SGTM 11: Communication and Negotiation

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SGTM 11 Communication and Negotiation
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Peacekeepers Motto

• Understanding communication and negotiation
• Negotiating in peace operations
• Working with interpreters

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SESSION I Understanding communication and
negotiation

• Peacekeepers need for communication and
  negotiation skills
• Principles of negotiation
• Techniques of communication

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• War
• Victory
• Surprise
• Combat

• Peacekeeping
• Peace
• Visibility
• Negotiation

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Negotiation is ...

• ... not capitulation
• ... a process, not an outcome
• ... communication that aims at reaching
  agreement

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To achieve a positive peace

• Use of Force ? less effective parties comply
  while force is applied
• Negotiation ? more effective parties cooperate
  voluntarily

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Principles of Negotiation

• Understand your mandate
• Understand their interests
• Understand the cultural context

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• Advance preparation key to successful
  negotiation
• General preparation key for impromptu response
• Know local history, culture and conflict
• Know your mandate and orders
• Use start of negotiations to learn more about
  problem

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Frequent negotiating topics

• Freedom of movement (passage through roadblock)
• Relationships between peacekeepers and others
• Recurrence of violence
• Dispute management
• Arrangements for special events

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Communication Techniques

• Listen (alert and focused)
• Paraphrase (for clarification)
• Communicate openness
• Reframe (for flexibility)
• Communicate non-verbally (body language)

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Cross-Cultural Communication

• Show respect, do nothing to offend
• Identify expectations
• Maintain UN standards and guidelines

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SESSION I Understanding Communication and
Negotiation

• Peacekeepers Need for Communication and
  Negotiation Skills
• Principles of Negotiation
• Techniques of Communication

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SESSION I Summary

• Your tools are communication and negotiation.
• Your guideposts are your mandate, their
  interests and the cultural/historic context.
• Your watchwords are Respect others, do no
  harm.

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SESSION II Negotiating in Peace Operations

• Stages of negotiation
• 1 Opening
• 2 Discussion
• 3 Closing
• Reporting negotiations

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Negotiations ? Stage 1 The Opening

• Parties introduce themselves
• Follow customs and protocol
• Present and agree the agenda
• Discuss and agree the rules of procedure

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Negotiations ? Stage 2 The Discussions

• Opening Statements
• Body language respectful attention
• Complaints be clear, detailed in writing
• If anti-UN, correct misinformation, do not react
• Identify issues that parties want to discuss

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Negotiations ? Stage 2 The Discussions

• List emerging options
• Refine options to proposals
• Identify common positions
• Summarize proposals
• Present for agreement
• Discuss implementation
• Prepare news release

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Negotiations ? Stage 3 The Closing

• Present final draft for adoption
• Negotiate last changes
• Record and adopt final statement
• Sign and distribute original copies
• Agree on next meeting
• Close meeting with customs, protocol

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Reporting Negotiations

• Immediate sitrep
• Detailed report

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SESSION II Negotiating in Peace Operations

• Stages of Negotiation
• 1 Opening
• 2 Discussion
• 3 Closing
• Reporting Negotiation

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SESSION II Summary

• Three stages of negotiation as communication
  process aiming at agreement
• Use common sense and apply guidelines
  appropriately
• Report proceedings to ensure implementation

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SESSION III Working with Interpreters

• Negotiating in different languages
• Tactics of working with interpreters

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Language assistants are not trained as
professionals

• Peacekeepers should
• Expect incomplete interpretation
• Facilitate job by
• using short sentences
• avoiding unfamiliar words, jokes, idioms

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Working with Interpreters

• Regard your local staff as your local ambassador
• Avoid showing disrespect towards country,
  culture, people
• Brief interpreters on how to do job
• Physical position (standing/sitting)
• Content of interpretation

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SESSION III Working with Interpreters

• Negotiating in different languages
• Tactics of working with interpreters

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SESSION III Summary

• Expect incomplete interpretation
• Brief interpreters on how to do job
• Facilitate interpreters job
• Regard your staff as your ambassadors