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Speaker: Paul Dziatkowiec
The Department of War Studies, as part of the CSD Speaker Series, invites you to a discussion with Paul Dziatkowiec, Director of Mediation and Peace Support at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), on “The struggles of conflict mediation in a world in flux.”
As global politics becomes increasingly turbulent, with rising geopolitical tensions, growing mistrust between major powers, and rapidly shifting regional dynamics, the work of mediators has become more complex than ever. This talk explores what it means to build dialogue in a world where traditional diplomatic pathways are weakening and where uncertainty shapes almost every conflict setting. Drawing on over a decade of hands-on experience leading Track II and Track 1.5 dialogue initiatives spanning the Arctic, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, US–China relations, and Central Asia, Paul Dziatkowiec will reflect on the practical, political, and ethical dilemmas mediators encounter on the ground. The discussion will explore what today’s environment means for the prospects of dialogue, how non-state actors influence peace efforts, and what the future of international peacemaking might look like in a world in flux.
About the speaker
Paul Dziatkowiec is the Director of Mediation and Peace Support at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). He is also Senior Advisor to the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for Peace Support, Senior Advisor at Peace Dividend Initiative, Fellow at Oxford Global Society, expert on UNDP's crisis response roster, and a member of Diplomats Without Borders. He previously served 10 years at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue from 2012. In these roles he has initiated and/or facilitated numerous confidential dialogue processes, including in the Ukraine-Russia context, the Caucasus, Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Before joining GCSP, Paul spent a decade at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, where he led dialogue and mediation efforts across the Ukraine–Russia context, the Caucasus, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He previously served as Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner in Nairobi, covering several countries in the region and acting as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. His earlier diplomatic postings include Tel Aviv and work with the International Service for Human Rights in Geneva. Paul has also served as a peace monitor in Bougainville and as an election observer in multiple countries. He holds master’s degrees in International Law, International Relations, and International Policy Studies.
Chair
Dr Oisín Tansey is a Professor of International Politics at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. He holds an MA in International Relations from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford (Nuffield College), followed by an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship there in 2007. His research focuses on the international politics of authoritarian rule, regime change, and post-conflict peacekeeping.
About the CSD Speaker Series
The Conflict, Security and Development (CSD) Speaker Series is an initiative from the Conflict, Security & Development Research Group in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. It aims to bring together interested individuals with leading experts and influential thinkers in the fields of conflict, security, and development.
At this event
Professor of International Politics
Event details
Dockrill Room (KIN 628)Strand Campus
Strand, London, WC2R 2LS