About
History
The Parliamentarians Network was formally conceived in the Declaration “Making Conflict Prevention Real”, issued by the EastWest Institute (EWI)’s International Task Force on Preventive Diplomacy (Task Force) in December 2007. The Declaration called for the establishment of a Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security as a key advisory and advocacy mechanism to raise attention to critical policy issues pertaining to stability and peace.
In 2008, EWI’s Task Force undertook a large number of international soundings with parliamentarians, as well as with representatives from the UN, national governments, international and regional organizations, parliaments, and civil society on the establishment of the Parliamentarians Network. These positive discussions have led to the convening of 80 parliamentarians from 30 different countries around the globe, and the official launch of the Parliamentarians Network at its inaugural meeting hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels on October 8, 2008.
Conflict Prevention and Human Security
The Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security recognizes that the lack of political will on the part of individual states and the international community, as well as the paucity of strategies, experienced personnel, and financial resources lead many actors to concentrate on actual instead of potential conflicts. While it is imperative to settle and reconcile ongoing conflict, it is also essential to prevent potential violence from erupting. Violent conflict is devastating, destroying life opportunities and economies, and carrying huge reconstruction costs.
Recent advances made by the Member States of the United Nations towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals will in many cases be lost as a result of a failure to prevent violence in fragile societies across the globe. Without swift, effective, and sustained diplomatic leadership development assistance will not stop mass killing. Decision‐makers also need to understand the value of prevention from the perspective of national security policy. Otherwise, despite the many conceptual tools that currently exist in the conflict prevention toolbox, violence will continue in many cases, as the killing in the Darfur region of Sudan continues to demonstrate.
Ultimately, sustainable peace is achievable only if all stakeholders work together. Parliamentarians from around the globe, in cooperation with the international community, the public, and all interested and affected parties, must work towards removing the incentives for violent conflict by addressing the root sources of tension within and between societies, states, and regions and together build effective and sustainable “top‐down bottom‐up” approaches to conflict prevention.
The Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security supports governments and other actors in providing practical recommendations that build domestic and international political will and capacity to shorten the time between early warning and early action to prevent violent conflict.
Secretariat
The EastWest Institute’s Preventive Diplomacy Initiatives serves as the Secretariat to the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security. The Secretariat is based at EWI’s Brussels Center.
Head of Secretariat
Matthew King
Irina Bratosin, Coordinator
Zalini Khan, Assistant
Benjamin Sturtewagen, Water Security Series
Contact
Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security
c/o EastWest Institute
83-85 rue de la Loi
Brussels, 1040 – Belgium
Phone: +32 2 743 4625
Fax: +32 2 743 4639
Email: parliamentarians@ewi.info
