As part of the AIA Colloquium, Pascal da Rocha examined the growing significance of state-led mediators in an increasingly fragmented international mediation landscape characterised by power politics. He focused on the question of why states of varying sizes and international standing – particularly those from the Gulf region – are increasingly assuming a similar role as self-appointed mediators. Examples of this include Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as Turkey and Pakistan. He examined the extent to which established political science categories such as small states, middle powers, rising powers, regional powers or so-called ‘swing states’ are suitable for explaining this development. In doing so, he took a thoroughly critical look at the analytical insights these categories afford and where their explanatory power reaches its limits. He examined the resources and strategies that states employ to gain access to parties to a conflict and to be perceived as credible mediators. These include, amongst other things, diplomatic specialisation, strategic multi-alignment and interest-driven neutrality. He used this colloquium primarily to discuss the key theoretical questions he faces in conceptualising the project. For next year, towards the end of his fellowship, a further presentation is planned for the colloquium, focusing on empirical research and the case studies from the Gulf region that he is examining.