Discussion Paper No.10

Mediation and the African Union's Panel of the Wise

Laurie Nathan
(Crisis States Research Centre)

July 2005

This paper proposes that the Peace and Security Council of the AU establish an expert mediation unit, and that the Panel of the Wise, a sub-structure of the Council, be constituted as this unit. The proposal is based on three core propositions: mediation should be regarded as a specialised activity that requires extensive experience and a high level of proficiency; an experienced mediator is much more likely to be successful than an inexperienced mediator; and a confidence-building approach to mediation is more likely to yield a positive outcome than coercive diplomacy. The paper first highlights the relevant provisions of the peace and security protocol of the African Union and then presents perspectives and proposals on the strategic and institutional dimensions of mediation.