STEP 4
Lay the Groundwork for DDR Negotiations
The preparatory, or prenegotiation, phase of a peace process sets the stage for substantive discussions. In step 4, mediators should prepare themselves and negotiating parties for both the procedural and the substantive dimensions of the peace process. This preparatory phase may result in a framework agreement between negotiating parties. Framework agreements come in many forms, but their main purpose is to detail the fundamentals of the peace process, such as who the negotiating parties are, who the mediator will be, what role the mediator will play, where the peace process will take place, the extent to which civil society may or may not be included, and, most important, the key issues to be discussed.
Avoid DDR as a Precondition for Talks
Framework agreements can be used to list the principles upon which negotiations will be based. At this early stage of the peace process, trust between parties is likely to be tentative and confidence in the process is likely to be shaky at best. It is important for mediators to stress that trust is not a prerequisite for negotiations. The possibility of the resumption of open conflict is high because the parties have yet to commit fully to achieving their political or economic ends through peaceful means. Because substantive issues remain unresolved, the conflict parties are not likely to engage in discussion about the final status of their fighting forces and weapons. Thus, it would be a mistake to predicate continued engagement in the peace process on the DDR of the armed groups in the conflict. This approach is neither politically nor programmatically realistic.
In 2009, following a setback in its drawn-out peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo of the Philippines decided to refocus any new phase of negotiations wit