Conflict Prevention Centre

Mediation and dialogue facilitation

The Conflict Prevention Centre provides process advice and capacity-building for OSCE actors involved in mediation processes and facilitated dialogues.

Study / report

Mapping the OSCE's engagement in dialogue facilitation

16 January 2025

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

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Mechanisms and procedures

As a platform for inclusive dialogue, the OSCE has long-standing experience in mediation and dialogue facilitation with the aim of preventing, managing and resolving conflicts. This work includes high-level mediation efforts, as well as dialogue facilitation at the local level.

The OSCE has played a central role in mediation and dialogue since its beginnings in the early 1970s, when the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) was created as a multilateral platform for dialogue between East and West. With the adoption of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, the participating States committed to resolving disputes peacefully through negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and judicial settlement.

At the 2011 Ministerial Council in Vilnius, the participating States reaffirmed this role by adopting Ministerial Council Decision 3/11, calling for a stronger OSCE contribution across the entire conflict cycle—from prevention and resolution to crisis management, post-conflict rehabilitation, and long-term peacebuilding.

Through its field operations, the OSCE has built deep contextual knowledge, expertise and the ability to adapt to evolving conflict dynamics. A wide network of national and international partners allows the Organization to engage across all levels of conflict—from formal negotiations, including with de facto authorities, to informal and community-based dialogues involving local authorities, security actors, religious leaders and unrepresented groups.

A key strength of the OSCE is its ability to connect these different levels of engagement. Its institutional framework bridges informal and formal dialogue processes, ensuring coherence and inclusivity through the combined involvement of civil society and diplomatic efforts. Promoting gender inclusion is central to this work. The OSCE consistently seeks to ensure women’s meaningful participation across all stages of mediation and dialogue, recognizing their vital role in building sustainable peace.

At the local level, the OSCE often acts early and flexibly to stabilize situations before disputes escalate. Using tools, such as quiet diplomacy, shuttle diplomacy and local prevention mechanisms, it helps reduce tensions and prevent violence. While inter-state initiatives typically focus on conflict management, local engagement provides greater opportunities for genuine conflict resolution and long-term transformation.

Effective mediation and dialogue facilitation require professional support. The OSCE Mediation Support Team, located in the Conflict Prevention Centre, provides methodological expertise with practical support.

Since the 1990s, the OSCE has supported four official negotiation processes addressing protracted conflicts in its region.

Ongoing OSCE-supported negotiation processes

The Transdniestrian Settlement Process aims to achieve a comprehensive, peaceful and lasting political settlement of the conflict, reaffirming the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, with a special status for Transdniestria within its internationally recognized borders. Negotiations are conducted at three levels: the “5+2” format (involving Moldova, Transdniestria, the OSCE, Russia and Ukraine, with the European Union and the United States as observers), 1+1 meetings between chief negotiators, and thirteen thematic working groups. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative and the OSCE Mission to Moldova play a central role in facilitating the process.

The Geneva International Discussions, established following the 2008 conflict in Georgia, are co-chaired by the OSCE, the United Nations and the European Union. The OSCE Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus co-chairs the security-focused working group, while the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre co-moderates the humanitarian working group. The Special Representative also co-facilitates meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) with the Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission. The IPRM complements the broader Geneva process by addressing practical, local-level security and humanitarian issues.

Past OSCE-supported negotiation processes

The OSCE Minsk Process, established to support a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the Minsk Group in 1994, was co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation and the United States. It comprised the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, who facilitated confidence-building and humanitarian initiatives, and the High-Level Planning Group, which provided advice on a potential peacekeeping operation. The OSCE Minsk Group was formally closed on 1 September 2025 by unanimous decision of the OSCE Ministerial Council, following a joint appeal for its dissolution by Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Trilateral Contact Group, established in June 2014 to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in and around Ukraine, included representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE, with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative serving as facilitator. The Group operated through four working groups addressing security, political, humanitarian and economic issues. It ceased activities in 2022 following the escalation of the conflict.

The OSCE also facilitates a wide range of dialogue initiatives at the local level aimed at preventing, managing and resolving conflicts [see also Mapping of the OSCE’s Engagement in Dialogue Facilitation]. In particular through its field operations, the Organization engages in dialogue facilitation between divided communities, as well as between local authorities and minority groups. These efforts aim to foster mutual understanding and trust among stakeholders, laying the groundwork for greater social cohesion and, where possible, reconciliation.

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