Strengthening OSCE mediation and dialogue facilitation capacity focus of expert meeting

The Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship, with the support of the Swiss Delegation to the OSCE and the Conflict Prevention Centre, is hosting an expert meeting on 12 July 2011 in Vienna on strengthening the mediation-support capacity of the Organization. The event is the third in a series of expert meetings on early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation taking place under the “V to V Dialogue” (Vancouver to Vladivostok via Vienna and Vilnius).

Since the early 1990s, the OSCE has been involved in high-level as well as local mediation and dialogue facilitation efforts in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The OSCE engages in efforts to prevent and  resolve conflicts in its region, and several OSCE field operations have been or are involved in fostering dialogue between communities and authorities as part of their work to promote comprehensive security.

The Lithuanian Chairmanship believes that OSCE's capacity in the field of mediation to prevent and resolve conflicts as well as in building confidence and trust can benefit from a strengthened mediation-support capacity.

The expert meeting looks at concrete proposals for the development of a mediation-support capacity to enable the OSCE to provide systematic and professionalized support to assist OSCE Chairmanships, their Special Representatives, Heads of field operations and other actors in dialogue facilitation and mediation. Participants also are looking at how the OSCE and other international actors can better co-ordinate their mediation efforts to make them more effective.