ISIS Europe attends Konrad Adenauer Stiftung expert roundtable

On 23 February 2012, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung organised an expert roundtable entitled “Crisis preparedness in the age of climate change: prediction, prevention, policy response and relief”.

The first panel of the conference discussed the lessons learned from the implementation of preventive measures and famine in the Horn of Africa. To view the programme, click here.

Famine in the Horn of Africa and particularly in Somalia, is of interest for ISIS Europe, as famine is one of the many causes of maritime piracy in the region.

ISIS Europe will shortly publish a paper on the legal framework surrounding piracy in Somalia.

Security Jam 2012

ISIS Europe is a member of the Security Jam 2012 think tank coalition. 

For more information and to register, click here

Parliamentary Update – Subcommittee on Security and Defence/SEDE – 9 February 2012

ISIS Europe has just published its Parliamentary Update for the Subcommittee on Security and Defence/SEDE meeting, which took place on 9 February 2012.

To read it, click here

ISIS Europe attends European Policy Centre Event

ISIS Europe recently attended a European Policy Centre (EPC) two-day event on 2 and 3 February 2012 about the EU’s role in the Arab Spring. On the opening day, a joint workshop entitled “One Year on from the Arab Spring: Deconstructing past myths and the Role of the EU”, took place. The workshop was based on the findings of two projects: an Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) project called “Paradoxes and Contradictions in EU Democracy Promotion Efforts in the Middle East” (Michelle Pace) http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/government-society/eumena/index.aspx; and a joint CEPS-EPC-Egmont Institute project on “An Arab Springboard for EU foreign policy?” (http://www.epc.eu/pub.php?cat_id=last).  The first discussion focused on the political cultures of the Arab Mediterranean world, which was later supplemented by a discussion on the Arab Spring as a catalyst for EU foreign policy. Particular to CSDP, a debate ensued on the role of the EU during the recent Libya crisis, and of the opportunity for the EU to act in a crisis without the explicit help of the US.

On 3 February, a discussion on “The impact of the Arab Spring on peace in the Middle East: Implications for Palestine” took place, during which participants debated how the EU can progress with the Middle East Peace Process in the light of the Arab Spring.

 It is hoped that there will be further events on the subject in the coming months.

ISIS Europe attends mediatEUr Event

On 27 January 2012, ISIS Europe attended an event organised by mediatEUr and entitled “Envisioning the Future of European Peacemaking: What Role for a ‘European Institute of Peace’”? The aim of the event, at which EEAS and Foreign Ministry officials were also present, was to provoke discussion in an informal manner on the initiative, launched by Sweden and Finland in 2010. By the time the event had reached its conclusions, it was evident that more questions had been raised than answered, such as regarding Europe’s role as a peacekeeper in the world; what the proposed institute would entail; budgetary concerns; and multilateral relations with other organisations. It is hoped that the initiative will gather speed, with a possible follow-up meeting to be planned.

For more information, see http://www.themediateur.eu/index.php/open-space

Parliamentary Update – Subcommittee on Security and Defence/SEDE – January 2012

ISIS Europe has just published its Parliamentary Update for the Subcommitte on Security and Defence/SEDE meeting, which took place on 25 January 2012.

To read it, click here

ISAF 10 years on

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the United States, the US invoked NATO’s mutual defence clause, as stipulated in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. On 7 October 2001, the US led an offensive on the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, claiming that it was harbouring Osama Bin Laden, the then leader of the Al Qaeda network, which had claimed responsibility for the disaster. In December 2001, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established, with the primary aim of facilitating the state-building of Afghanistan by fostering security and development[1], essentially by ridding the failed (or rogue, to use American parlance) state of the threat posed by the Taliban.

Somalie et le droit universel de la piraterie

Le droit universel de la piraterie est la reconnaissance par le droit international d’une compétence universelle accordée à chaque État pour suivre et juger les pirates, indépendamment de toute considération de nationalité.

Dans les faits, en se basant sur l’opération Atalante, neuf fois sur dix, les forces navales rendent aux pirates leur liberté, après les avoir capturés.  La raison ? Trop peu d’États acceptent d’exercer leur compétence universelle, bloquant alors les débouchés juridictionnels. De plus, la rétention en mer des pirates présumés pose tout d’abord des difficultés d’ordre opérationnel, car les navires de guerre ne sont pas toujours adaptés à l’accueil sécurisé de ces personnes. Les forces navales doivent donc pouvoir effectuer rapidement le transfert des prisonniers, se posant alors la question du transfert du droit militaire au droit pénal national.

Palestinian gender delegation visited EU institutions

Press release – Ramallah, 10 October 2011

A delegation of officials from the Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister’s Office, the Palestinian Civil Police and Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs visited Brussels recently and met with EU officials, EU Member States, and the European Parliament to discuss the achievements in the security sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Facilitated by International Security Information Service (ISIS) Europe in collaboration with the Human Rights Policy and Guidelines Unit of the External Action Service of the EU and EUPOL COPPS Police Gender Advisor, the visit highlighted cooperation and achievements for stability and security in Palestine.

A coherent EU Operational Headquarters?

A proposal from five of the EU’s G6  has called for plans for an EU military command centre to be drawn up, despite the reluctance of the UK. The recent letter from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland to HR/VP Catherine Ashton, called for the “permanent planning and conduct capability” to advance. This, despite the absence of the UK’s commitment potentially weakening the concretisation of the entire project, if the EU’s second largest military capacity[1] remains to one side.