The role of justice in negotiations

I. William Zartman

Chapter 17 in Handbook on the Politics of International Agreements, 2026, pp 259-267 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores the role of justice in negotiation, positing it as an internal criterion developed during the process, not merely as an agreed-upon outcome. It argues that to reach a stable agreement, parties must move from conflicting principles to a shared justice formula. The chapter presents a typology of justice principles used to build these formulas: priority justice (precedent), equal justice (including equivalence, or trading dissimilar items), and unequal justice (equity or need). The discussion contrasts “Path One“ justice, based on stalemates, with “Path Two“ justice, based on universal norms. It concludes that the instability of many agreements points to the need for a higher, transcendent standard of justice.

Keywords: Justice; Negotiation; Conflict Resolution; Formula; Negotiation; Equivalence; Diplomacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035318582
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