‘Inclusivity and secrecy’ is a scoping project investigating the practice of secrecy related to peace diplomacy within a context of conflict complexity and global demands for more public oversight and transparency. Confidentiality is assumed to be a requirement in contemporary peace diplomacy. When parties involved in armed conflict explore a negotiated settlement, they often demand secrecy to create space to meet, test the potential for negotiations, and initiate a pathway to compromises. Providing back-channels and secure locations that ensure the level of confidentiality required by conflict parties have been the hallmark of post-Cold War peace diplomacy. But recent trends challenge this orthodoxy, including increased demand for transparency in (international) politics in general and peace processes specifically; more complex and fragmented conflicts, challenging established norms of secrecy; and finally, an enlarged and diversified ecosystem of peace facilitators.
Investigators: Øystein H. Rolandsen (PRIO) and Simone Tholens (EUI)
