Conflict resolution in Moldova

德涅斯特河左岸冲突的当前表现形式可以追溯到苏联解体和独立的摩尔多瓦国的建立。在1991/1992年短暂的暴力之后，德涅斯特河左岸形成了事实上的国家，尽管参与所谓的5+2解决进程的所有各方提出了许多解决建议，但1992年的现状得到了巩固，直到最近，在解决问题方面没有取得任何实际进展。在德国和俄罗斯的倡议下，由于随后要求“适当”政治解决的外部压力不断增加，各方于2011年9月同意在5+2框架内恢复正式谈判。因此，德涅斯特河左岸冲突及其解决办法现在是所有各方政治议程上的优先事项，但不幸的是，他们对良好做法缺乏更广泛的了解，也不了解他们正在处理的问题已在其他国家得到解决。此外，一些调解人不了解过去为解决德涅斯特河左岸问题所作的努力，不熟悉当地局势的复杂性，也不了解其他地方的类似谈判进程如何成功结束。在这一背景下，拟议的项目力求继续开展公共政策研究所以前开展的两个研究项目，即在分裂的社会中建立和维持治理安排，特别是利用自治和权力分享安排。后续活动的第一个目标群体是直接参与谈判进程的国际组织及其一些相关成员国，即欧洲安全与合作组织（欧安组织）、欧盟以及英国和德国政府。在这方面，重点将是制定解决冲突的现有备选方案，以及如何促进/调解最终谈判进程和协助执行解决方案的问题。第二个目标群体是直接冲突各方，即摩尔多瓦共和国政府，特别是其重返社会局，以及德涅斯特河左岸当局，特别是首席谈判员小组。在这方面，后续活动的重点将放在解决冲突的现有选择上，自2003年以来，和平研究所一直密切和持续地参与摩尔多瓦的冲突解决工作，因此在非学术研究用户中拥有广泛的相关联系网络，这将有助于该项目产生最大的影响。在构思这一项目时广泛征求了利益攸关方的意见，后续活动将开始时与利益攸关方进行协商，以确保对制定谈判战略和各方立场以及对正在进行的更广泛的谈判进程的投入具有相关性。然后将向利益攸关方提交关于解决方案和调解的文件草稿，以确保他们继续为这一后续项目的方向和实质内容提供投入，然后将向他们单独提交文件定稿，并在项目核心合作者国际和平研究所（维也纳办事处）共同主办的总结会议上提交定稿。与利益攸关方的这种多阶段接触将确保最大限度地发挥影响，并通过建立、巩固和加强与利益攸关方的关系，使项目周期结束后能够开展有意义的后续活动。主要研究者将编写一些更一般的简报文件，供利益相关者使用（以及其他人通过更广泛的传播）在摩尔多瓦以外的冲突解决工作中发挥了重要作用，并发表了两篇针对学术研究用户的期刊文章。

In its current manifestation, the conflict over Transnistria dates back to the end of the Soviet Union and the establishment of an independent Moldovan state. After a brief spell of violence in 1991/2, the de-facto state of Transnistria came into being, and despite numerous settlement proposals from all parties involved in the so-called 5+2 settlement process, the status quo of 1992 has been consolidated and, until recently, no tangible progress was made towards a settlement. Following a German-Russian initiative and as a result of subsequently increasing external pressure for a 'proper' political settlement, the parties agreed in September 2011 to resume official negotiations in the 5+2 framework. Consequently, the Transnistria conflict and its resolution is now high on the political agenda of all the parties, but, unfortunately, they lack a wider understanding of good practices, or an appreciation that the issues that they are dealing with have been resolved in other countries. Furthermore, some of the mediators lack knowledge of past attempts to resolve the Transnistria issue and are unfamiliar with the complexities of the situation on the ground and how similar negotiation processes have successfully concluded elsewhere. Against this background, the proposed project seeks to follow on from two previous research projects that the PI conducted on the establishment and sustainability of governance arrangements in divided societies, especially the use of autonomy and power-sharing arrangements. The first target group of the follow-on activities are the international organisations, and some of their relevant member states, that are directly involved in the negotiations process, namely the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the EU and the British and German governments. Here the emphasis will be on developing available options for a conflict settlement and the question of how to facilitate/mediate a conclusive negotiation process and assist in settlement implementation. The second target group will be the immediate conflict parties, namely the government of the Republic of Moldova, especially its Bureau for Reintegration, and the authorities in Transnistria, especially the team of the Chief Negotiator. Here the emphasis of the follow-on activities will be on available options for a conflict settlement.The PI has been intimately and continuously involved with conflict settlement efforts in Moldova since 2003, and thus has a wide network of relevant contacts among non-academic research users that will facilitate maximum impact of this project. Stakeholders have been extensively consulted in the conception of this project.Follow-on activities will begin with a stakeholder consultation to ensure the relevance of input into the development of negotiation strategies and positions of the parties and into the ongoing negotiation process more generally. Draft papers on settlement options and mediation will then be presented to stakeholders to ensure their continuing input into the direction and substance of this follow-on project, and final versions of the papers will then be presented to them individually and at a concluding conference co-hosted by the project's core collaborator, the International Peace Institute (Vienna office). This multi-stage engagement with stakeholders will ensure maximisation of impact and, through building, consolidating and enhancing relationships with stakeholders, allow for subsequent meaningful follow-on activities beyond the life cycle of this project.As part of the project outputs, beyond the two options papers on settlement and mediation, the PI will produce a number of more general briefing papers that can be utilised by stakeholders (and by others through broader dissemination) in their conflict resolution work beyond Moldova, as well as two journal articles aimed at academic research users.