Lawyering Peace

Yoonie Kim: Yemen 2011 - 2015

Yoonie Kim is a former PILPG-er, and is currently a Senior Political Affairs Officer and the Gulf Team Leader at the United Nations. This episode explores Yoonie’s time serving as Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to the UN Special Envoy Jamal Benomar on the Yemen peace process, examining the ways in which mediation teams operate when supporting challenging and complex negotiations, and the importance of collaboration between the various actors involved in peace negotiations when pursuing durable peace.

Vartan Oskanian: 2001 Key West Negotiations

Vartan Oskanian, is the former Minister of Foreign Affairs for Armenia, and a former member of the Armenian Parliament. This episode delves into Vartan’s role as Armenia’s chief negotiator for the Nagorno Karabakh Key West negotiations in 2001, which sought to resolve the protracted Nagorno Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The episode in part explores the realities of negotiations that do not result in a durable peace agreement, and the lessons learned for future negotiators.
 

Dr. Alush Gashi: Kosova's Rise to Independence

Dr. Alush Gashi has extensive diplomatic and political experience in the peace negotiations and self determination space and is a widely respected human rights activist. This episode focuses on the integral contribution Alush has made to the realization of Kosovar self determination, exploring his time as Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic League of Kosova and Senior Advisor to President Ibrahim Rugova during the Rambouillet Negotiations of 1999; his key role in the negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade o 2004; and his position as majority leader in the Kosova Parliament during the Ahtisaari Negotiations of 2007. Alush draws upon his more recent efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sudan and Sri Lanka, providing valuable insight into his experience encouraging parties to pursue a peaceful resolution of conflict.

Igor Luksic: 2006 Union Treaty Negotiations

President Igor Luksic is the former Prime Minister of Montenegro, having held myriad other positions in Montenegro’s government, including that of Finance Minister and Foreign Minister.  In this episode, the conversation explores Igor’s role as a key member of the Constitutional Commission which negotiated the Union Treaty of Serbia and Montenegro on Montenegro’s behalf. The Union Treaty provided for the secession of Montenegro from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.