Mediation in the 21st century : a case study of the Annapolis Peace Conference

Abstract

Mediation is a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). It is a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, called the mediator, is called to assist the parties to negotiate their own settlement without imposition from the mediator. What the mediators can do is to express a view on what might he a fair or reasonable form of settlement. The presence of the mediator is the key that distinguishes it in the process. Mediation contains three aspects: feature, values and objectives. Though they are three different aspects they might overlap in their use. This thesis attempts to explore the effectiveness of mediation in the 21st century. Taking the case study of Annapolis Peace Conference, I attempt to demonstrate whether mediation is effective or not. When the Middle East is viewed from the perspective of the daily headlines, politics in the Middle East appear confused, chaotic and often violent. The Middle East region is important since it is the home to numerous ethnic groups. Moreover, another factor that is distinguished in the Middle East is the diverse when it comes to religions. Islam is considered to be the largest religion in the Middle East, but there are others as well such as Judaism and Christianity. The best case study was the Annapolis Peace Conference since it is the most recent one that deals with the Arab-Israeli Conflict. When Bush announced the launching of the Annapolis Conference it was seen that only USA is considered to be the international player capable of engaging in the Arab-Israeli Conflict. This Conference was important since it presented to the world in general and even to the Middle East a substantive initiative which sets out to go right to the core issues of the final status issues. Due to the unpopularity that President Bush was seen in the Middle East, because of the Iraqi war, he was in need of a high profile diplomatic event which would secure a tactical respite for him in the Middle East. On a regional level, the Annapolis Conference would placate influential Arab allies of the US, such as Egypt and Jordan by responding to their longstanding demand for a US engagement. In addition, the Annapolis Conference was seen a grandiose photo opportunity which has failed so far to get underway the bilateral negotiating process it announced in its final statement and the resolving of the outstanding issues such as the core issues. I have divided my thesis into three main chapters. Chapter One gives an overview of the concept of mediation. Chapter Two dwells with the Annapolis Peace Conference and the events that triggered it. Chapter Three synthesizes all the previous information to help one understand whether mediation is effective or not. In the Conclusion, the results which I have found in my research are put forward. Taking the Annapolis Peace Conference as my point of reference, I have found that mediation is not effective. The fundamental reason for my hypothesis is that there cannot exist two conflicting realities when dealing with a conflict. What happens on the negotiation tables must reflect the reality on the ground. If these two realities are not considered and reconciled then peace will not be found.