Ex-head of Scotland: durable peace in Palestine is possible only through a 'local' solution

Peace cannot be imposed from outside, said the former first minister of Scotland

Durable peace in Palestine is achievable only through a 'local long-term solution',said Lord Jack McConnell, former first minister of Scotland and former UK special representative for peacebuilding, in an interview with the Turkish news agency Anadolu. The interview was recorded on the sidelines of the 9th Mediation Conference in Istanbul, which concluded last week.

Criticism of externally imposed schemes and the position on human rights

In McConnell's view, lasting peace cannot be secured through 'top-down' directives imposed from outside: 'If we try to impose solutions from outside, they will never work where the rupture is so sharp and the division so deep,' he said. Asked how the UK should balance strategic foreign policy interests with human rights obligations, he stressed that fundamental principles must take priority: 'In principle, human rights are not negotiable'. According to him, the UK's strategic interest lies in having maximum influence in defence of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

The Bangsamoro example: the 2014 agreement

As a successful model of peacebuilding, McConnell, who previously served as international adviser on the Bangsamoro peace process, cited the 2014 agreement in the southern Philippines, which ended a decades-long conflict. The conflict in Mindanao, rooted in land loss, marginalisation and colonial grievances, lasted more than 50 years: the Muslim Moro people fought for self-determination, while peace initiatives from 1976 to 2008 yielded no results. The 2014 agreement created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), granting the Moro autonomy; last month the region held its first elections since the establishment of the transitional administration in 2019. McConnell noted that the agreement has held for 12 years, surviving political transitions, the pandemic and local security challenges, because it was comprehensive: it gave the Moro a political voice and governance, and former combatants a path back into society. 'They have managed to resolve any issues by sticking to the agreement, returning to its principles and not letting any single incident derail them,' he added.

The experience of Scotland and Northern Ireland

McConnell also pointed to Scotland and Northern Ireland as examples of how different models of governance can accommodate regional aspirations while maintaining ties with the United Kingdom. Scotland, he said, after years of campaigning for its own parliament, found a 'peaceful path' to autonomy and gained 'the best of both worlds'. Northern Ireland, with its history of deep division and violence, arrived at a different model that gave 'both divided communities a seat at the table'. The overall conclusion, in his words: where a significant minority demands a voice or autonomy, the resolution of an internal conflict 'must fit the region in question' and reflect the norms, culture and identity of those who feel marginalised.

Context and significance

The statements were made amid ongoing discussion of the future settlement in Palestine, but the interview contains no details of a specific settlement plan — McConnell limited himself to general peacebuilding principles. The practical significance of his thesis is that it sets a benchmark for evaluating any external initiatives on Palestine: based on the Bangsamoro experience, durability is ensured by a comprehensive agreement that takes into account the identity and political representation of the party involved, not an imposed scheme. For readers, it serves as a yardstick against which subsequent diplomatic steps can be assessed; however, the publication does not indicate which specific mechanisms will be proposed for Palestine.