn from past experiences?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is bringing up to date its UN strategy during the spring 2013. To support
the strategy revision, a seminar series dealing with contemporary UN issues is held. This seminar is the
first of these thematic seminars.
Opening remarks:
Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland
Keynote speech:
Ed Luck, Professor, Former Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect
Comments:
Pekka Haavisto, Member of Parliament, the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative to the Horn of Africa and Sudan
Peter Wallensteen, Senior Professor, Uppsala University
Tuija Talvitie, Executive Director, Crisis Management Initiative
Chair:
Juha Jokela, Programme Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Minister Tuomioja’s speech can be read through the following link:
www.eilen.fi/fi/1943/?language=en
For more information, please contact: Eeva Innola, puh. 09 432 7710, eeva.innola@fiia.fi
