Inclusivity in Mediation and Peacebuilding: UN, Neighboring States, Global Powers by Daisaku Higashi

This book will focus on the recently published book, Inclusivity in Mediation and Peacebuilding: UN, Neighboring States, and Global Powers by Prof. Daisaku Higashi at Sophia University in Tokyo. The book is also recognized as one of the “ACUNS Series on the UN System.” It is based on field research in South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and East Timor. The purpose of this roundtable is to share key features of the book, and to have active discussion between the author and prominent experts. While the book emphasizes the importance of inclusive processes in the phase of post-conflict peacebuilding, it illustrates the importance of mediators taking flexible approaches to inclusivity during armed conflicts, highlighting the crucial balance between the need to select conflicting parties to make an agreement feasible and the need to include multiple parties to make the peace sustainable. The panelists believe that this could provide an important opportunity to discuss one of the most critical questions in UN peace operations.