ABSTRACT
One of the central tasks of diplomacy at an international level is contributing to the pacific settlement of disputes between states and other actors. The continued proliferation of disputes and armed conflict in the Cold War and post-Cold War period, many marked by their seeming insolubility, ethnic and nationalist nature or association with the break-up of the former Soviet Union, has meant the constant adaptation of diplomatic methods. The methods used for the pacific settlement of disputes have included inquiry, negotiation, conciliation, arbitration, mediation and judicial settlement. Mediation is distinct from conciliation or arbitration in that the mediator is either indirectly or directly attempting to promote a temporary or permanent solution based on a conception of outcomes likely to receive joint or widespread acceptance by the parties in dispute. Mediation activities that address the process aspects of conflict are typically aimed at the perceptual and attitudinal approach of disputants, and seek to develop engagement and commitment to the negotiations.
