One-Text Procedure Term Analysis

The one-text procedure is a mediation process that the authors suggest for difficult negotiations. When two parties simply cannot come to an agreement no matter how hard they try, the one-text procedure calls for a third-party mediator to compile both sides’ interests and priorities into a single list and then develop a plan to fulfill everything on that list. As the mediator develops a plan, they can return periodically to the negotiating parties for advice and constructive criticism. The one-text procedure forces all sides to put aside their differing interests that do not truly conflict, and it pushes them toward agreement in situations where they refuse to cooperate for personal or emotional reasons. The one-text procedure is particularly useful in multilateral negotiations with a large number of parties, like international legal negotiations at the United Nations.