Each episode will bring you into “The Negotiation Arena”, the stage where world-famous experts virtually gather to share ideas and to provide listeners with their unique experiences and exceptional insights. Each episode will focus on stimulating aspects of negotiations through the lens of prominent international negotiators from different backgrounds.

The Negotiation Arena - Trailer

Welcome to “The Negotiation Arena”, the brand-new podcast series of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Each episode will bring you into the negotiation arena, the stage where world-famous experts virtually gather to share ideas and to provide listeners with their unique experiences and exceptional insights. The whole series unravels negotiations through fundamental theories and practices, delivering tangible skills needed to successfully conduct negotiations as they unfold.

The Complex Negotiation - EP. 1

In this episode, professional French negotiator Marwan Mery (ADN Group) shares his experiences in crisis negotiation; from his own personal experience as a hostage in a five-hour standoff in an illegal casino in the suburbs of Oxford in England to how to deal with complex negotiations involving ethics. He unpacks the psychology behind negotiations, the skills useful to manage stress, the role of emotions and ethics, how to communicate effectively, how to acquire self-control, and how to reach high degrees of resilience.

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Meet the negotiator

Applauded by the international press as being one of the best negotiators in the world, Marwan Mery works with the UN, businesses, governments and NGOs, of any size, to resolve complex situations around the world including critical situations, as well as social conflicts, commercial negotiations, diplomatic issues or even patient-physician relations.

In 2013, he co-founded the ADN Group, the international negotiation agency which later became the first global network of professional negotiators.

The Art of Mediation - EP. 2

In this episode, UN Senior Mediation Adviser, Milos Strugar (Conflux Center) leads us into the world of mediation. He highlights the differences among negotiation, mediation, and facilitation processes as essential means for dispute resolution. Mr. Strugar comments on the effects of the pandemic on mediation and negotiation dynamics, exploring recent practical developments including the implementation of artificial intelligence in mediation procedures.  Overall, Mr. Strugar examines the key skills of a mediator; the stakeholders involved in mediation (state and non-state actors); the role of trust and confidentiality; and the relevance of multilateralism to solve complex disputes and to tackle global challenges.

Check out the upcoming UNITAR - Conflux Center online course on Public Speaking and Speechwriting Skills for Multilateral Diplomacy: Cases and Insights from the United Nations

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Meet the negotiator

Executive director of Conflux Center, UN Senior Mediation Adviser, independent consultant, writer and columnist. Mr. Strugar is currently assisting UN Special Envoy, Mr. Geir O. Pedersen, on the ceasefire agreement in Syria, and is the head of the UN expert delegation at the Nur-Sultan (Astana) talks on the conflict in Syria. Mr. Strugar spent over twenty years as a high-ranking civilian officer with the United Nations Peace-Keeping Department in various missions in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His most recent post as Deputy Head of Mission and Director of Political and Civil Affairs in UNIFIL (Lebanon), was concluded in January 2014. His field posts include South Africa, Rwanda, Tajikistan/Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine. He has extensive experience in public communications in crisis contexts concerning ceasefire and cessation of hostilities issues, including facilitating discreet dialogue with non-state armed groups. Mr. Strugar has lectured at many academic and training institutions in Europe, Middle East and China. He is a frequent contributor in Serbian and international media. He was a diplomat for former Yugoslavia.