National Dialogues Readings

National Dialogues: Core Elements

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an overview of the core elements to address when drafting provisions for a national dialogue. National dialogues, also referred to as popular consultations or national conferences, are processes in which representatives from various parties come together to discuss issues and challenges related to a political transition. National dialogues may be employed in a post-conflict transition to build confidence, increase participation, and forge consensus among national actors and civil society on important political, economic, or social decisions. The core elements memo also includes a decision tree at the end, outlining the decisions parties face.

Click here to read the memorandum, National Dialogues: Core Elements.

Yemen National Dialogue Conference Outcomes.

The Yemen National Dialogue Conference was a key part of the agreement brokered by the UN and the Gulf Co-operation Council that saw long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh hand over power to Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi in November 2011 after an uprising. Please skim the outcomes to gain an understanding of what topics and issues may be addressed at a national dialogue.

Click here to view the Yemen National Dialogue Conference Outcomes.

Lawyering Peace: Governance [DRAFT]

This chapter of the upcoming Lawyering Peace book first sets forth and discusses the puzzle of how parties establish a comprehensive legal framework for post-conflict governance. The chapter then outlines decisions relating to post-conflict governance and broad agreements to preliminary sets of principles coupled with a general governing framework during the initial negotiation. The parties to peace negotiations are increasingly agreeing to hold national dialogues as a prelude to the preparation of anew or amended constitution. A national dialogue, also known as a popular consultation or national conference, is a process in which representatives from multiple parties discuss the issues and challenges related to a political transition. The chapter provides an overview of recent national dialogues and turns to the puzzle of how to address constitutional modification during peace negotiations in a manner that promotes a durable peace.

Click here to read the upcoming chapter on Governance.

Speaker Notes

National Dialogues as Part of the Peace Process Speakers Notes

These speaker notes provide general background on national political dialogues and describes their role in the peace process. The notes address preparatory committees, the constituencies for participation, governance and leadership structure, and the structure of the dialogue proceedings.

Click here to view the speakers notes, National Dialogues as Part of the Peace Process.

Additional Material:

For more information on national dialogues, including useful databases, blogs, organizations, and additional PILPG work product, see the National Dialogues Resource Page.

Professional Development

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