Negotiation facts for kids

The ministers of foreign affairs of the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, China, the European Union and Iran negotiating in Lausanne for a Comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme (30 March 2015).

A negotiation is a formal discussion to reach agreement about an issue. It is an important method to reduce conflict, and to get things done. Examples:

• Two hostile nations both claim a piece of territory. They may go to war over it. Or, they may negotiate some agreement. The agreement would be written down, and both governments would agree to keep the agreement.
• A football club wishes to buy a player from another club. A series of negotiations would take place between the clubs, the player and the player's agent. If the negotiations succeed, the player gets moved. In this case, and in many others, success is followed by a legal contract, or a court decision, which makes the agreement legal.

Images for kids

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  Signing the Treaty of Trianon on 4 June 1920. Albert Apponyi standing in the middle.

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  J. K. Paasikivi, Finnish Counselor of State and the future President of Finland, arriving from negotiations in Moscow on October 16, 1939. From left to right: Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen, Paasikivi, Johan Nykopp and Aladár Paasonen.

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  Students from University of Tromsø and University of Toronto during 5th International Negotiation Tournament – Warsaw Negotiation Round in the Polish Senate (2014).

See also

In Spanish: Negociación para niños