ABSTRACT
The ‘scourge of war’ is with us in conflicts that fall outside the UN’s Charter, and in the international conflicts that continue to drag on despite the efforts of the UN’s ‘good offices’. In resolving conflict, wherever it occurs, be it in the international arena or at the community or personal level, the skills required are the same. Each conflict is an opportunity for interaction and communication, which might never have occurred before. The problem could be fishing rights but the opportunity would be for ongoing problem-solving. Compared to the costs of peace-making and peace-keeping, how minimal the cost of peace-building if the UN enlists the help of its conflict-resolving partners. As partners in the resolution of conflict, the challenge is to make nominal consultative status into a practical reality; insisting on the right to be heard. Many of the UN’s potential partners in conflict resolution will have expertise to offer either about a particular region or on specific issues.
