Description: 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.
Brief description: Isak Svensson is the Dag Hammarskjöld Chair in Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University.
Review Quotes: 'As we expand our knowledge about the practice and concepts of negotiations (to which Wallensteen and Svensson have already contributed much), we find subfields of focus that call for deeper digging. The mediator's mandate is one such topic, and the two authors are extremely well qualified to throw light on it. They develop the internal dynamics of mandating and the basic importance it holds for successful third party intervention. A truly fine work and a testimony to the authors' expertise.' William Zartman, Jacob Blaustein Distinguished Professor Emeritus of International Organization and Conflict Resolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies