Legal Definitions - facilitated negotiation

Facilitated negotiation is a method of resolving disputes between two parties with the help of a neutral third party. This third party tries to help the parties reach a mutually agreeable solution. It is also known as mediation or conciliation.

For example, if two employees are having a disagreement at work, their manager may bring in a mediator to help them come to a resolution. The mediator will listen to both sides and suggest ways to resolve the issue that both parties can agree on.

Another example is when two countries are having a dispute, and a neutral country offers to help them resolve it peacefully. This is also known as international mediation.

Facilitated negotiation is different from arbitration, where a third party makes a binding decision on the outcome of the dispute. In facilitated negotiation, the parties themselves come to an agreement.