An Elephant Playing Second Fiddle? The Role of the UN in Twenty-First-Century Peace Mediation

Jenna Sapiano

Chapter 23 in Research Handbook on Global Governance, 2025, pp 511-535 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter contributes to the discourse on global governance by critically evaluating the legitimacy and capacity of the United Nations (UN) as a mediation actor, focusing on both the processes and outcomes of its mediation efforts. It situates the UN as the highest global forum for maintaining international peace and security and examines its effectiveness in this role. The chapter begins by tracing the history of the UN as a mediation actor, setting the stage for a discussion of the UN Guidance for Effective Mediation, published as an annex to the 2012 UN Secretary-General's report. Building on this foundation, the chapter analyses past and current UN mediation efforts against the eight core principles outlined in the guidance: preparedness, consent, impartiality, inclusivity, national ownership, adherence to international law and normative frameworks, coherence and coordination of mediation efforts and the quality of peace agreements. Each principle is introduced and contextualised using insights from the guidance and commentary from the Mediation Support Network. Contemporary case studies are employed throughout to assess the practical effectiveness and relevance of the UN in international mediation. This analysis offers a nuanced perspective on the role of the UN in promoting sustainable peace and security.

Keywords: UN; Peace mediation; UN Guidance for Effective Mediation; Sustainable peace and security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781789906325
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