Title : Mediation and the African Union's Panel of the Wise
Discussion Paper No : 10 (series 1)
Author(s) : Laurie Nathan
Date : July 2005
[PDF]
Abstract: 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.