International Multilateral Negotiation: Approaches to the Management of Complexity

In a single volume, a team of distinguished international scholars draws on a wide range of social science theory to explain the dynamics of bargaining and diplomacy when many parties and many issues are involved. Each contributor explores a different approach to reaching successful agreements among diverse governments, multinational corporations, and other international actors. To show how these approaches work in actual practice, the authors provide detailed analyses of two multilateral negotiations -- the Uruguay round of negotiations under the General Agreement for Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the negotiations leading to the Single European Act consolidating the European Community. The book provides the tools for analyzing and managing the complexities of multilateral negotiations including: How the roots of conflict, the distribution of power, and specific patterns of resistance and cooperation affect all stages of negotiation. How game theory, multi-attribute utility models, and other practical tools can be used to chart interests and identify strategic trade-offs before negotiations. How negotiation is organization in action, applying the rules and culture of organizations to change through a cybernetic process. How insights in to the way small groups function can help advance negotiations. Why different modes of leadership are needed to diagnose multinational problems, clarify options, and develop feasible solutions. How and why coalitions are formed -- and how they can promt meaningful bargaining and help forge positive, lasting agreements

Negotiating International Regimes: Lessons Learned from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

The UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) produced above all the beginning of a new process, rather than arriving at a singular and conclusive agreement to a specific problem - often the more common outcome of negotiation. Whereas outwardly the UNCED process was familiar, it soon was to distinguish itself as a singularly instructive set of "regime-building" negotiations. This important new work, developed by IIASA, explains and analyses the negotiation process of building international environmental regimes. Its value will be considerable as the international community faces the need to establish the variety of sub-regimes (desertification, forestry, and others) spawned by UNCED. This work offers the conceptual and practical building blocks, as learned from UNCED, to all those engaged, and interested in the means to ensure sustainable development and the economic and environmental well-being of humanity. The text is accompanied by valuable appendices

Negotiating with Terrorists: A Mediator’s Guide

Officially public authorities do not negotiate with terrorists. However, governments frequently do end up negotiating with hostage takers and kidnappers and with political groups classified as terrorists. While this briefing does not necessarily advocate negotiating with terrorists, it outlines the practicalities of such negotiations, providing a guide to deciding how, when, and with whom to negotiate

From domestic to regional: The civil war conundrum and the cases of Syria and Algeria

This paper seeks to answer a simple question: When do regional powers get involved in civil wars? Some civil wars see a significant involvement of regional actors, while others show a remarkable level of isolation. What explains this difference? This research answers this question by looking at two case studies: the Algerian civil war (1991–2002) and the Syrian civil war (2011–up to date). The paper identifies and develops five factors of regional involvement. These are: capabilities, regional dynamics, country’s relevance, regional security issues/containment and domestic–external links. civil wars are today one of the most prominent and deadly forms of conflict, and this paper contributes to understanding the important but understudied issue of regional involvement.N/

Collapsed States: The Disintegration and Restoration of Legitimate Authority

This work uses 11 African case studies in its exploration of the phenomenon of collapsed states. The writers consider the causes of collapse; symptoms and early warning signs; and how the situation was met. They also assess the strengths and weaknesses of various responses, such as UN action