Turkey strongly supports resolution of international disputes by peaceful means and comes to the forefront as an effective mediator.
In this context, with a view to emphasizing the importance of mediation at the international level, the 2nd Istanbul Conference on Mediation, the first of which was held in February 2012, will be organized under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, on 11-12 April 2013 under the theme “Keys to Effective Mediation: Perspectives from Within”.
In the framework of the Conference, the disputes which figure highly on the international agenda will be discussed. In this context peace efforts in the Middle East, Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria will be analyzed.
In addition to the Special Representatives of the United Nations, European Union and African Union as well as statesmen involved in the resolution of the disputes concerned, international experts specialized in conflict resolution and representatives of NGOs will also participate in the Conference as speakers.
It is expected that an audience of 250 people, including experts from Turkey and abroad working in the field of conflict resolution and peace studies will attend the 2nd Istanbul Conference on Mediation.
The main objectives of the Conference are to emphasize Turkey’s role in the peaceful resolution of international disputes, to maintain the momentum achieved through the “Mediation for Peace” initiative co-launched in 2010 by Turkey and Finland and to contribute to the building of a national capacity in Turkey in the field of mediation and conflict resolution.
In addition to H.E. Mr Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, Foreign Minister of Finland and H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the UN General Assembly will deliver speeches at the high-level session of the Conference.