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Mediation is one of the most commonly used methods for solving armed confl icts due to its fl exibility allowing parties to freely decide about their participation in the mediation, the choice of a mediator, and accepting or rejecting the conditions of confl ict resolution established during the mediation process. Th e article looks at various approaches to mediation, leading to an indication of the nature and attributes of this method of solving armed confl icts. It also analyses the motives of the main actors of mediation-the parties' of the confl ict and the mediator, which are taken into consideration when they decide to start mediation. Th e research allows a better understanding of the complexity of mediation in an armed confl ict. It enables the motives of the confl icting parties and mediator which have an impact on the mediation process and result to be identifi ed.

The aim of this study is to indicate the roots of armed conflicts based on an analysis of a variety of theoretical approaches. The methodological framework for this research is Kenneth Waltz's concept of analytical levels' causes of armed conflicts: (1) the level of individual; (2) the level of the state; (3) the level of the international system. The armed conflicts are also generated by the nature of state regime and society, security dilemma mechanism, diversity between economic development, and rapidly growing population. The anarchy of the international system causes war, particularly due to the imbalance of power, power transition, challenging the hegemonic state by a rising power. The author presents a proposition of systematizing roots of armed conflicts and highlight the need for starting a discussion about developing approaches for the analysis of the roots of modern armed conflicts. The author highlights the need for starting a discussion about developing approaches for the analysis of the roots of modern armed conflicts. The starting point for discussion is introduced the concept of primary and supplementary approaches.

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