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UNIFEM (now UN Women)-UNDPA strategy to improve the integration of women intopeacebuilding.The topic of gender-based sexual violence and its relevance to peace processes was alsoincluded in the induction week for the second SBT. Our interviews with members of thesecond SBT would suggest that more sensitisation for this topic is necessary. As aconsequence of the relevance of gender sensitivity to promote the quality of peaceprocesses, and because of its relevance for the UN, it has also been decided to integrate agender expert into the third SBT. Although it is important to have a reference point for genderin the team, the sensitisation and mainstreaming of gender sensitivity to the other SBTmembers is key to raising their expertise on how best to enhance the integration of womenand gender aspects into all segments of peace and mediation processes. It is very powerful,for example, if a (male) expert on security arrangements can address gender aspects.4.3 Effectiveness of the MSU SBTAn effective deployment of the SBT would mean that the right skills were available to themediation team or to the conflicting parties at the right time and at the right place. How canwe assess whether or not this was the case? The MSU has no monitoring mechanismswhich would help us in answering this question. Indeed, it is not easy to find the answers.In order to get a better sense of the effectiveness of the SBT, we have three options at hand:first, by taking into account the direct outcomes of the mediation support activity; second, byidentifying some (qualitative) indicators which help to assess the quality of mediation supportand third, by asking the field missions/requesting agencies (client feedback). Due to a lack ofpossibilities to talk to the requesting agencies (besides interviews with DPA regionaldivisions), we will focus upon the first two options:Outcomes of Mediation Support ServicesIf we look at tangible outcomes of those processes where SBT members were involved, wefind some interesting lessons learned. We do not make reference to all end-of-missionreports, training notes and interviews as they are of different quality and, of course, verysubjective. In order to get a better understanding of the potential and range of the SBTinstruments, however, it is useful to capture some positive and critical examples as we candraw some lessons which with some caution can be generalised:Deployment in Kosovo 2008A SBT member had been requested to support the SRSG in Kosovo in setting up anegotiations process between the Governments of Serbia and Kosovo. When the SRSG left(due to family reasons), the SBT expert was tasked with initiating those negotiations. Duringhis one-month stay, he succeeded in establishing a framework for negotiations whichsubsequently paved the way for a political process which led to a downsizing of the UNMIKand a takeover of responsibilities by the EULEX.This process was not a mediation support but a political negotiation process with a positiveoutcome to the UN and, in particular, the UNDPKO. According to a public statement of MrEdmond Mulet, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Thesupport of the SBT made it possible to downsize the UNMIK from 4,000 to 500 people.Deployment in Madagascar 2009The SBT expert for Transitional Justice and Human Rights, with little prior deployment by theMSU, was requested to head a mediation team for the UN Envoy without predefined Termsof References. He provided the UN mediation team and the UN Envoy with a mediation18