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The third edition of the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention Newsletter elaborates upon the topics which have been high on the agenda of  parliamentarians involved in conflict prevention worldwide. Senator Jacques Djoli Eseng' Ekeli presents his insightful comments on the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the UN started to withdraw its troops from the country.

Following popular debates on the future of the new European External Action Service, the Network presents challenges and opportunities that the EU's new external service faces. Ahead of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit, Rt. Hon. Jack McConnell, the UK Prime Minister's Special Representative for Peacebuilding outlines a new and more comprehensive approach to peacebuilding and peacekeeping to mitigate conflicts worldwide. MP Joachim Spatz, the Chair of the Subcommittee for Conflict Prevention in the German Bundestag reflects on the importance of the parliamentary control over the foreign policy issues.

We hope that you will find this edition of the Newsletter useful and any comments on its content are always welcomed.

Angelika Beer,
Chair of the Parliamentarians Network

European External Action Service and Conflict Prevention

Following the heated debates over the future role of the new European External Action Service, the Parliamentarians Network organized a panel discussion “Conflict Prevention and the European External Action Service”. The meeting was held at the European Parliament on June 29 in partnership with the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and was hosted by MEP Heidi Hautala (Chair of the Subcommitee on Human Rights). The panel discussion was attended by more than 120 members of national parliaments as well as the civil society organizations involved in conflict prevention, and sought to ensure that conflict prevention is a truly integral part of the new European External Action Service.

Although the political agreement setting up the crisis prevention unit within the EEAS has already been reached, the details regarding its budget, decision-making procedures and staff remain obscure.

The meeting reiterated the need of mainstreaming conflict prevention and crisis management within the EEAS and  it was also agreed that there should be more awareness in the national parliaments regarding the formation and activities of the EEAS.

Click here to read the full report from the panel discussion

Jacques Djoli: “We need more peacebuilding actions not only at the parliamentary but also at the top political level”

The 50th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence has put the country in the limelight once again. Are Congolese security forces ready to ensure peace without help from international organizations? Is the country ready to hold elections in 2011 without violence? Jacques Djoli Eseng ‘Ekeli, member of the Parliamentarians Network and of the DRC's Senate gives us his insight into the situation in the region.

Senator Djoli claims that the decision to start withdrawing UN peacekeeping mission initiated by the Congolese government is premature. He regards it as a merely political statement meant to demonstrate the DRC’s sovereignty to the international community. But the country’s army and police forces have to undergo serious reform to be able to tackle insurgence on their own, says Mr. Djoli.

Speaking about maintaining peace in Congo in the light of the upcoming elections, the senator stresses the importance of the regional perspective because elections willbe hold in some countries of the region approximately at the same time. Such countries as Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Sudan are therefore closely interlinked to each other. The outburst of violence in one country can easily lead to insurgency in the neighboring countries.One of the ways to prevent it is to engage parliamentarians from the region into continuous cooperation and joint actions.

Click here to read the full interview with Senator Jacques Djoli Eseng ‘Ekeli

Asila Wardak: “We should not let anyone use the problems of security as an excuse to prevent women from participating in the political life"

Asila Jamal Wardak has been a civil society and human rights activist for years. She also took part in the recent peace jirga, a nationwide peace council in Afghanistan.

In an interview to the Parliamentarians Network Ms. Wardak assesses the work of the peace jirga regarding the female participation in the political life in Afghanistan.

According to Ms. Wardak, although the group of female MPs in Afghanistan is quite numerous, it does not exert enough influence in the law-making process due to the fact that many of them always have to support the decision of male MPs.

Another challenge, as Ms. Wardak points out, is to make all the legislation work. A number of progressive laws ensuring more women empowerment has officially passed but, as Ms. Wardak bitterly claims, there is no one to implement them.

Click here to read the full interview with Asila Wardak

Jack McConnell: "World has to change its approach to peacebuilding" 

Jack McConnell, member of the Scottish Parliament and the UK Prime Minister's Special Representative for Peacebuilding is a well-known politician dedicated to promoting conflict prevention and peacebuilding. In his editorial he critically assesses the prevailing approach to peacebuilding and presents a new vision on a peacebuilding strategy for the 21st century.

He argues that there should be more emphasis on peacebuilding within a peacekeeping mission. A shortly-lived peace followed by a new spate of unrest is clearly a failure. The international community must ensure creation of viable structures to provide the necessary conditions for successful post-conflict reconstruction.

MSP McConnell further elaborates on the principles which must lie at the heart of any successful peacebuilding strategy.

Click here to read the full article by Rt. Hon. MSP Jack McConnell

Joachim Spatz: “Parliamentary control over foreign and security issues is indispensable”

Joachim Spatz, a member of the German Bundestag is the head of the newly created Subcommittee on Civilian Crisis Prevention within the Bundestag. The German Parliament is one of few in Europe to create a special structure to deal with civilan crisis prevention and crisis management and create an independent structure to deal with these issues. In his editorial Mr. Spatz elaborates on the importance of parliamentary control over the foreign and security affairs.

Mr. Spatz also suggests that there should be more transparency and parliamentary control in implementing European Foreign and Security Policy measures. Mr. Spatz welcomes the creation of the new European External Action Service which presents a good opportunity to elaborate a cooperative and transparent approach to foreign policy issues among the member states.

Click here to read the full article by MP Joachim Spatz

Expanding Conflict Prevention Networks in Southeast Asia

The Parliamentarians Network has extended its reach to as far as the South East Asia. During the EastWest Institute’s partnership with the 24th Asia Pacific Roundtable on June 8 and 9 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Network had theopportunity to establish contacts with the MPs from Malaysia and discussed the Network's activities in the region with one of the leading parliamentarians Dr. Mohamad Shanrum Bin Osman. The Network was also invited to take part in the capacity building training“Gender and Politics” organized by Prof. Dr. Rashila Ramli. The Network introduced its acitivities to MPs from across South-East Asia.

Click here to read the report from the EastWest Institute's participation in the 24th Asia Pacific Roundtable in Malaysia

EDITORIAL

Conflict Prevention and the European External Action Service

INTERVIEWS

Senator Jacques Djoli Eseng ‘Ekeli. Democratic Republic of Congo

Asila Wardak, civil rights activist, Afghanistan

FEATURED ARTICLES

World has to change its approach to peace building by Rt. Hon MSP Jack McConnell

Parliamentary control over foreign and security issues is indispensable by MP Joachim Spatz

MEETING REPORTS

Expanding Conflict Prevention Networks in Southeast Asia

NEW NETWORK MEMBERS

Ms. Franziska Katharina Brantner,
Member of the European Parliament (Germany)

Ms. Niki Tzavela, Member of the European Parliament (Greece)

Ms. Kerstin Müller, MP, German Bundestag

PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK INITIATIVES

Working Group on Women, Peace and Security

The Parliamentarians Network is happy to announce the creation of the Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. The group’s activities will enhance the preparations for the Global Conference  supporting women in conflict areas organized by the Network in November 2010 in Brussels.
As a first step, the Network organized a conference call with a number of MPs and civil society activists from Afghanistan and Pakistan to discuss further actions and to identify the problems that the female parliamentarians face. The Parliamentarians Network and the participants of the conference call have agreed to prepare and release an open letter to voice the concerns of women of Afghanistan and Pakistan and provide a necessary international support for their fight for empowerment. The letter will be released by the Kabul Conference on July 20 2010.

If you are interested in receiving more information about this Working Group, please contact Ms. Irina Bratosin(ibratosin@ewi.info)