International Mediation: A Study of the Incidence, Strategies and Conditions of Successful Outcomes

In: Cooperation and conflict: journal of the Nordic International Studies Association, Band 21, Heft 3, S. 155-168

Abstract

Bercovitch, J. International Mediation: A Study of the Incidence, Strategies and Conditions of Successful Outcomes. Cooperation and Conflict, XXI, 1986, 155-168. This paper analyses the role and relevance of mediation in international disputes. Mediation is placed within the general structure of conflict management and its specific characteristics are discussed. Adopting a systematic approach, the paper looks at the incidence of international mediation and offers a new case-list of 72 international disputes since 1945. Of these, 44 disputes were mediated, some more than once, giving a total of 210 mediation cases. Three basic conditions are found to affect the likelihood of a successful outcome. These are (a) the identity of the parties, (b) the nature of the dispute, and (c) the characteristics of a mediator. These conditions are evaluated, using cross-tabulation and tests of significance, to determine which has the greatest impact on mediation outcomes.