Regional Organizations in Conflict Mediation: Lessons of Experience & Cooperation with the United Nations

This report focuses on key issues discussed during the third and fourth meetings of Regional, Subregional and other International Organizations on Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation hosted respectively by the League of Arab States (LAS) in Cairo on 5-6 February 2014, and the European Union (EU) in Brussels on 6-7 May 2015. Both meetings were organized as part of a common effort to strengthen cooperation and knowledge-sharing on peace mediation in accordance with the UN Guidance for Effective Mediation. The common thread of discussions focused on a key principle of the UN Guidance: Coherence, Coordination and Complementarity (CCC) in mediation processes, with particular focus on contexts in which one or more regional organizations are involved. The Cairo meeting also addressed the issue of Inclusivity, while the Brussels meeting included a specific focus on CCC in ceasefire mediation.