Peacemaking and the Public Sphere: Confidentiality and Public Communication in the Colombian Negotiations

While confidentiality may be essential to the delicate process of negotiating peace, it prevents progress in the negotiations from being known to the public. Existing research and literature has shown the negative impact of secrecy and explored what motivates political elites to retain adversarial public discourses during peace negotiations, but not their opposites. To fill this gap, this research project uncovers what motivates negotiators to publicly disclose progress during peace negotiations. It explores the decision-making and the negotiation strategies behind the disclosure of this information in the negotiations between the Dos Santos government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) (2012-2016). It analyses qualitative interviews conducted in Colombia in 2019 with lead negotiators of both delegations and journalists who reported on the negotiations. Its findings aim to inform practitioners on how to balance the need for confidentiality with that for public information and education, as well as societal inclusion.