ABSTRACT
With this chapter, we start addressing what we consider to be the central issue of diplomacy: international peace and security. Nothing is more fundamental to international life than a secure environment. Without security the pursuit of any other ‘good’ (economic prosperity, social progress, justice) becomes impossible. That is the preliminary point that we will make. We then will run through the ‘conflict cycle’, leaving its critical point, the armed conflict, for the next chapter. We will look at pre-conflict prevention and post-conflict management and resolution. Preventing conflict, from acting on early warning signs to issuing ultimatums, is at the core of a diplomat’s job, although there are limits on what he or she can do. Managing post-conflict situations is not easier: it is about getting a grip on the elusive challenge of having former enemies speak to each other and make durable peace. We will address issues regarding peace settlement, state building, transitional justice, and reconstruction and rehabilitation. We will get acquainted with the United Nations (UN) vocabulary, running from peace-enforcement through peacekeeping to peace-building. Given the centrality of the concept of ‘preventive diplomacy’ in conflict studies, we think it useful to have a close and critical look at it. We close the chapter by pointing to the role of Track II diplomacy in both the ascending and the descending phases of the conflict cycle.
