UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Talking peace: why mediation still matters in a world at war

Q1. Within the United Nations Secretariat, dedicated professional support to international mediation and peace processes is operationalised principally by which of the following?

  • A. The Mediation Support Unit under the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)
  • B. The Department of Peace Operations (DPO)
  • C. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  • D. The Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS)

Q2. With reference to how mediation differs from allied methods of dispute settlement, consider the following statements: 1. Unlike good offices, in mediation the third party takes greater initiative in proposing the actual terms of settlement. 2. Unlike arbitration, the outcome suggested through mediation is not binding on the disputing parties. 3. Like conciliation, mediation culminates in a binding final award that the parties are legally obliged to accept. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike good offices, in mediation the third party takes greater initiative in proposing the actual terms of settlement.
  2. Unlike arbitration, the outcome suggested through mediation is not binding on the disputing parties.
  3. Like conciliation, mediation culminates in a binding final award that the parties are legally obliged to accept.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the ancient mediation associated with the Sumerian ruler Mesilim, consider the following: 1. Mesilim was a king of Kish. 2. He arbitrated a boundary dispute between the city-states of Lagash and Umma. 3. The disputed fertile territory was the region of Gu'edena. 4. The dispute he settled was between the cities of Babylon and Ur. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Mesilim was a king of Kish.
  2. He arbitrated a boundary dispute between the city-states of Lagash and Umma.
  3. The disputed fertile territory was the region of Gu'edena.
  4. The dispute he settled was between the cities of Babylon and Ur.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 only

Q4. The boundary settlement dictated by the Sumerian king Mesilim between Lagash and Umma (the Treaty of Mesilim, c. 2550 BCE) is generally regarded as one of the earliest recorded instances of mediation. Approximately how many years before the present does this date place it?

  • A. About 2,000 years
  • B. About 3,000 years
  • C. About 4,500 years
  • D. About 6,000 years

Q5. The Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, which recognised mediation and good offices and created the Permanent Court of Arbitration, was adopted and then revised across how many Hague Peace Conferences?

  • A. One
  • B. Two
  • C. Three
  • D. Four

Q6. The UN's Mediation Support Unit was set up in 2006 and its 'on-call' Standby Team of Mediation Experts was launched two years later. In which year was the Standby Team of Mediation Experts established?

  • A. 2006
  • B. 2007
  • C. 2008
  • D. 2010

Q7. With reference to the UN Mediation Support Unit (MSU) and the Standby Team of Mediation Experts, consider the following statements: 1. The Mediation Support Unit was established in 2006, whereas the Standby Team of Mediation Experts was launched in 2008. 2. Both operate under the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). 3. The Standby Team's advisory services are made available only to United Nations envoys and never to regional organisations or member states. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Mediation Support Unit was established in 2006, whereas the Standby Team of Mediation Experts was launched in 2008.
  2. Both operate under the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).
  3. The Standby Team's advisory services are made available only to United Nations envoys and never to regional organisations or member states.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. With reference to the 2026 Pakistan-brokered agreement that ended the West Asia war, consider the following: 1. The agreement ended a conflict that had continued for over 100 days. 2. The war involved the United States, Israel and Iran. 3. The agreement was reached by 15 June 2026. 4. The mediation effort was led by Bangladesh. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The agreement ended a conflict that had continued for over 100 days.
  2. The war involved the United States, Israel and Iran.
  3. The agreement was reached by 15 June 2026.
  4. The mediation effort was led by Bangladesh.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 3 only

Q9. Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations enumerates the peaceful means by which parties to a dispute shall 'first of all' seek a solution. Which of the following method is listed first in that enumeration?

  • A. Negotiation
  • B. Mediation
  • C. Arbitration
  • D. Judicial settlement

Q10. India's long-standing insistence that disputes with Pakistan, including on Jammu and Kashmir, be resolved bilaterally without third-party mediation is most often traced to which single agreement as its primary basis?

  • A. The Simla (Shimla) Agreement of 1972
  • B. The Tashkent Declaration of 1966
  • C. The Lahore Declaration of 1999
  • D. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960