Special political missions and their role in a preventive diplomacy: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Today’s diplomacy is an ambiguous phenomenon which involves many diverse tools and actions undertaken by national and international actors. Diplomacy is undoubtedly one of a key element of international peace and security as it enables disputes and conflicts to be prevented . There is a host of measures and instruments that can be exercised at any stage of a crisis, among which are special political missions. This paper is an attempt to discuss the nature and role of a special political mission in preventive actions. The main attention is paid to the missions established by the United Nations and by the European Union. The considerations resulted in listing strengths of the special political missions and in identifying the challenges that should be faced in order to increase an effectiveness of the missions.