The Paris Peace Forum draws to an end; its legacy hopefully won’t

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The Paris Peace Forum draws to an end; its legacy hopefully won’t

By Guido Lanfranchi.

The Paris Peace Forum was born with the idea that “we have to do something”. This strong practical focus has led the organizers to concretely support innovative projects aimed at promoting good governance and sustainable peace. As this intense two-days gathering ends, the projects supported by the Forum will hopefully continue to have an impact across the globe. 

The focus on practicality, actions, and solutions has been one of the defining characteristics of the Paris Peace Forum. Debates and exchanges of views are crucial – the organizers say – but at the same time there is also a strong need to go a step further. There is a need to devise solutions, as well as to implement them – “to do something”, as simply put by the Forum’s Director-General Justin Vaisse.

This practical spirit had already been a main feature of the Forum’s first edition in November 2018, when the organizers selected ten projects [GL1] and supported their implementation for the following 12 months. The scope and nature of these projects were varied, ranging from innovative community-led social healing programs[GL2] , to calls for multilateral cooperation to protect the Antarctic waters[GL3] .

Paris Peace Forum organizers and leaders of the selected projects. Pictures by Lidia Gallanti

The 2019 edition remained strongly committed to this practical approach. On November 13th, during the Forum’s closing ceremony, the organizers unveiled the new ten projects that will receive support over the next year. These projects were selected among the over 700 submissions received by the Forum’s organizers – Trisha Shetty, the Steering Committee’s President, explained.

Over a hundred of these projects were selected to be present at the Forum, and 10 of them were further selected to benefit from the Forum’s support over the next twelve months. The selection process took into account the projects’ values in terms of innovation, scalability, as well as potential effects – Stefano Manservisi, President of the Forum’s Jury, explained.

These projects are rather different in nature, as they touch upon diverse themes such as security, economy, culture, education – and often a mix of these things. For instance, the project “Festival à ciel ouvert” promotes the development of rural communities in Senegal by means of cultural activities. The “Sada’s Women in Cooperative” focuses instead on women’s empowerment and on employing refugees in the Turkish town of Gaziantep. The “Sustainable city program” comes instead from Brazil, focusing on the potential to improve service delivery in over 250 small towns, while the “Ultra-poor graduation initiative” aims at identifying and unlocking the constraints faced by extremely poor people in Bangladesh. More exhaustive descriptions of all the ten projects can be found on the Paris Peace Forum’s website[GL4] .

As the 2019 edition is drawing to an end, the organizers are already fully focused on the Forum’s next edition, which will take place at La Grande Halle de la Villette on 11-13 November 2020. The focus on devising and implementing practical solutions is set to be even stronger – Mr. Vaisse explained – as the organizers will try to create a Trust Fund aimed at providing direct financial support to selected projects.

The 2019 edition of the Paris Peace Forum is over. Hopefully, its projects will continue to make an impact. 

 [GL1]https://parispeaceforum.org/scale-up-projects/#projects

 [GL2]https://parispeaceforum.org/place/kumekucha-its-a-new-dawn/

 [GL3]https://parispeaceforum.org/place/antarctica-2020/

 [GL4]https://parispeaceforum.org/

Pictures by Lidia Gallanti.


About the author:

Guido Lanfranchi is a student and young professional in the field of international affairs. He has pursued his studies both at Leiden University and Sciences Po Paris, where he is currently enrolled. In parallel, he has been gaining professional experience through internships (first at the Council of the European Union, and currently at Clingendael Institute), as well as by working as reporter and associate editor for Diplomat Magazine The Netherlands. His research and work focus on the Middle East and Africa, and especially on conflict situations in these regions.

Crackdown on THB and prostitution network

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Crackdown on THB and prostitution network

Organised criminal group involved in THB and prostitution dismantled in Lithuania and Spain.

A simultaneous operation by the Lithuanian Police and the National Police of Spain was carried out yesterday. The operation was led by the respective judicial authorities in both countries, in close cooperation with Eurojust and Europol, and led to the arrest of two alleged organisers in Spain and 13 alleged criminal group members in Lithuania. At least 50 searches were carried out in both countries, yielding cash, narcotics, counterfeit documents, weapons and ammunition.

A large-scale investigation spanning two years uncovered the activities of an organised criminal group (OCG), active in Lithuania. Organisers also operated out of Malaga, Spain. The OCG profited from the earnings of 118 female victims of enforced prostitution from Ukraine, Belarus and other countries working in Lithuania. Victims and competitors were subject to extreme violence by the OCG.

Eurojust and Europol supported this joint investigation by organising coordination and operational meetings. Eurojust strengthened the coordination and cooperation between the Lithuanian and Spanish national judicial authorities throughout the two-year investigation leading up to the simultaneous operation. Eurojust was in constant contact with the national authorities on the best way to proceed in the investigation, and coordinated and facilitated the execution of European Investigation Orders and European Arrest Warrants.

Europol provided analytical support since the early stage of the cooperation between Spain and Lithuania, supported the action day by deploying experts in fighting human trafficking to Lithuania to cross-check operational information in real time against Europol’s databases and gave assistance in extracting data from seized devices. Europol activated a Virtual Command Post to support the action day.


China Contributes USD 30,000 to Future OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology

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China Contributes USD 30,000 to Future OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology

In the picture H.E. Mr. Xu Hong, Ambassador of China to the Kingdom of The Netherlands and Permanent Representative of China to the OPCW, and H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director General OPCW.

The Hague, Netherlands — 11 November 2019 — The Government of China has contributed USD 30,000 to a special Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Trust Fund to support the project to upgrade the current OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store. This project will result in the construction of a new facility, the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (“ChemTech Centre”).

The contribution was formalised during a ceremony at OPCW Headquarters between OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and the Permanent Representative of China to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Xu Hong.

Ambassador Xu remarked: “The OPCW is an important international disarmament organisation. China highly appreciates its active role played in the destruction of chemical weapons, preventing their re-emergence as well as promoting international cooperation for the development of chemical industry. China maintains a long-term and close cooperation with the Organisation. The voluntary contribution by the Chinese Government to the ChemTech Centre once again demonstrates the importance China attaches to the Organisation and China’s support for its work.

The ChemTech Centre is a valuable resource for the OPCW and its States Parties. It will further enhance the Organisation’s verification capabilities, and enable it to increase capacity building activities for States Parties. China wishes, with the contributions from States Parties, the timely and smooth completion of the ChemTech Centre”.

Director-General Arias expressed his gratitude to the Government of China for its support and appealed to all OPCW States Parties in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so. He further emphasised the important role the new ChemTech Centre will play in strengthening the OPCW’s ability to address chemical weapon threats, boost its investigative capability, and enhance capacity building activities. He highlighted that “all contributions, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated”.

So far, twenty-two States Parties and the European Union have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the project, and a considerable amount has been raised to date.

Hungarian National Day

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Hungarian National Day

In the picture H.E. Mr. András Kocsis, Ambassador of Hungary to the Netherlands during his speech at the Museum for Communications in The Hague commemorating the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

On the occasion of the Hungarian national day of 23 October, the Embassy of Hungary in The Netherlands organised an official reception to commemorate the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

Almost 250 invitees from the Hungarian, Dutch and international community in The Netherlands attended the event at COMM – Museum for Communication in The Hague.

Through The Walls

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Through The Walls

On the 17th November 2019 it will be exactly 30 years since the fall of communism regime in former Czechoslovakia. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the events of 1989 which created “Europe without walls”, the Czech Centre Rotterdam is organizing an international art exhibition to reflect on the contemporary socio-political situation and the current state of our society 30 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain. 

The seven exhibiting artists are individuals coming from several European countries. Because of their different cultural backgrounds and current experience with living abroad, specifically in the Netherlands, they offer multiple perspectives on our society. Which is why they can see through the walls that may still stand between us; and look at them from more than one angle.

Luis Maly (GR), Leonie Schneider (DE), Valentino Russo (IT), Martin Gabriel (CZ), Jip Piet (NL), Kateřina Konarovská (CZ) and Roland Spitzer (DE) are artists with various artistic practices using forms such as video, sculpture, textile, or painting. Such combination of mediums and cultural backgrounds promises a vibrant and multidimensional show. The exhibition communicates issues like real or imaginary freedom, use and abuse of power, money and poverty, criminality and safety, communication and manipulation, equality and superiority, fear and courage, or ideals and fake gods.

With thanks to Stroom Den Haag

OPENING

When: 29 November 2019, 19:00

Where: Tsjechisch Centrum, Westersingel 9, 3014 GM Rotterdam

Entrance: FREE

Live music: The Ghosts on Web

With thanks to Stroom Den Haag

When: 29 November 2019, 19:00

Where: Tsjechisch Centrum, Westersingel 9, 3014 GM Rotterdam

Entrance: FREE

Live music: The Ghosts on Web

Eurojust and Serbia: Cooperation Agreement signed to strengthen the fight against cross-border organised crime in the Western Balkans

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Eurojust and Serbia: Cooperation Agreement signed to strengthen the fight against cross-border organised crime in the Western Balkans

The potential for enhanced operational and strategic judicial cooperation and the sharing of information and evidence between Eurojust and Serbia have been made possible today by the signing of a Cooperation Agreement.

Eurojust and Serbia signing of a Cooperation Agreement.

The signing ceremony took place in Belgrade. The Minister of Justice of Serbia, Nela Kuburović, and the President of Eurojust, Ladislav Hamran, signed the agreement, which will enter into force after all requirements have been fulfilled.

Mr Hamran said: ‘I am very pleased to conclude this cooperation agreement with one of our key partners in the Western Balkans. Closer ties will help to make Europe safer. Serbia can benefit from our practical cooperation tools in the prosecution of serious cross-border crime cases. Cooperation and mutual trust can lead to a more successful fight against crime in the region.’

Ms Kuburović said: ‘The Republic of Serbia has significantly strengthened its capacities in combatting transnational organised crime by signing a Cooperation Agreement with Eurojust, particularly bearing in mind that crime and criminals do not respect or recognise national borders. Therefore, close cross-border cooperation and effective exchange of information between competent Serbian authorities and our esteemed European partners are vital and essential elements for determined action against this form of crime.

On the other hand, by adopting the new Law on Personal Data Protection, as a prerequisite for concluding the Cooperation Agreement, the Republic of Serbia has fully aligned its legislation with corresponding European Union regulations and directives, hence taking a step forward towards the European membership within the EU accession process.’

Eurojust has already signed cooperation agreements with three States in the Western Balkans: North Macedonia (2008), Montenegro (2016) and Albania (2018). The cooperation agreement with Albania entered into force at the beginning of this month.

In the period from January 2015 through the end of October 2019:

  •  Serbia and Eurojust worked together on 143 cases involving serious organised crime, with offences ranging from money laundering, drug trafficking, swindling and fraud, to crimes against life, limb and personal freedom;
  • Serbia attended 23 Eurojust coordination meetings; and
  • Serbia participated in six joint investigation teams, most of which involved drug trafficking cases.

With today’s agreement, Serbia will be able to share personal data and evidence with prosecutors and investigators from all over Europe. The agreement also creates the possibility to appoint a Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust in the near future to improve cooperation.

Eurojust now has cooperation agreements with 12 countries.

Photos © Danilo Polovina, Book of Life

Netherlands Contributes €3.3 Million to Support OPCW Activities and Centre for Chemistry and Technology

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Netherlands Contributes €3.3 Million to Support OPCW Activities and Centre for Chemistry and Technology

OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Paul van den IJssel, formalised the contribution today at a ceremony held at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

The Hague, Netherlands — 12 November 2019 — The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will make two contributions totalling €3.3M to support a number of major projects and activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

A contribution of €2.3M will be made to the OPCW Trust Fund to support the project to upgrade the current OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store through the construction of a new Centre for Chemistry and Technology (“ChemTech Centre”). Another contribution of €1M will support the activities of the Trust Fund for Syria Missions at the OPCW.

The Trust Fund for Syria Missions supports the Organisation’s missions and contingency operations related to the Syrian Arab Republic including the work of the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT).The Dutch contribution aims to equip the OPCW with the means to maintain its professional and impartial standards in addressing the threat from chemical weapons use.

OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Paul van den IJssel.

OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Paul van den IJssel, formalized the contribution at a ceremony held at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague this week.

Ambassador van den IJssel highlighted the Netherlands’ longstanding support for the OPCW: “The Netherlands highly values the work of the OPCW. The commitments we formalize today are another illustration of our support to the organization and its crucial work.”

The Director-General expressed: “I thank the Government of the Netherlands for these major contributions, to the new OPCW ChemTech Centre and to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions. Both will further build the capabilities of our Member States to achieve a world free of chemical weapons. The construction of the Chem-Tech centre in the Netherlands highlights our deep-rooted collaboration towards countering the threat posed by chemical weapons”.

Director-General Arias appealed to all OPCW States Parties in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so. He further emphasized the important role the new ChemTech Centre will play in strengthening the OPCW’s ability to address chemical weapon threats, boost its investigative capability, and enhance capacity building activities. He highlighted that “all contributions, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated”.

So far, twenty-two States Parties and the European Union have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the project, and a considerable amount has been raised to date.

The Paris Peace Forum’s opening ceremony: multilateralism and cooperation

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The Paris Peace Forum’s opening ceremony: multilateralism and cooperation

By Guido Lanfranchi.

Paris, November 12th, 2019

On November 12th, 2019, the second edition of the Paris Peace Forum kicked off. During the opening ceremony, political leaders from across the world made clear that multilateralism and international cooperation are strongly needed in order to face the many challenges of today’s world.

Our world faces several complex challenges, from environmental degradation to poverty, from war to inequalities. Several of these challenges transcend national borders – and so do their potential solutions. This is the basic premise underlying the Paris Peace Forum, whose 2019 edition is dedicated to “promoting global governance for sustainable peace”. 

The Forum kicked off in the morning of November 12thwith a crowded opening ceremony. The ceremony started with the intervention of Trisha Shetty, Indian activist in the domain of gender equity and President of the Paris Peace Forum’s Steering Committee. Addressing the world leaders gathered around the main stage, Ms. Sherry boldly dedicated a thought to all the engaged activists who are currently paying a price for their action – as in the case of imprisoned climate activists. In a heartfelt pledge, the founder of SheSays suggested to all the presents to ask themselves “what is the impact of all of us gathering here on the very real world outside these highly sanitized walls?”.

The ceremony continued with the speech of Ursula von der Leyen, President Elect of the European Commission, who focused her attention on the European Union’s potential to address global challenges.

Having praised the EU’s role in achieving peace on the continent, Ms. von der Leyen advocated for “a more outwork-looking, geopolitical Europe”, with a common strategic approach and stronger capacities. She stressed that the EU “can and should contribute” to address the many challenges faced by our world – notably with a view on turning them into opportunities, as Europe did in the wake of World War II.

The focus of the ceremony then shifted to Asia, with the intervention of Wang Qishan, Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China. Defining peace as “the common aspiration of mankind”, Mr. Wang reiterated his country’s willingness to address international challenges through a “win-win strategy of opening-up”. No one can deal with today’s challenges on their own – he stressed, calling for “extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance”.

Mr. Wang was followed by Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who brought on the stage the African perspective. The African continent – he noted – remains marred by conflicts and terrorism, which prevent the African people to enjoy peace. Calling for joint efforts in solving these issues, Mr. Tshisekedi advocated for a holistic response, involving not only military means, but also and especially political solution to the needs of the population, notably the youth. 

The ceremony’s last speech finally went to the Forum’s host – Emmanuel Macron. The French President outlined his vision of the “unprecedented crisis” faced by the global system, featuring overlapping challenges such as economic inequalities, re-emerging unilateralism, significant demographic shifts and migration waves, the advent of new technologies, and the overarching climate challenge.

Addressing these issues will require cooperation – Mr. Macron stressed, noting that while the Forum is a valuable avenue for mutual listening, new forms of cooperation among different actors and at different levels will be needed. Hopefully, the Paris Peace Forum will become a framework to address this need.


About the author:

Guido Lanfranchi is a student and young professional in the field of international affairs. He has pursued his studies both at Leiden University and Sciences Po Paris, where he is currently enrolled. In parallel, he has been gaining professional experience through internships (first at the Council of the European Union, and currently at Clingendael Institute), as well as by working as reporter and associate editor for Diplomat Magazine The Netherlands. His research and work focus on the Middle East and Africa, and especially on conflict situations in these regions.

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Credit photo : Stephane Sby Balmy / Auditoire
www.sbyconnection.com / Instagram @sbyconnection

Media Forum 2019: Freedom of Journalism in the Context of Human Rights, New Technologies and International Information Security

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Media Forum 2019: Freedom of Journalism in the Context of Human Rights, New Technologies and International Information Security

November 20-22, Prague will play host to the Second International “Media Forum 2019: Freedom of Journalism in the Context of Human Rights, New Technologies and International Information Security”.

International media experts, journalists, diplomats, lawyers and political analysts will address the most pressing issues in the world of the media and try to secure fundamental solutions. More than 80 experts from around the globe are scheduled to participate in the media forum, among them – Anis Bajrektarevic (Austria), Professor and Chairperson, International Law and Global Political Studies, Farhat Asif (Pakistan), editor of The Diplomatic Insight, editor-in-chief of Global News Pakistan, Chavdar Minchev (Bulgaria), editor-in-chief of International Affairs magazine, Tiberio Graziani (Italy), Chairman Vision & Global Trends, International Institute for Global Analyses, Srdja Trifkovic, journalist, author, editor for Chronicles magazine and many others.

Paradoxically, in the era of advanced technologies and highly developed economic systems the global community is existing in the conditions of total vulnerability. The trends which seemed inspiring before, have yielded unexpected results: globalization has aggravated local conflicts, tolerance has laid bare the issue of values and meanings, multiculturalism has brought forth the subject of identity and tradition. Finally, the question about the “power of law” and “the law of power” has come to the fore.

The world has entered an era of ideological multipolarity. This was acknowledged by Francis Fukuyama, the author of the End of History. “What I said back then (in 1992) is that one of the problems with modern democracy is that it provides peace and prosperity but people want more than that… liberal democracies do not even try to define what a good life is, it’s left up to individuals, who feel alienated, without purpose, and that’s why joining these identity groups gives them some sense of community. This extended period, in which a certain set of ideas about the benefits of unregulated markets took hold, in many ways it’s had a disastrous effect.”

Are the media ready to appropriately reflect the new reality that challenges much of what is known as the “mainstream”? This is the subject of the session “Contemporary Journalism in the New Ideological Multipolarity.”

100 years ago, Max Weber, in his famous address to the students, spoke about the growing discrepancy between a scientist’s mission and the new requirements he has to meet. The search for the truth began to be ousted by the applied effectiveness of the acquired knowledge. Isn’t something similar happening to modern media now as we witness their undisguised commercialization and bias? And how to retrieve public confidence in the media? Walter Hussman, a regional publisher in the USA, believes that “the solution is for reporters, editors and news executives to look inward, and not only to recommit ourselves to being fair, objective and impartial in our reporting, but to convince the public we are doing it”. We also need to separate and clearly label news and opinion.

How is this result achieved and what does the journalist do to achieve it? Finally, do the boundaries between traditional and new media coincide with the concepts of responsibility and irresponsibility of journalism? This and other issues, which are connected with a journalist’s duty, will be the subject of the discussion in the sessions “The Contemporary World and the Accountability of Journalism” and “Journalism of the Post-Information Era, or “the Golden Age of Misinformation “.

The Internet and the new information technologies have provided humanity with an ocean of opportunities, which is fraught with considerable danger and a lot of trouble. At present, cyber security issues affect nearly every user of the Net: be it an individual, a large corporation or a country. Fear of nuclear war is replaced with an equally destructive threat.

Cyber wars have a tendency to grow – from point and local to large-scale and even global, with unpredictable consequences. How are cyber security issues presented in modern media? Experts will discuss these and other issues at the session “Information and Communication Technologies in the Media.”

Anti-Semitism in Europe, Ambassador Kocsis met with Dutch Chief Rabbi Jacobs

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Anti-Semitism in Europe, Ambassador Kocsis met with Dutch Chief Rabbi Jacobs

On 2 October, H.E. Ambassador András Kocsis met with Dutch Chief Rabbi Jacobs and wished him Shana Tova.

The situation of anti-Semitism in Europe was discussed and the Ambassador informed the Chief Rabbi about the measures taken by the Hungarian government for combating anti-Semitism.

The Hungarian Jewish community is the biggest in Central Europe with dozens of synagogues, a full Jewish education system from kindergarten to university and the annual Jewish Cultural Festival, one of the biggest and most popular events in Budapest. 

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