The 9th Istanbul Mediation Conference will open with video messages from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Minister Fidan will deliver the conference’s opening address.
The conference, held on October 23-24 under the theme “Partnerships and New Perspectives for Peace: Mediation in a Changing World,” will bring together nearly 200 senior participants.
In addition to ministerial-level participants, the event will host the secretaries-general and senior representatives of international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Experts in mediation and conflict resolution from different regions, as well as diplomats, academics and think tank representatives, will also attend the conference.
The future of mediation to be discussed
The conference program will address mediation’s role in reopening space for diplomacy in a changing world, the future of mediation, shared commitments to peace and the coordination of regional organizations’ efforts.
The sessions will also examine humanitarian assistance in conflicts, mediation experiences in the field and the transition from conflict prevention to sustainable peace.
In his opening address, Minister Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of the international community creating space for diplomacy and making effective use of mediation mechanisms in the face of increasingly complex disputes and changing conflict dynamics.
Fidan is also expected to express hope that the exchange of views at the conference will go beyond the sharing of experience and contribute to strengthening the international community’s collective mediation capacity.
In his speech, Fidan is expected to address Türkiye’s efforts to resolve disputes peacefully, prevent the escalation of tensions and facilitate dialogue across a broad geography, including the Black Sea, the South Caucasus, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Balkans.
Fidan is expected to state that stability cannot be imposed from outside and that sustainable solutions must be developed by taking regional dynamics into account. The principle of regional ownership will also emerge as one of the core elements of Türkiye’s approach to resolving disputes.
Conference series began in 2012
The Istanbul Mediation Conferences were first held in 2012. The series enables local and international experts to share knowledge and experience in mediation, discuss new approaches and assess mediation’s role in the changing international peace and security environment.
The conferences contribute to raising awareness of mediation and strengthening international dialogue in the face of disputes and challenges.
The latest conference in the series was held on March 10, 2022, ahead of the second Antalya Diplomacy Forum, under the theme “Highlighting Mediation in a Changing Peace Environment.” More than 200 participants from over 40 countries attended the event.
Türkiye’s vision for mediation
Türkiye is working to resolve disputes peacefully within the framework of a mediation vision that regards diplomacy and dialogue as effective tools against conflict and war. This approach also attaches importance to the principle of regional ownership.
Alongside its initiatives in the field, Türkiye contributes to the mediation agenda through its work on multilateral platforms. By co-chairing the Friends of Mediation Groups established within the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Türkiye supports efforts to make mediation more effective in maintaining international peace and security.
Türkiye and Finland launched the “Mediation for Peace” initiative within the United Nations in New York on September 24, 2010. The initiative aims to raise the profile of mediation’s role in preventive diplomacy and dispute resolution, and to allocate more effort and resources to work in this area.
The 16th Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Group of Friends of Mediation, established within this framework, was also held at Türkevi in Istanbul under Türkiye’s hosting on September 24, as part of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The group’s activities set an example for the establishment of similar groups within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
