Finland Times

 

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. Photo – Str / Lehtikuva.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs together with its partners is organising the Conference on National Dialogue and Mediation Processes which will take place from 30 March to 2 April in Helsinki. 

 

The conference theme is peace processes in fragile states, national dialogues and mediation, according to an official press release.

 

The purpose of the conference is to share experiences of how national dialogue processes can be utilised in the creation of an engaging and open negotiating process for resolving the internal conflicts of states and building a new democratic system. 

 

Cases to be examined are South Africa, where national dialogue took place 20 years ago; Yemen, where the dialogue ended recently; Myanmar, where the process is currently starting; and Syria, where possibilities for initiating peace process are sought at different levels, said the release.

 

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will inaugurate the conference where the Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto will be present to discuss mediation and the role of mediators in these processes.  

 

Among others, former president Martti Ahtisaari, Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman and former deputy prime minister of Syria Abdallah Al Dardari will speak at the conference, which will provide the opportunity to share and compare practical experiences and to reflect on how those elsewhere can learn from these experiences. 

 

The conference will bring nearly 150 experts to Finland including parties to conflicts, political actors, experienced negotiators and mediators, advisers and researchers.