Negotiations key to resolving disputes, says Deputy Secretary-General Smith

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith has said that effective negotiation is key to resolving disputes and reaching international accords, especially for small states.

Opening a one-day workshop in London, UK to review strategies for improving the negotiating capacity of small states, Mr Smith pointed out that in the modern era, relations between states have shifted from being almost exclusively determined by the exercise of power, in which the “poor and the powerless have no place”, to a situation where dialogue and negotiations are the preferred route for resolving disputes and reaching international accords.

“They (small states) have relatively little economic and trading power to call upon, or sizeable markets on offer, and must thus rely on other means: persuasion, lobbying, bargaining or negotiations, to secure the concessions that they seek,” he said.

The workshop, ‘Negotiating for Pro-Development Outcomes: Issues and Constraints in Small States’, was organised by the Economic Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The objective of the workshop was to launch a study identifying constraints affecting the ability of small states to secure their desired outcomes from international negotiations.

Participants reviewed selected actual experiences of small states in international negotiations, with critical assessments of the strategies, tactics and other methods that were employed. They considered their effectiveness and drew lessons from the experiences.

Edwin Laurent, the head of International Trade and Regional Co-operation at the Secretariat, underlined to the importance of critically assessing the effectiveness of support to small states to enable them to negotiate and reach international agreements that benefit their populations.

Dr Kathy-Ann Brown, an adviser in the Secretariat’s Economic and Legal Section, stressed that there is power in numbers and as such, small states should act together if they are to achieve their desired goals.

“Small states should not stand alone if they are to have meaningful outcomes during negotiations,” she said.

Using the adage, “no man is an island”, Dr Brown also emphasised the need for adequate preparations and commitment of adequate resources to support negotiations. “Negotiators must ensure that they do their homework very well.”

It was also heard that networking and strategic engagement of the media, civil society and academic institutions helps to bolster the mobilisation of a critical mass necessary for generating favourable public opinion towards a desired goal.

“During negotiations, it is very important that there is a clear idea of what constitutes the desired interest of the negotiating party, as well as the maintenance of unity of approach,” stated one participant.

Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Director of Economic Affairs at the Secretariat, said that the Commonwealth is at the forefront of advocating for the interests of its small states.

Thirty-two of the association’s 53 member countries are small states -- mostly with populations of less than 1.5 million. The Secretariat attaches high priority to supporting their integration in the global economy, building their resilience and competitiveness, and helping them take advantage of the opportunities and meet the challenges arising from globalisation.

Key Links:

• Small States