Coordination between Track Two and Track One Diplomacy in Successful Cass of Prenegotiation

• Published in: International negotiation (Hague, Netherlands) Netherlands), 2006-01, Vol.11 (1), p.65-89
• Main Author: Fisher, Ronald J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conflict Resolution; Diplomacy; Negotiation; Peace; Problem Solving
• ISSN: 1382-340X

An important form of coordination between track one & track two diplomacy revolves around unofficial problem-solving workshops at the level of politically influential individuals that make contributions to the process & outcomes of official negotiations. These contributions typically occur during the prenegotiation phase through the opening up of communication, the improvement of attitudes, the analysis of conflict issues & dynamics, the development of frameworks, the creation of options directed toward resolution, & so on. In order for these effects to be maximally beneficial, coordination between unofficial & official interventions is essential. This study describes connections between track two & track one peacemakers through a comparative analysis of four successful instances where workshops made important prenegotiation & paranegotiation contributions to the official peace processes. The analysis finds that such coordination was limited mainly to information sharing & indirect sequencing of efforts, & that in only one case did it involve the more engaging activities of joint strategy planning & collaboration in implementation. The article concludes that there are inherent limitations to coordination between track one & track two, given their unique & independent roles, but that both domains are evidencing more acceptance & respect for the other, which augurs well for the field of conflict resolution in terms of coordination toward greater effectiveness. References. Adapted from the source document.