News

Negotiation Training for Cyprus
04 Nov 2015 - 14:51

The Hague - 2 November 2015 Within the framework of Clingendael Academy's Training Facility "Negotiation and Mediation as a Conflict Resolution Instrument",  the technical gender committee of Cyprus was welcomed in The Hague for training on negotiation processes. The Cyprus gender committee is appointed ‘to promote gender equality’ in their own society, based on United Nations Security Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325). One of their spearpoints is create a framework for better women’s participation in decision-making processes, such as having more balanced teams at both the Greek-Cypriot as the Turkish-Cypriot side in the negotiation process that is running at the moment.

Success and failure at the negotiation table is determined by the context of the talks as well as the negotiation skills of the representatives at the talks. Enhancing the negotiation skills of the committee members can greatly increase their influence. With the right skills set they will be better able to understand how to be involved in constructive dialogues. The first dialogue and task of the technical gender committee is to create a National Action Plan, based on resolution 1325, which will serve as an outline for gender issues and enlarging the empowerment of female delegates to take part in the present Cyprus settlement negotiations.

The Facility

Since the start of 2015, Clingendael Academy, with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offers training courses in negotiation and mediation skills and processes, both to groups in conflict as well as mediators. In essence the training sessions provide a tool kit to make conscious choices during the peace process and to avoid pitfalls, all to enhance the changes of durable peace. Clingendael Academy sees the capacity of groups in conflict to conduct large scale negotiation processes as a fundamental part of the success of peace processes. Another example of training provided under this training facility is the group of African Women Mediators.

For more information about the training facility, please contact Wilbur Perlot, dp head Clingendael Academy.