Introducing the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention

As members of the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention, I am pleased to welcome you to our first monthly Network newsletter.

Since our Network was launched as an initiative of the EastWest Institute (EWI) at the European Parliament in Brussels on October 8, 2008, it has achieved a membership of more than 100 parliamentarians from over 40 countries. The Network focuses on mobilizing efforts to prevent violent conflicts through diplomatic initiatives and effective collective action.

Today I have the pleasure of inviting you as members of the Network, Parliamentarians and experts, to raise attention to conflict prevention as a means to reduce global violence and contribute to human security.

This month we highlight MPs Syed Jafar Shah and Daoud Sultanzoy and Mr. Alyn Ware who will provide our readers with a deeper insight into the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan and efforts towards nuclear disarmament.

We hope that you find this newsletter useful in furthering your interest in conflict prevention and we look forward to your active participation in the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention .

Please feel free to contact us to share any ideas, articles or insights that would benefit our readers.

Click here to visit our website and find out more about the Network, its members and activities.

Sincerely, Yours   Angelika Beer Parliamentarians Network Chair

Swat MPA Speaks Out on the Situation in Northern Pakistan

Following the recent attack by suicide bombers at a security checkpoint in Saidu Sharif and the murder of six local World Vision workers in Mansehra, Parliamentarians Network member, Mr. Syed Jafar Shah, Member Provincial Assembly for Swat, described the situation in Northern Pakistan.

According to Mr. Shah, despite the recent violence, there was a change in the air, attacks were becoming less frequent and there was a feeling of less fear in the community at large. Mr. Shah cited the role of civil society, such as the the Peshawar Declaration prepared by Aman Tahreek, as contributing to the growing voice for sustainable peace in the region.

However, Jafar Shah MP, sounded a warning that unless more concrete steps were taken to initiate the rehabilitation effort in the Swat region, the people would be forced to 'come forward to save themselves.'

He called upon the political leadership and parliamentarians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India to work together to resolve the situation.

Click here to read the full transcript of MPA Shah's comments.

Negotiating with the Taliban and Democracy Challenges in Afghanistan

Commenting on the question of engaging the Taliban in negotiations, Network member Dr. Daoud Sultanzoy MP, Afghanistan stated that negotiation is the only solution to end conflicts, but any negotiation has to be based on frameworks that are realistic and with a very specific goal in mind. Dr. Sultanzoy emphasized that maintaining certain values and principles was critical to any negotiations and that talks should be undertaken within the framework of the state institutions.

On the issue of President Karzai's proposed Loya Jirga, Dr. Sultanzoy pointed out that while the Jirga can come up with good recommendations, it has no legal authority and only the Parliament can formalize its recommendations.

He called for unity and a single voice within the government and stated that the next parliamentary election will be a pivotal juncture in the political future of Afghanistan, as it will endorse 'the rule of law, people's will and the confidence that people can have in their systems from expressing their will through ballots.'

Click here to read the full transcript of MP Sultanzoy's comments.

Prospects for Nuclear Disarmament: Alternative Nobel Prize Winner, Alyn Ware

According to Alyn Ware, Winner of the 2009 Right Livelihood Award (the 'Alternative Nobel Prize') and International Coordinator of the Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament (PNND), more needs to be done to spread the message of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's 5 point plan for nuclear disarmament. (The 5 point plan was initially proposed by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at an EastWest Institute conference in October 2008.)

According to Mr. Ware, even though the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has adopted the resolution supporting the 5 point plan, many parliamentarians are not aware of this.

Mr. Ware cited a number of examples in which parliamentarians and civil society have had a positive impact including the addition of US nuclear weapons on the agenda of the NATO Strategic Review, the support for the EU Parliament resolutions on Nuclear Weapons Convention and Nuclear Weapon Free Zones and the 10th March 2010 resolution on US nuclear weapons in Europe.

PNND in partnership with IPU will hold a Parliamentary meeting on the occasion of the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference on May 5, 2010 in New York.

Click here to read the full transcript of Mr. Ware's comments.

PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK INITIATIVES

Simon Hughes leads an All Party debate on conflict prevention in the UK House of Lords

Network Member Mr. Simon Hughes, MP led a debate in the UK Parliament in which he sought consensus to switch focus from conflicts to conflict prevention. Mr. Hughes emphasized that conflict prevention was not only critical for fundamental humanitarian reasons but also made economic sense.

Mr. Hughes called for more proactive peace building and better engagement at the regional and Commonwealth level and recommended that the UK Parliament hold an annual debate on conflict prevention.

Click here to read the transcript of this lively and informative debate.

Parliamentarians Network Debate at the German Bundestag, Berlin

On March 25th, Ms. Uta Zapf, Network member and member of the Bundestag; Angelika Beer, Chair of the Parliamentarians Network and Ambassador Günter Overfeld, Vice-President of the EastWest Institute, invited Members of the German Parliament to a briefing session aimed at strengthening ties between the Parliamentarians’ Network and the German Bundestag.

Members of the Bundestag explained the challenges faced by the newly implemented subcommittee Zivile Krisenprävention und vernetzte Sicherheit (Civilian Crisis Prevention and Networked Security) and looked at how parliamentarians could use their influence in national parliaments to increase the focus on conflict prevention and human security.

Sudan Election Campaign

The Parliamentarians Network participated in a global call to action to prevent violence in the lead up to the Sudanese elections, held on 11th April. The effort was part of a campaign, Sudan365 ( www.sudan365.org ), organized by a coalition which included Amnesty International, Darfur Consortium and Human Rights Watch. Network members signed a letter calling for Sudanese parties to uphold international standards for free and fair elections, take action in preventing violence around the elections and support planning for legitimate and peaceful consultations.

FEATURED ARTICLES

Swat MPA speaks out on the Situation in Northern Pakistan

Negotiating with the Taliban: Democracy Challenges in Afghanistan

Alternative Nobel Prize Winner on Prospects for Nuclear Disarmament

PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK INITIATIVES

Conflict Prevention Debate in the UK Parliament

Briefing Session on Conflict Prevention with German MPs

Sudan Election Campaign

NEW NETWORK MEMBERS

Her Excellency,
Ms. Najla Al-Awadhi
United Arab Emirates Parliament

Mr. Charles Goerens
Member European Parliament (Luxembourg)

Dr. Dov Khenin,
Knesset

RECENT PUBLICATION

Amman Declaration on Regional Cooperation on Water

Members of the Parliamentarians Network and water specialists from civil society and international and regional organizations (including the Arab Water Council, the Jordan Valley Authority, UNESCO, UNDP, and the World Bank) issued a joint declaration to increase regional cooperation on water.

The declaration, issued at a conference held under the patronage of Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, lays out recommendations for shared management of water resources and the role parliamentarians can play to prevent the risk of water-related conflicts.

Participants agreed several collective measures, including the establishment of regular inter-parliamentary dialogues on water, a commitment to sustainable use and management of water resources and precise valuation of the real costs of water.

Read the full text of the Declaration here.