Book review: The Go-Between

As the authors of The Go-Between point out, “In polarized situations of armed conflict and humanitarian crisis, there is often a need for a go-between, an international third-party mediator who can help to overcome barriers and divisions that keep conflicting parties apart. There is a growing awareness that international mediators can play a critical role in the process from war to peace.”

There are basically three sources of mediators. One, the focus of this book, is the United Nations, which has provided leadership opportunities for negotiation, strategic coordination, and appropriate tools to implement peace agreements. The second source is national governments, the “shuttle diplomacy” of Henry Kissinger in the Middle East being a classic example, or President Bill Clinton’s efforts in the same area, or Richard Holbrook in the ex-Yugoslav conflict. National government mediation is now often called “Track I” mediation. Track I efforts can call upon the power and resources of a national government, but national governments also have “national interests” and are not necessarily neutral or seen as neutral.