This special issue is the outcome of a conference held in Stockholm 1998. The purpose of the conference was to discuss contributions that psychology can make to international diplomatic negotiations with the aim of preventing conflicts within and between states. In addition to the editors and article authors who are all researchers in psychology, Swedish diplomats and peace and conflict researchers participated in the conference.
Following two overviews highlighting psychological aspects of diplomacy and world politics respectively, topics in this special issue include reviews of psychological research on negotiation, decision making in interdependence situations (as exemplified by the prisoner's dilemma game), perceptions of and behavioral effects of social justice, causes and solutions of intergroup conflicts, cultural differences in communication and negotiation styles, and psychological problems in environmental resource managing. Although not providing ready-made solutions, many useful examples are given of how this research bears on our understanding of the important role preventive diplomacy may have in the future. The articles also identify gaps in our knowledge and what will be fruitful future areas of research for the benefit of preventive diplomacy. The topic areas covered by the special issue will be represented at the XXVII International Congress of Psychology in Stockholm July 23-28 2000, in the Dag Hammarskjoeld Memorial Seminar that will be organized to honour the contributions made by the late Swedish citizen and the second Secretary General of the United Nations.