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Supporting mediation skills of officials in Armenia – learning from best international practices

Published on Monday, 5th of October 2015

Peace process design and negotiation tools were discussed in a workshop held for government officials in Armenia.

NIScotland

Fifteen participants from various institutions were brought together in a workshop for governmental officials in Armenia on September 25–28, 2015.

The workshop was organized by Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), together with its partner European Integration NGO, and funded by United Kingdom’s Conflict, Security and Stability Fund via the British Embassy in Yerevan*.

The participants engaged in discussion on peace process design and negotiation tools. Discussions were designed around thematic blocs with presentations on mediation and negotiation, as well as skills-practice exercises. The thematic blocs were complemented by presentations of experts from Belfast and Glasgow on the Northern Ireland peace process and the Scotland case.

While each case is unique and one case cannot be presented as a model to replicate in another conflict context, they can provide lessons on what worked and what failed within the processes. Participants explored international practices and lessons learned on various approaches to conflict resolution, the importance of comprehensive peace process design, and necessity of preparing societies for peace.

The workshop was followed by a roundtable discussion with participation of civil society experts that aimed to broaden the discussion on peace processes and international cases.

Key issues discussed included necessity of commitment of all parties to the peace process, need for using creative approaches in negotiations and importance of inclusivity.

*The views expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the British Government.

Simon