Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation

The report identifies ten common areas for comparing the mediation strategies of Qatar and Norway, highlighting differences in their identities, the role of civil society, and regional engagement, while noting shared dependencies on the United States and the use of financial resources to cultivate soft power.

• Norway and Qatar both utilize conflict mediation to cultivate their soft power, despite having very different political identities: Norway is a constitutional democracy with a secular, multicultural identity and a commitment to human rights, while Qatar is a monarchy that views itself primarily in religious terms and upholds Islamic values.
• The two states differ in how they integrate non-governmental actors into their mediation efforts. Norway's approach historically involved research and civil society organizations, though the state bureaucracy has since professionalized. In contrast, Qatari mediation is driven by top-level political leadership and state institutions, with limited involvement from non-state entities.
• A major distinction exists in regional focus: Norway typically mediates in distant locations where it has few direct interests, whereas Qatar mediates within its own neighborhood. While regional engagement allows Qatar to leverage established relationships and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), it also exposes its impartiality to questioning and has led to existential controversies with neighbors like Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
• Qatar differs from typical small state mediators by using its vast financial capacity to provide 'carrots' and leverage to conflicting parties, whereas small state mediators generally rely on trust and persuasion.
• Both countries maintain strong ties to the United States as a critical security or political asset, and both use their ability to facilitate dialogues that the US cannot as political capital in Washington.
• Both nations face ethical dilemmas regarding 'check-book diplomacy,' where large aid donations may be used to reward conflict actors, potentially fueling war economies or instrumentalizing humanitarian aid for political confidence-building.
• Norway and Qatar share a willingness to engage with a wide range of actors, including those on terrorist lists, which provides a comparative advantage over states constrained by domestic or multilateral restrictions.

APA

Harpviken, K. B., & Barakat, S. (n.d.). Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d991908c-f5c0-4c5c-b4b3-cd48dd2763e5/Harpviken Barakat - Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Harpviken, Kristian Berg, and Sultan Barakat. Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d991908c-f5c0-4c5c-b4b3-cd48dd2763e5/Harpviken Barakat - Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harpviken |first1=Kristian Berg |last2=Barakat |first2=Sultan |title=Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d991908c-f5c0-4c5c-b4b3-cd48dd2763e5/Harpviken Barakat - Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harpvikenndcomparing, author = {Harpviken, Kristian Berg and Barakat, Sultan}, title = {{Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d991908c-f5c0-4c5c-b4b3-cd48dd2763e5/Harpviken Barakat - Comparing Qatari and Norwegian Models of Small State Conflict Mediation.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }