The moment armed conflict breaks out, observers often quickly raise the prospect of a diplomatic solution. But many wars drag on for years as peace talks prove to be elusive.
Whether peace negotiations are successful depends on the extent to which parties to a conflict feel committed to them and to what degree they consider an agreement to be in their interests. In her new book, Stanford University political scientist Oriana Skylar Mastro discusses the challenges to achieving such a commitment and offers some suggestions.
One of the most significant barriers to a peace agreement is a lack of sufficient financing for the process and its implementation. When national or local governments lack the resources to provide the necessary public goods for their citizens, people will not support a settlement in the long-run. They will turn to illicit sources of income or continue using weapons to obtain their needs and security.
Another obstacle is a lack of sufficient capacity and expertise among mediation teams. While it may be tempting to rely on the same mediators and organizations that have been in previous negotiations, they often lack the experience, training, and knowledge needed to address the specific challenges of the conflict at hand. In addition, it is important to involve a gender expert on the team and ensure that women’s participation in the process is reflected in the agenda.
Peace Talks is a joint initiative of the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and Interpeace with the support of the Swiss Government. This year’s event takes place in Geneva on 21 September 2025 to celebrate the International Day of Peace and mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of Interpeace.
About the Author
