The present report examines the challenges faced by the United Nations and its partners in providing professional mediation assistance to parties in conflict. It describes the need for experienced and knowledgeable mediators and support teams, with women adequately represented, and sufficient resources to provide assistance at an early stage to help parties design and pursue processes that will address the root causes of their conflicts, overcome obstacles that block progress, and achieve agreements that lead to sustainable peace.

The report examines the opportunities and the challenges the United Nations and its partners currently face in conducting preventive diplomacy in a changing political and security landscape. Focusing specifically on diplomatic action taken to prevent or mitigate the spread of armed conflict, the report describes the relevance of preventive diplomacy across the conflict spectrum and as part of broader, nationally owned strategies to promote peace. 

The present report outlines progress made in implementing the General Assembly resolution 65/283 entitled “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution”, in the context of key trends in the field of mediation. Also submitted as annexes to the present report are the Guidance for Effective Mediation and the views of Member States.

The present report recognizes mediation as an important tool for conflict prevention, management and resolution; analyses five elements of mediation support, providing examples of UN activities within the framework of each element; and sets out the means through which the entities of the UN system can coordinate their support for mediation initiatives at different levels.

This report has been prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 72/243, in which the Assembly called upon the Secretary-General to submit to it, at its seventy-fourth session, a report on the state of global peace and security in line with the central mandates contained in the Charter of the United Nations. The report highlights the evolving nature of armed conflict and violence and examines the seven major trends related to global peace and security today.

This report has been prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 72/243, in which the Assembly called upon the Secretary-General to submit to it, at its seventy-fourth session, a report on the state of global peace and security in line with the central mandates contained in the Charter of the United Nations. The report highlights the evolving nature of armed conflict and violence and examines the seven major trends related to global peace and security today.