European Peace Institute / News

On Wednesday June 1st, IPI is hosting the live broadcast of it’s 46th Annual Vienna Seminar entitled “Prepared for the Future? Adapting Peace Operations to a Changing World.”

Click here to view the event live>>

The 46th IPI Vienna Seminar builds on a continuing commitment by the International Peace Institute to support the implementation of the recommendations from the HIPPO and SG reports, as well as the other reviews. It seeks to take stock of the status of implementation of the recommendations put forward by HIPPO to date, keeping in mind that this year marks the final year for the current Secretary-General’s term. It seeks to explore potential opportunities ahead. Finally, looking at how the implementation of the key recommendations of these review processes can be advanced in order to help the United Nations and its Member States further unite their strengths for peace, the Seminar aims to build and sustain the political momentum to champion the strengthening of peace operations during and beyond 2016.

Download the Agenda

After 23 years of service, Rita E. Hauser was honored this week during a ceremony at the International Peace Institute after stepping aside as IPI Chair of the Board. Professor Michael W. Doyle, Director of Columbia University’s Global Policy Initiative, became interim chair. Dr. Hauser expressed her gratitude to the assembled IPI staff in front of the IPI’s library on the 4th floor, which was dedicated to her.

During his remarks, IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen lauded Dr. Hauser for her dedication to peace and security, and to IPI. Playing off one of Dr. Hauser’s oft-repeated remarks about the organization as “the little mouse that roared,” Mr. Rød-Larsen noted that, during her tenure, IPI has grown to be more of a lion, with 50 staff in three offices.

In his brief remarks, Professor Doyle added that he admired Dr. Hauser’s leadership and for being what he called the “queen of tough love.” Dr. Hauser remains deeply involved in Middle East affairs and civil society including through the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University.

On Thursday, May 26th at 1:25pm EST, The Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM) is cohosting a Public Consultation on its Discussion Paper: “Armed Conflict: Mediation, Conciliation, and Peacekeeping.” This Public Consultation provides a platform for representatives from member states, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia, and the United Nations to comment on the Discussion Paper’s recommendations and exchange perspectives on the larger trends and challenges at hand.

From the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, to the rekindling of long-standing conflicts in places such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia, to the desperate waves of refugees arriving in Europe, to the specter of sectarian violence in Burundi and elsewhere, recent events have challenged the international system to provide adequate responses.

The persistence of armed conflict motivates a growing perception that global stability is at risk. While the number of armed conflicts has decreased, the number of conflict-related deaths has dramatically increased, as has the number of high-intensity, long-lasting conflicts. Further, the increased involvement of various outside and non-state actors, as well as the increased presence of organized crime in conflict settings, has made recent armed conflicts resistant to peaceful settlement. It was in this context that the UN system set out to review the key elements of its peace and security architecture in 2015. This Discussion Paper assesses these reviews, additional developments such as the adoption of the joint resolution on the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture, as well as other challenges facing the multilateral system in the areas of: mediation, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping.

Discussants:
H.E. Mr. Philbert Johnson, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations
Mr. Arthur Boutellis, Director, Center for Peace Operations, International Peace Institute
Ms. Tatiana Carayannis, Deputy Director, Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum, Social Science Research Council
Ms. Mari Yamashita, Director, United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office

Moderator:
Dr. Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser, International Peace Institute

On Wednesday, May 25th at 6:15pm EST, IPI together with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, and the Nordic Africa Institute are cohosting a forward-looking policy forum event on the occasion of Africa Day to discuss consolidating the AU-UN strategic partnership.

Although the UN is ultimately responsible for international peace and security, cooperating with regional organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America helps the UN carry out this responsibility more efficiently and effectively than if it had to act on its own.

In the current global context, the relationship between the UN and the AU stands out as crucial for international peace and security. UN and AU peace operations are mutually interdependent on several levels, and a concerted effort is needed from both institutions to further deepen and institutionalize this relationship.

The presentations at the event will identify which elements of this relationship need to be further strengthened in the months ahead and will offer specific recommendations on key issues, such as shared analysis and planning, support and financing, transitions, and joint lessons learned studies.

Speakers:
Dr. Cedric de Coning, Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Senior Advisor at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)
Dr. Donald Kaberuka, High Representative for the African Union (AU) Peace Fund
H.E. Dr. Monica Juma, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Kenya
Mr. El Ghassim Wane, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
H.E. Mr. Tekeda Alemu, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations

Moderator:
Mr. Arthur Boutellis, Director of IPI’s Center for Peace Operations

jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery("#isloaderfor-mzptah").fadeOut(2000, function () { jQuery(".pagwrap-mzptah").fadeIn(1000);});});

On May 19, 2016, the International Peace Institute’s Middle East and North Africa office (IPI MENA) hosted Ahmad Khalfan al-Mansoori, Secretary-General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for World Peace (MRAWP). Mr. Mansoori spoke about the organization’s aims and vision to an audience consisting of ambassadors, government officials, various religious communities, corporate institutions, civil society leaders and academia.

In a presentation moderated by IPI MENA Director Mr. Nejib Friji, Mr. Mansoori elaborated on the MRAWP areas of interest, ranging from sustainable development contributions, journalism, medicine, sport and humanitarian work aimed at reducing poverty, improving knowledge, and empowering society as a whole.

Stressing the award’s focus on women’s empowerment, the MRAWP Secretary-General said empowered women are key factors to peace.

Highlighting Islam’s contribution to peace, he said the award, established by royal decree in 2011, aims to build bridges of cooperation between diverse cultures and promotes the values of harmony, tolerance, and moderation.

In explaining MWRAP’s Peace Libraries, Mr. Mansoori said the award will encourage reading and promote young writers. In this regard, he announced that the award will mark the International Day for Poets of Peace.

Referring to the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives, which aim to fight poverty and disease, spread knowledge, empower communities, and foster future innovation, he said they involve 28 entities with 1,400 programs targeting over 130 million people. The initiatives will provide education for 20 million children, medication for 30 million people, 2 billion UAE Dirhams for hospitals and medical research, and invest 500 million UAE Dirhams in promoting tolerance in the region. Mr. Mansoori disclosed that the award is USD 1.5 million.

He concluded by saying that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for World Peace was one drop in the ocean of world peace. Mr. Mansoori said MRAWP looks forward to the strong partnership with IPI MENA.

On Thursday, May 19th, IPI together with the Centre for Conflict Resolution of Cape Town, South Africa, cohosted the launch of a new book entitled Thabo Mbeki: The Rise and Fall of Africa’s Philosopher-King edited by Adekeye Adebajo.

Thabo Mbeki is considered by many as the most important African political figure of his generation and has been a dominant figure in South African politics for 14 years. A pan-African philosopher-king who spent two decades in exile, Mr. Mbeki, as president of Africa’s most industrialized state, set out a sweeping vision of an African Renaissance. As a liberation leader in exile, he was instrumental in his party’s anti-apartheid struggle. During the South African transition, he helped build one of the world’s most respected constitutional democracies. As president, despite some successes, he was unable to overcome South Africa’s inherited socioeconomic challenges, and his disastrous AIDS policies will remain a major blot on his legacy. He will, however, be remembered more as a foreign policy president for his efforts in peacemaking in Africa and in building continental institutions such as the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). This book seeks to rescue him from South African parochialism and restore him to the pan-African pantheon.

Speaker:
Dr. Adekeye Adebajo, Executive Director, Centre for Conflict Resolution, Cape Town

Discussant:
Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman, Senior Adviser, United States Institute of Peace (USIP)

Moderator:
Ambassador John Hirsch, Senior Adviser, International Peace Institute

On Thursday, May 19th, IPI hosted a Humanitarian Affairs Series event featuring Ms. Clementine Awu Nkweta-Salami, UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Representative in Ethiopia, who focused primarily on the refugee crisis faced by the county within the context of contemporary forced displacement trends in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia currently hosts the largest number of refugees on the African continent, including refugees from Somalia, South Sudan, and Eritrea. The large-scale influx of refugees adds to an already multifaceted humanitarian crisis affecting host communities in Ethiopia. Moreover, it presents a number of challenges pertaining to mixed migration flows.

The event aims to raise awareness of the multiple and heightened challenges faced by UNHCR and its partners in supporting the host country in delivering lifesaving assistance to refugees and building their resilience.

Speaker:
Ms. Clementine Awu Nkweta-Salami, UNHCR’s Representative in Ethiopia

Moderator:
Dr. Els Debuf, Senior Adviser for Humanitarian Affairs at IPI

The past year has seen significant progress in Mali, with the signing of a peace agreement in June 2015 and the ensuing decrease in violence between the signatory parties. These achievements have allowed the UN to shift from prioritizing cease-fire monitoring to focusing its efforts on the implementation of the peace agreement. In the wake of this shift in context, the mandate of the UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is expected to be renewed in June 2016.

In light of the challenges faced by MINUSMA and the expected renewal of its mandate, the International Peace Institute (IPI), the Stimson Center, and Security Council Report co-organized a workshop on April 21, 2016, to give member states and UN actors the opportunity to develop a shared understanding of the situation faced by the UN in Mali. This workshop was the first in a series analyzing how UN policies and the June 2015 recommendations of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) can be applied to country-specific contexts.

Participants agreed that MINUSMA must first and foremost continue to assist with the implementation of the peace agreement, while also ensuring that the population enjoys peace dividends. It was suggested that the mission’s political strategy focus on pursuing a more inclusive approach, building trust between the parties to the conflict, addressing spoilers and asymmetric threats, balancing between a political and a military approach, developing partnerships, enhancing capabilities, and identifying a completion strategy.

In addition, participants emphasized the importance of prioritization and sequencing to ensure that mandates are realistic and achievable. In the face of existing limitations, it was suggested that MINUSMA could achieve progress in linking the peace agreement’s security and political dimensions, supporting stabilization in the north, prioritizing DDR as part of a long-term strategy, clarifying the protection of civilians mandate, and coming to a joint understanding of what the return of state authority means.

Download

On Tuesday, May 17th,  IPI together with the World Peace Foundation cohosted a policy forum event to discuss how lessons from the past can help us better engage current threats of mass atrocities.

The policies that have developed since the 1990s within the “international community” to respond to threats of mass atrocities—defined as widespread and systematic violence against civilians—were primarily crafted in response to the question: What can we do to help prevent, mediate, or halt mass violence? This panel begins from a different perspective, asking instead: How have past episodes of mass violence actually ended? Posing this question in the context of past cases, panelists discussed patterns of who has had the authority and capacity to have an impact on ending mass violence and under what conditions. Bringing the discussion into the present, the panel further addressed how lessons from the past can help us better engage threats of mass atrocities today.

Speakers:
Dr. Alex de Waal, Executive Director, World Peace Foundation and Tufts University
Dr. Bridget Conley-Zilkic, Research Director, World Peace Foundation, and Assistant Professor, Tufts University
Professor Noel Twagiramunga, Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts—Lowell
Mr. Ben Majekodunmi, Senior Officer, United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President, International Peace Institute

On Tuesday, May 17th, IPI hosted a Global Leader Series presentation featuring Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Ambassador Zannier addressed a number of security challenges in Europe—including countering violent extremism, curbing organized crime, and managing migration—from the perspective of the OSCE. He also discussed how the OSCE can improve its ability to promote inclusive dialogue among its fifty-seven member states in order to build trust and confidence, both of which are essential to a cooperative approach to security.

The OSCE region is facing a growing number of intricate security challenges—from the crisis in Ukraine to the politico-military dispute in Nagorno-Karabakh—requiring innovative and collaborative approaches at the multilateral level. In addition, the unprecedented rise in migration resulting from the Syrian crisis has destabilized national societies and exacerbated regional tensions, calling attention to the need for a more coordinated approach to border management disputes, human trafficking, and conflict prevention.

Acting under the guidance of the Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Zannier heads the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, addressing a wide range of security-related issues in the OSCE region, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counterterrorism, and economic and environmental activities.

The event was moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations Warren Hoge.

On Monday, May 16th, IPI hosted a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremić, candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General.  At the event, Mr. Jeremić discussed his experience and how it informs his vision of the future of global politics and the United Nations. He addressed questions including how he would shape the job of UN Secretary-General and define his priorities in office.

In April 2016, the government of Serbia formally nominated Mr. Jeremić as a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General. Mr. Jeremić is the President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), a public policy think tank based in Belgrade, and Editor-in-Chief of Horizons – Journal of International Relations and Sustainable Development.

In June 2012, Mr. Jeremić was elected President of the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly by the majority of UN member states in the first contested vote since the end of the Cold War. During his term in office, he launched the negotiations that led to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As President of the General Assembly, he facilitated the adoption of the breakthrough Arms Trade Treaty, the first legally-binding instrument in UN history to establish common standards for the international transfer of conventional armaments. Mr. Jeremić initiated several high-level thematic debates in the UN on critical issues such as climate change, education, social inequality, credit rating agencies, international criminal justice, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Africa.

Mr. Jeremić served as Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2012. During his tenure, he paid official visits to over 100 countries and addressed numerous international summits and conferences. In 2007, he chaired the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. In 2011 and 2012, Mr. Jeremić led Serbia’s successful campaign for the Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2015.

The event was moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations Warren Hoge.

On Thursday, May 12th, the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM) hosted a Public Consultation on its Discussion Paper: “The Impact of New Technologies on Peace, Security, and Development.” This Public Consultation provided an opportunity for representatives from member states, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the United Nations to comment on the Discussion Paper’s recommendations, and to exchange perspectives on the larger trends and challenges.

A new wave of technology is driving rapid global change. This change has created new opportunities for multilateral cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, state-society relations, peace and conflict, international security, and global governance.  Yet with these opportunities comes the challenge of keeping up; the UN and other multilateral institutions must determine where they can play a useful role in addressing and integrating new technologies into their work and where existing mechanisms and other actors may be better placed.

On sustainable development, for example, the UN has arguably come farthest in integrating new technologies into its work. The ten-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+10) drew a strong link between technologies and sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Looking to peace and conflict, new technologies can help prevent conflict by reducing the gap between warning and response, facilitate peacekeeping through new tools relevant to increasingly complex environments, and help support peacebuilding by empowering local actors.  New technologies and governance of the internet, on the other hand, is an arena where the future role of multilateral actors is subject to greater debate. Whether in sustainable development, peace and conflict, state-society relations, international security, or cyberspace, new technologies have transformed how the UN and multilateral institutions operate in a 21st century world. Based on these opportunities, challenges, and multilateral responses, this Discussion Paper provides recommendations for the UN System.

This Public Consultation focused on the findings and recommendations of the Discussion Paper, which can be accessed at this link.

Discussants:
H.E. Mr. Vladimir Drobnjak, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations
Mr. Robert Kirkpatrick, Director, United Nations Global Pulse, Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Ms. Véronique Pepin-Hallé, Senior Adviser, Independent Commission on Multilateralism
Dr. Patrick Vinck, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Moderator:
H.E. Ms. Barbara Gibson, Deputy Secretary-General, Independent Commission on Multilateralism

jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery("#isloaderfor-btqnnl").fadeOut(2000, function () { jQuery(".pagwrap-btqnnl").fadeIn(1000);});});

IPI MENA this afternoon held its first Future Global Leaders Series by hosting possibly the youngest writer devoting his current and future writings to peace.

In a presentation attended by school principals, teachers, parents, and media representatives, nine-year-old Adam Jade Kadia presented his first book Hakeem the Adventurer to an audience of more than one hundred school children from different nationalities.

Adam elaborated on the adventures of Hakeem, the hero of his book, who took a fictional trip from Libya to different MENA and European countries, returning finally to a peaceful Libya. Adam’s tale highlighted Hakeem’s gains from the adventures he had and the friendships he built with the people he met in different countries.

“Today was an amazing day; different schools from Bahrain were invited by IPI MENA, with students from different background, cultures, nationalities, religions… but one goal, which is to spread peace around the world through children, as they are the future leaders,” the young author said.

“The role of adults, parents, and teachers is to educate and guide children to make the world a better place by being kind, respectful and spreading peace,” Adam said. “We hope that children from different parts of the world have learned a lot from today’s event, and we hope we could have more educative events like the one hosted by IPI MENA today.”

School children from New Horizon School, Al Bayan School, New Millennium School, New Indian School, Al Noor International School, Asian School, St Christopher’s School, British School, Royal Charity Organization’s School, and others interacted in an impressively lively way with Adam on the writing exercise, his future projects, and how he would serve peace.

To a last question about peace, Adam replied, “This would start by conciliating two of your school colleagues having an argument in the school playground.”

Adam is about to finalize a new 100-page book, Upid Hack. Shaikha Mai al-Otaibi, IPI MENA Advisory Council member, pledged to translate Adam’s books. She announced she would organize, in cooperation with IPI MENA, an all-Bahrain school convention at her Al Bayan School to introduce Adam and his books in order to inspire the thousands of children from Bahrain, the region, and other parts of the world.

In a statement, al-Otaibi said, “As a member of the IPI MENA Advisory Council from day one of its inception, I am a peace messenger, believer, and worker. I am glad to be here with Adam and all of you at IPI MENA. We all believe in you as the future leaders of this world that needs peace and security as an adequate environment, not only for your future, but also for the future generations.”

“I congratulate Adam for having embarked into the noble path of writing and for devoting his writings to peace, friendship and other values. I call on all of you to devote parts of your creativity and innovation to serve the universal values topped by peace,” she said.

Gloria Belendez-Ramirez, Mexican Ambassador of Happiness, also attended the meeting and encouraged youth to serve peace. Media representatives interviewed Adam and several other children on the event.

On Tuesday, May 3rd at 1:00pm EST, IPI together with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the UN will cohost a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Mr. Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia.

The Republic of Estonia—ranked among the most transparent democracies in the world—has become a global leader in digital governance, exemplifying ways governments can more effectively and efficiently engage with citizens. Its thriving technology sector has made Estonia one of the most wired counties in the world. At this event, Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas will discuss Estonia’s path to e-governance—from establishing necessary legal frameworks to building infrastructure—and the important role of political leadership in making such innovations possible.

As countries strive to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, what lessons does Estonia have to share regarding how to harness the power of information technology to bridge digital divides, improve the public sector’s information and service delivery, and promote greater civil society engagement?

At this event on May 3rd, Mr. Rõivas will share insights into Estonia’s digital rise and governance. He will discuss how developing information technology can improve governance in the context of promoting political legitimacy and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On Monday, April 25th at 6:00pm EST, IPI will host a Distinguished Author Series event featuring Tarek Osman, author of Islamism: What It Means for theMiddle East and the World. The conversation will be moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations Warren Hoge.

A political, social, and cultural battle is currently raging across the Middle East. On one side are the Islamists, those who believe Islam should be the region’s primary identity. In opposition are the nationalists, secularists, royal families, military establishments, and others who view Islamism as a serious threat to national security, historical identify, and a cohesive society. Writing in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings, the author addresses frontally the crucial question of whether Islamism can ever become compatible with modernity. Informed by his deep knowledge of Arab culture and history, Mr. Osman points toward what the Islamists’ future prospects will entail for the region, the West, and the rest of the world.

Tarek Osman published his prescient, best-selling book Egypt on the Brink just weeks before Egypt’s 2011 uprising. He has appeared as a commentator on most major international news networks and is a regular contributor on the Arab world and Islamism for many leading newspapers and magazines worldwide. He wrote and presented the BBC documentary series “The Making of the Modern Arab World” (2013) and “Sands of Times: A History of Saudi Arabia” (2015) and is the political counsellor for the Arab world at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He has longtime experience in strategy consulting, political economy, and investment banking and management. He studied at the American University in Cairo and at Bocconi University in Milan.

On Friday, April 29th at 8:30am EST, IPI will host a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Ms. Astrid Thors, High Commissioner on National Minorities for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Established in 1992 as a conflict prevention instrument, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities provides early warning and intervention to prevent tensions related to national minorities from escalating into conflicts. The OSCE region is facing increasingly complex security challenges, from border management issues to the recent influx of migrants, resulting in societal tensions.

In the current security context, what measures can be taken to protect national minorities and promote stability in the region? Acting in line with the Secretary-General’s “Human Rights Up Front” agenda, how can the OSCE improve its ability to detect early warning signs and take more effective measures to prevent violations of minority rights and inter-state disputes over minority issues?

At this event, Ms. Thors will address obstacles to achieving greater cohesion and stability in the OSCE region, including the tendency to securitize minority issues, nationalist movements, states’ unilateral support of their ethnic “kin” abroad, and simmering interethnic disputes in post-conflict societies. She will also discuss key aspects of her conflict prevention work, such as her promotion of robust integration policies and the protection of minority rights.

The event will be moderated by IPI Senior Adviser Warren Hoge.

On Wednesday, April 20th, IPI together with the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, and Security Council Report cohosted a policy forum to discuss the impact of climate change in international peace and security, with a particular focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement provides an increasingly solid basis for comprehensively addressing the impact of climate change. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon heralded the Paris Agreement as marking “a decisive turning point in the global quest for a safer, more sustainable, and prosperous future.”

Building on the growing international commitment to address the impacts of climate change, the purpose of this event was to discuss the peace and security implications of climate change for SIDS and to consider concrete ways in which the UN system, its member states, and other stakeholders can do more to enable SIDS to address this threat and its effects.

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations
Mr. Ian Martin, Executive Director, Security Council Report

Speakers:
Dr. David Nabarro, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change
H.E. Mr. Gerard Van Bohemen, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations
Professor Michael B. Gerrard, Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School
Ms. Shyla Raghav, Director of Climate Change Policy, Conservation International (CI)

Moderator:
Mr. Warren Hoge, Senior Adviser for External Relations, International Peace Institute

jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery("#isloaderfor-jhpivn").fadeOut(2000, function () { jQuery(".pagwrap-jhpivn").fadeIn(1000);});});

On April 18-20th, the Arab League Education, Cultural & Science Organisation (ALECSO); the Islamic Cooperation Conference  Education, Cultural & Science Organisation (ISESCO); and the Tunisian Education Ministry held an international forum on reinforcing the values of peace and dialogue.

Held in Sousse, the tourist resort city where an al-Qaeda-linked group perpetrated a terrorist attack last June that left dozens of foreign tourists dead and several others wounded, the event was under the patronage of Tunisian Premier Habib Essid. The President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, was present.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI MENA, chaired a session devoted to the role of regional and international organizations in reinforcing the values of peace and dialogue. Representatives of ALECSO , ISESCO, UNESCO, the Arab Parliament, the International Organization of the Francophonie, KAICIID, and the Tunisian Scout Organization were among members of the panel.

The event was also attended by local and regional artists serving as goodwill envoys for several organizations.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery("#isloaderfor-bdhljz").fadeOut(2000, function () { jQuery(".pagwrap-bdhljz").fadeIn(1000);});});

On Friday, April 15, IPI hosted Natalia Gherman of Moldova at a lunchtime Global Leaders Series event featuring official candidates vying to become the new UN secretary-general. After making a presentation, she participated in a wide-ranging question-and-answer format with members of the audience and those following via video.

Ms. Gherman is the former Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, and has represented her country in several ambassadorships, including as Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Vienna and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

This event is part of IPI’s Global Leaders Series featuring UN Secretary-General candidates. Click here to read more.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery("#isloaderfor-qjwsmg").fadeOut(2000, function () { jQuery(".pagwrap-qjwsmg").fadeIn(1000);});});

Humanitarian experts discussed the international community’s response to the increased frequency and severity of attacks on healthcare infrastructure, transport, personnel, and patients in situations of armed conflict, at an IPI panel April 14, 2016. The discussion was especially timely, as the UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution on healthcare in armed conflict.

The resolution is sponsored by Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Uruguay. Rallying such a diverse group of states around the topic was no easy feat, said Román Oyarzun Marchesi, Permanent Representative of Spain to the UN. “Those of you that are familiar with the Council dynamics will probably agree with me if I call it a small miracle,” he said. “So far we have made it work combining imagination, enthusiasm, and flexibility.”

Encouraged by the Security Council’s work on the subject, Jason Cone, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières, USA, said he hoped that member states will seize this moment to make “public reaffirmations that health facilities must never be a target.” He concluded this call to action to UN members saying, “We cannot accept any criminalization of the medical act.”

He went on to illustrate the spike in violence against even healthcare workers, traditionally understood to be neutral and not legitimate targets. “During the month of October 2015 alone, an MSF trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan was bombed, killing 42 staff and patients,” he said. “Twelve hospitals in Syria, including six supported by MSF, were attacked. And an MSF health center in Haydan, Yemen was destroyed.”

“These incidents have a direct and indirect consequence on MSF’s operational capacities and choices, and most importantly our ability to access and treat patients,” he said, lamenting the “unacceptable” choice to cease providing health services as a result of attacks, thereby increasing a conflict’s death toll by depriving many of life-saving medical care.

Stéphane Ojeda, Deputy Permanent Observer to the UN, International Committee of the Red Cross, provided some historical context about the protection of the medical mission—the oldest aspect of the laws of war.

“The protection of the wounded and sick has been at the heart of international humanitarian law (IHL) from the start,” he said. This was the first protected category of the Geneva Conventions, he said, which constituted the norm of treating all sick and wounded, without discrimination or interference, as a keystone of civilized warfare.

Logically, it is impossible to protect the combatant without first protecting medical personnel, he said. “The IHL protection of the wounded and sick would be meaningless without its corollary protection of those taking care of the wounded and sick.”

Ojeda proposed we improve respect for existing international humanitarian law. “We do not need new rules,” he said. “What we need is a better implementation of the existing ones.”

Cone shared concerns about basic protections of international law being overruled by domestic legislation, often written with counter-terrorism as its impetus. “We observe states pushing national counter-terrorism laws or domestic laws, which contradict and often overrule IHL provisions on the protection of the medical mission; we need to see public reaffirmations that health facilities must never be a target.”

He called for improved transparency and accountability in the aftermath of attacks on healthcare facilities. At present, there is often little more than an internal review by the military of the perpetrator, he said. “Whenever an attack occurs, an impartial and independent mechanism should establish the facts,” he said. “States should commit to upholding these standards of fact-finding measures.”

Nata Menabde, Executive Director of the New York Office, World Health Organization (WHO), brought the perspective of the UN to the panel. She explained that a policy prescription must recognize there are both direct and indirect attacks on the healthcare infrastructure, transport, personnel, and patients.

Warfare tactics include obstructing access to health care services for ethnic or political minorities, and intimidating patients from seeking care. “These patients are shot in their beds, medical facilities are looted,” she explained. “That is again, sometimes a part of warfare tactics, not happening by chance, but a tactic.”

Patients are not the only ones intentionally targeted. She also highlighted the punishment of healthcare personnel for the performance of medical duties, such as attacks during the Ebola outbreak, and on polio vaccinators in Nigeria and Pakistan.

Drawing on the examples of current concerns in the field brought to light by her fellow panelists, she said the UN would aim to respond by improving data collection to enable the emergence of evidence-driven solutions. “WHO is committed to improve the standardization of data collection of attacks on healthcare in emergencies, and particularly to better understand consequences of those attacks longer term.”

The event was co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Uruguay to the UN.

Els Debuf, IPI Senior Adviser for Humanitarian Affairs, moderated the conversation.