Shuttle diplomacy

In diplomacy and international relations, shuttle diplomacy is the action of an outside party in serving as an intermediary between (or among) principals in a dispute, without direct principal-to-principal contact. Originally and usually, the process entails successive travel ("shuttling") by the intermediary, from the working location of one principal, to that of another.

The term was first applied to describe the efforts of United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, beginning November 5, 1973,^[1] which facilitated the cessation of hostilities following the Yom Kippur War.

Negotiators often use shuttle diplomacy when one or both of two principals refuses recognition of the other prior to mutually desired negotiation.

Mediators have adopted the term "shuttle diplomacy" as well.^[2]

^ George Lenczowski, American Presidents and the Middle East, (Duke University Press: 1990), p. 131
^ For example: Margulies, Robert E. (December 2002). "How to Win in Mediation" (PDF). New Jersey Lawyer. pp. 53–54. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-03-21. After the opening session, the parties usually break into caucus groups, and the mediator utilizes shuttle diplomacy between the groups in order to identify interests and positions of the parties and help them create solutions.

[1] George Lenczowski, American Presidents and the Middle East, (Duke University Press: 1990), p. 131

[2] For example: Margulies, Robert E. (December 2002). "How to Win in Mediation" (PDF). New Jersey Lawyer. pp. 53–54. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-03-21. After the opening session, the parties usually break into caucus groups, and the mediator utilizes shuttle diplomacy between the groups in order to identify interests and positions of the parties and help them create solutions.

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