Introduction to Special Issue: Bound to be peaceful? The changing approach of Western European small states to peace

Abstract

Despite a changed international political context in the post-Cold War period, Western European small states remain firmly engaged in peace policy. One would be tempted to describe them as "natural born" peacemakers. This article shows a different approach to small states' peace policies. Using a typology from the literature on the role of norms and ideas, it argues that the type of peace engagement followed by small states has changed considerably during recent decades. More precisely, a shift has occurred in their peace policies from normative to cognitive ideas. This may be explained through their closer cooperation with international organisations (such as the EU), loss of significance of traditional role concepts such as neutrality, and the changed content of peace policies. Two consequences result from it: firstly, cognitive ideas are less linked to historically deep-rooted identities and therefore more prone to change; secondly, there fewer comparative advantages accrue to small states in promoting cognitive ideas. Thus, though small states remain very active peacebuilders, they have become less "natural" peacemakers than they used to be.

Neutral States as Peace Mediators: Favoured or Restrained by Norms?

“…In regard to "secondary" or unsettled norms, as the articles in this Special Issue show, neutrality does not play a particular role: state neutrality is defined towards violent conflicts including related humanitarian aspects (Goetschel 2011b), whereas the neutrality of non-state humanitarian actors is already being questioned (Abiew 2012;Forsythe 2013). But neutrality does not offer a particular orientation towards other content norms such as democracy, gender or transitional justice or procedural norms such as inclusivity.…”

“…As a consequence, different types of mediators are seen as more or less suited to include or convey norms in or through mediation processes. For neutral states, this "match" results from their combination of realism and idealism, which translates into a high sensitivity for national sovereignty combined with a general claim for non-violent means for the termination of conflicts (Goetschel 2011a). Their credibility in terms of "outcome neutrality" builds on the definition of neutral states.…”

Security Strategies of Small States in a Changing World

“…A policy of neutrality served as a platform to export values and ideas. Neutral countries have significantly contributed to the deescalation and prevention of conflicts (Goetschel, 2013). They can also play the role of mediators or draw attention to humanitarian crises (Morris and White, 2011).…”

Hvad blev der af den klassiske Kold Krigs-aktivisme? Den nordiske dimension i dansk udenrigspolitik

“…Dels synes nogle af indholdstraekkene ved den nordiske model at vaere knyttet til de nordiske landes småstatsstatus snarere end deres faelles nordiske udgangspunkt. Det gaelder primaert indsatsen for at styrke det internationale samfund gennem institutionel indbinding af stormagterne, der er et faellestraek ved de europaeiske småstaters udenrigspolitik fra Anden Verdenskrig og frem (Wallace 1999), og sekundaert indsatsen for international afspaending og nedrustning, der ligeledes er blevet forfulgt af en raekke mindre lande (Goetschel 2013). Den nordiske aktivisme er således ikke et alternativ til den måde, som mange andre europaeiske småstater fører udenrigspolitik på, men snarere en tidligere udviklet og mere udbygget aktivisme.…”