Conciliation is very similar to mediation and the two terms are often used interchangeably. In conciliation, as in mediation, an independent person (the conciliator) tries to help the people in dispute to resolve their problem. This can be done over the phone where the conciliator speaks to both parties or it can be done in person, though in conciliation, unlike mediation, the parties often do not meet.

The conciliator will talk to each party until concessions have been made and an agreement is reached. In mediation, the mediator tries to guide the discussion in a way that optimizes parties’ needs, takes feelings into account and reframes representations. In conciliation the agreement can be binding where as in mediation it is not. The conciliator should be impartial and should not take one party’s side. The parties in dispute are responsible for deciding how to resolve the dispute, not the conciliator.

Further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conciliation