What Makes a Negotiated Solution Durable?

Abstract

The realm of politics, international as well as domestic, is dominated by a multiplicity of stakeholders with divergent interests. In order to agree on any course of action or to settle conflicts between opposing interests, a process of negotiations is required through which the concerns of the affected parties can be accommodated in a peaceful way. The most common result from this method of conflict settlement is a compromise, i.e. an arrangement through which two or more parties commit themselves to mutual concessions aimed at collaborating or reaching an agreement. Five conditions will be presented that are seen to be vital for a compromise to be sustainable and lasting. With any number of these conditions absent, chances for a durable conflict settlement diminish. Various examples drawn from international diplomacy will showcase different ways of reaching a compromise and exemplify the difficulties that are produced, if some of the five conditions for sustainability are missing.