The EU has developed its capacity and experience in mediation and dialogue over the last 20 years along the lines of the five roles of the EU: as a mediator itself, and in promoting, leveraging, supporting and funding mediation and dialogue. Lessons learnt articulated in this study cut across or reference the five roles and range from Track 1 (the highest political level) to Track 3 (grassroots). This study, of a limited scope and for which only a short period of time was available, looked briefly at EU experiences in Georgia, Indonesia (Aceh), Israel-Palestine (Middle East), Kenya, Kosovo-Serbia, Myanmar/Burma, the Philippines (Mindanao), Sri Lanka, Yemen and Zimbabwe in addition to cross-cutting thematic issues and a range of other geographical examples in less depth.
The following lessons for the EU arose from the study, and the study recommends that the EU make further progress in these areas:
- Understand the context and adapt. Part of the added value of the EU is its extremely wide global reach, yet this poses both challenges and opportunities. Continual EU adaption to the various and constantly evolving country and regional contexts in which mediation and dialogue take place is highlighted as a crucial determinant of a successful EU intervention. The post-Lisbon institutions and recent developments offer greater opportunities for this that should be seized.
- Actively manage the EU’s own family engagement. The strength of the EU lies in its diversity and comprehensiveness in terms of the response it can offer. The EU’s family ability to ‘get its act together’ in the context of its own actions has been noted as a major determinant of success, yet too often this does not occur. When the EU manages its own engagement effectively (between EU institutions and Member States (MS), the field and headquarters, the political and operational spheres) it achieves better outcomes for mediation and dialogue and there is scope here for further improvement.
- Partnership is key and good partnership adds value. There are almost no instances where the EU works alone in mediation and dialogue. The EU works with UN, regional organisations, international non-Governmental organisations (INGOs) and local civil society as well as with direct parties to the conflict. Therefore the success (and failure) of EU mediation is heavily reliant on how well the EU can work together with its partners in order to add value. Good work has been done in the past but more is needed to maximise the value of the EU’s partnerships at the global, regional and local level, thus bringing together the political and financial resources of the EU.
- Leverage the EU’s added value by moving from ad hoc responses to international best practice. The EU’s added value lies in its global reach, its ability to engage over the long term, and its ability to work at multiple levels as well as its more ‘neutral’ profile in certain circumstances. Yet the EU’s approach is too often ad hoc rather than comprehensive, and the EU does not draw sufficiently on either its own internal experience as a peace and integration project or international best practice. Where it can act comprehensively, over the long term and across different levels, the EU has more of a chance of achieving a positive impact and this should be incentivised.
