ISIS Conferences

See also the page on the European Security Contact Group, which holds short meetings in the European Parliament on timely and important aspects of EU CSDP and CFSP.

ISIS Europe, IERI and the Euro-Atlantic Association of Belgium will organise one day conference at the Conseil Central de l’Economie - Av.de la Joyeuse Entrée 17-21-on Wednesday 14th October 2009:

The New European Parliament:

What Priorities for Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence?

(Europe- United States, Europe- Russia and Europe-Iran relations)

The aim of this conference is to discuss with MEPs the views of the Council, Commission, government representatives and experts aspects of current affairs, as an occasion to re-examine the international scene for security and defence.

The morning panel will be centred on the priorities for the EU in foreign policy, security and defence and in particular on the analysis of the Euro-Atlantic relations and the most challenging problems. This will be followed by more in depth analyses and discussions in the afternoon, with two workshops on: 

  “Russia and the Eastern Partnership” and “Iran and Central Asia”

Please note that participation in the confernce is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Filippo Mauri, Programme Associate at admin@isis-europe.org.

Agenda for the Gender and Civil Society Oversight of Security Sector Reform Roundtable Training with the Gender and SSR Toolkit  2009-09-15

The second roundtable will focus on:
Justice Reform and Gender
Penal Reform and Gender
Border Management and Gender

Please note that participation in the roundtable is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Vibeke Thomsen, Project Coordinator, at vibeke.thomsen@isis-europe.org or +32 2 230 7446

Agenda for the Gender and Civil Society Oversight of Security Sector Reform Roundtable Training with the Gender and SSR Toolkit  2009-06-10

The first roundtable will focus on:
Police Reform and Gender
Defence Reform and Gender
Private Military and Security Compagnies and Gender. 

 The Roundtables on Gender and SSR are supported by the European Commission under the Peacebuilding Partnership.

Please note that participation in the roundtables is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Vibeke Thomsen, Project Coordinator at vibeke.thomsen@isis-europe.org

ISIS Briefing Note 2009: 2. The Shadow NATO Summit. Options for NATO: Pressing the Re-Set Button on the Strategic Concept  2009-05-26

This briefing summarises the Shadow NATO Summit: Options for NATO - Pressing the Re-Set Button on the Strategic Concept, which took place on 31 March and 1 April 2009. The conference was co-organised by BASIC, the Bertelsmann Stiftung, ISIS Europe and NATO Watch, with the support of the Marmot Charitable Trust and an evening reception with Jamie Shea hosted by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division.

Cititzen Declaration drafted at the Shadow NATO Summit. Options for NATO: Pressing the Re-Set Button on the Strategic Concept  2009-04-01

Registration form for Shadow NATO Summit  2009-03-31

The Shadow NATO Summit. Options for NATO: Pressing the Re-Set Button on the Strategic Concept  2009-03-31

Senior NATO officials and civil society policy experts on comprehensive security will meet at the Shadow NATO Summit to identify, discuss and share ideas concerning the future of the Alliance.  It will examine present trends in transatlantic security, nuclear weapon proliferation and the attitudes and assumptions underlying current NATO policy.  It is anticipated that the Heads of State at the 60th anniversary Strasbourg/Kehl Summit to be held a few days later will launch a review of NATO’s Strategic Concept to be negotiated within the Alliance over 2009 and 2010.  We are initiating a parallel civil society process to ensure the review includes NATO-wide public attention and engagement.

summary:

The general aim of this conference was to explore the possibilities and opportunities for the EU to become increasingly involved in promoting non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.

This conference was very timely in the run-up to the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which hold its first session between the 30th April and the 11th May 2007.

The recent nuclear test by North-Korea as well as the nuclear weapons modernisation programs of the nuclear-weapon states are deeply disturbing events. Today nine countries have nuclear weapons compared to six just 10 years ago. On October 16th 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, declared a new approach was necessary as another 20 or 30 nations have the capacity to develop nuclear weapons in a very short time span. ElBaradei underscored: It is difficult to maintain the logic that for some countries reliance would be made on nuclear weapons or even trying to develop new nuclear weapons while telling everybody else that is not good for you.

In response to this mounting peril the Mayors for Peace, other global associations, and private citizens are now working together to promote the 2020 Vision Campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to eliminate all nuclear weapons by the year 2020 through a binding agreement outlawing all nuclear weapons.

The conference was consisting of five different panels:

1- The growing role of the EU on non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.

2- The international context and current state of play of the NPT.

3- The role of the EU in the implementation of the NPT: lessons learned from the past disarmament.

4- Preserving the cohere of the NPT: Nonproliferation, disarmament and double standards.

5- Compliance with NPT Article VI: The way ahead for the EU to pursue nuclear disarmament at the 2007 NPT PrepCom and create a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone(s) in Europe.

ISIS Europe assisted the South Asian Strategic Stability Unit (SASSU) to stage a major conference in Brussels addressing Pakistan's export control experience and its current and future challenges and options.  2006-11-17

Developing EU Civil Military Co-ordination: the Role of the New Civilian - Military Cell  2006-09-19

Tackling the 'Double Democratic Deficit' and Improving the Accountability of ESDP.  2004-04-29

The conference consists of three sessions: an opening session on the accountability of ESDP in the future of Europe, followed by sessions on accountability in the implementation of EU crisis management operations and EU armaments policy.

Panel Speakers:
Session One: The accountability of ESDP in the future of Europe

Chaired by Prof. Patricia Chilton, Co-ordinator of the "ESDP Democracy" project, Univ. of East Anglia.

Guest Speakers:
Elmar Brok, MEP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee

Dr. Wim F. van Eekelen, Member of the Netherlands Senate

Fraser Cameron, Director of Studies, European Policy Centre

• Chaired by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP
  
  Guest Speakers:
  Brigadier General Lagedec, Head of Policy and Plans, EU Military Staff
  
  Dr. Renata Dwan, Special Adviser, EUPM, General Secretariat, Council of the EU
  
  Dr. Hans Born, Geneva Centre for the Control of the Armed Forces
  

• Session Three: EU Armaments policy
  
  Chaired by Karl von Wogau, MEP.
  
  Guest Speakers:
  Lars-Erik Lundin, Head of Unit, Security Policy, European Commission
  
  Dr. Gerrard Quille, International Security Information Service, Europe
  
  Per Fischer, Danish representative to Council Working Group COARM
  
  Eleftheria Yannakou, Presidency representative to Council Working Group COARM
  
  Roy Isbister, Saferworld
  

Summary :

The Convention on the future of Europe is critical for the role of the European Union in the promotion of a more peaceful world. This roundtable sought to gain feedback on EPLO's contribution to the debate. EPLO's paper, which is entitled "Building Conflict Prevention into the Future of Europe", makes recommendations on how to mainstream conflict prevention in the EU Treaty. It is based on the vision of an EU that is inclusive, democratically accountable, and promoting a more peaceful world.

The conference was consisting of 4 different panels:

Session 1: Conflict prevention as an objective of EU policy

Session 2: Building an integrated approach to crisis management

Session 3: Strengthening the democratic accountability of EU foreign and defence policies

Session 4: Conclusions and recommendations for the Convention

ISIS Europe acting as the conference coordinator is very grateful to Saferworld, World Vision, ECCG, GRIP and all EPLO members for their active participation and valuable support provided to the organizers.

Summary:

The Belgian Presidency aims to continue the work on EU conflict prevention undertaken during the Swedish Presidency by focusing on how the EU can effectively address conflicts in Africa.

This conference sought to identify some of the challenges facing the Belgian Presidency and suggest concrete steps that the EU could take to ensure coherence in its development co-operation, trade, and common foreign and security policies.

The conference specifically aimed to explore how the conflict prevention potential of the new EU-ACP "Cotonou" Agreement could be realised by developing its provisions for political dialogue and the modalities for engaging civil society in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

The conference was consisting of three sessions:

Session 1: Bridging the gap between CFSP and development co-operation to prevent conflicts in Africa

Session 2: Regional workshops (Horn of Africa, The Great Lakes, West Africa)

Session 3: Challenges for the Belgian Presidency

Summary:

The EU has the potential to play a crucial role in preventing violent conflict. It has the world's biggest single market, the largest aid budget, an unparalleled web of historic and cultural ties, and representation at the top tables of diplomacy and economic planning. Used carefully, these economic and political levers could be targeted more effectively to help address the root causes of the tensions that can so often lead to violent conflict.

The conference was consisting of 5 panels:

Session 1: Developing the Eu's Capacity to Prevent Violent Conflict

Session 2: Developing EU structures to Prevent and Manage Crises

Session 3: Addressing Root-Causes of Violent Conflict

Session 4: Improving the Cohesion Between Military and NOn-Military Aspects of Crisis Management

Session 5: Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Making the Transition from Violence to Non-Violence

Summary:

The conference was consisting of three different sessions:

Session 1: What range of crisis prevention and management capabilities does the EU aim to provide? How will the EU mix civilian and military approaches?
Session 2: How EU military crisis management capabilities will be shaped: examining the political and economic interests driving the process
Session 3: Developing the EU's civilian conflict prevention and management capabilities

    Venue: Brussels