Council of Europe Forum on Early Warning and Conflict Prevention
Strasbourg, 24 & 25 September 2009 - EWI Associate Matthew King led two working groups at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s (PACE) first annual Forum on Early Warning in Conflict Prevention. The forum was convened as a response to the failure to prevent violence between two member states, Georgia and Russia, in 2008. King’s groups discussed the role parliamentarians can play in preventive action, concluding that PACE should establish a practical mechanism to bring together all involved in different forms of early warning.
“We cannot take peace for granted, even on our continent,” said PACE President Luís Maria de Puig in his address to forum participants. “The Assembly owes it to itself to put peace, and maintaining peace, at the very heart of its work [...] We have a duty of vigilance.” The forum was only “a point of departure” for concrete steps in due course, the President added.
King, representing EWI’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security, a global network of parliamentarians applying their collective early warning capacity to mobilize governments’ responses and resources for preventive action, worked with the chair of the forum, parliamentarians and other experts to define a practical and operational role for the Council of Europe.
Among the forum’s recommendations:
1. There is a large amount of expert work being done – probably much more than we know about. The Council of Europe should build a comprehensive database of existing early-warning work.
2. Coordination, cooperation and collaboration will maximize the effectiveness of existing efforts. The Council of Europe should help create a mechanism to enhance such collaborative efforts.
3. Several attendees were unaware of the Council of Europe’s interest and involvement in conflict prevention. The Council’s additional involvement is needed and welcome. The Council of Europe should consider establishment a small coordination, information collection and distribution center.
4. The Council of Europe should consider creating a platform to promote dialogue, reconciliation and mutual trust.
5. The Council of Europe’s election monitoring plays a vital role in defending and promoting essential responses in conflict prevention. The Council of Europe should continue and enhance the Parliamentary Assembly’s election monitoring work.
6. Experts, organizations and institutions are well placed to study causes and consequences. But strong political involvement is essential to secure effective action. Parliamentarians should focus on the essential political action needed to prevent conflicts.
7. The council of Europe’s best work is much respected and of particular help to new and emerging democracies. The Parliamentary Assembly should draw up a code of the best conflict prevention practice for parliamentarians.
8. Parliamentarians are well placed to mobilize political support for conflict prevention, lobby for resources and raise public awareness. This puts them in a strong position to inform national colleagues about the political and parliamentary role in conflict prevention. The Parliamentary Assembly should set up a working group to agree to actions that individual members can implement in their own countries.
