European Peace Institute / News

On Wednesday, July 27th at 1:15pm EST, IPI is hosting a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Ms. Christiana Figueres, candidate for the position of UN secretary-general.

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At the event, Ms. Figueres will discuss her experience and how it informs her vision of the future of global politics and the United Nations. She will address questions including how she would shape the job of UN secretary-general and define her priorities in office.

The Costa Rican Government formally nominated Ms. Figueres as a candidate for the position of UN secretary-general in July 2016. From 2010 to 2016, Ms. Figueres served as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Assuming this global leadership role shortly after the COP15 in Copenhagen, Ms. Figueres devoted herself for six years to rebuilding the global climate change negotiation process based on trust-building, fairness, transparency, and collaboration, leading to the 2015 Paris Agreement, widely recognized as a historical achievement.

Ms. Figueres initiated her life of public service as Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Costa Rica in Bonn, Germany in 1982. Returning to Costa Rica in 1987, she was named Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning. She served as Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA), part of the Organization of the American States (OAS), and in 1995 founded the Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas (CSDA)—a nonprofit organization providing capacity building to countries in Latin America—where she served as Executive Director for eight years.

On Wednesday, July 20th IPI together with the Quaker UN Office, and the Permanent Missions of Finland, Mexico, and Morocco to the United Nations co-hosted a policy forum event to discuss the links between the SDGs and the upcoming summit that will address large movements of refugees and migrants.

Event Video

This is the first year of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The goal of the event was to connect the dots between the 2030 Agenda and the upcoming Summit on September 19th that will address large movements of refugees and migrants.  It will also support a positive narrative towards refugees and migrants and will call for an ambitious multilateral response to “reach the farthest behind first”. Currently we have the largest number of people on the move. What does the 2030 Agenda mean for them?

The spirit of the 2030 Agenda is of universality and inclusion. It aspires to “ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives.” As such, these new principles also apply to all migrants and refugees. Some of the questions that were discussed are: Can the 2030 Agenda provide a framework to support the needs of refugees and migrants? At the policy level, can the spirit of the 2030 Agenda permeate the global compacts to be adopted in the upcoming Summit on refugees and migrants?”

Introductory Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment of Finland
Mr. Peter Sutherland, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for International Migration
H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco and upcoming Co-Chair of the Global Migration Group

Speakers:
H.E. Mr. Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico
Ms. Karen AbuZayd, Special Adviser on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants
Ms. Christine Matthews, Deputy Director, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – New York Office

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

On Tuesday, July 26th at 8:30am EST, IPI is hosting a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Ms. Susana Malcorra, candidate for the position of UN secretary-general.

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At the event, Ms. Malcorra will discuss her experience and how it informs her vision of the future of global politics and the United Nations. She will address questions including how she would shape the job of UN secretary-general and define her priorities in office.

On May 23, 2016, Ms. Malcorra was officially nominated by Argentina for the position of UN secretary-general. She has been Minister of Foreign Relations since November 2015, named by Argentine President Mauricio Macri to his inaugural cabinet. In assuming the role, Ms. Malcorra resigned her position as Chef de Cabinet for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a position she had held since March 2012. As Chef de Cabinet, she was also a member of the UN Senior Management Group (SMG), chaired by the UN Secretary-General, which serves as a forum for planning and information sharing in response to emerging challenges and cross-cutting issues.

Prior to this, in March 2008, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Ms. Malcorra as Under-Secretary-General for Field Support—a role that provides dedicated support to UN peacekeeping field missions and political field missions. In her role as Under-Secretary-General, Ms. Malcorra served as the leading staff member at UN headquarters, overseeing more than 120,000 military, civilian, and police personnel deployed around the world.

Between 2004 and 2008, Ms. Malcorra served as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). Throughout her tenure, she supervised emergency and humanitarian operations in more than 80 countries, including leading the initial phase of the operational response to the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

Prior to entering the international civil service, Ms. Malcorra worked for 25 years in the private sector, advancing to leadership positions at IBM and later at Telecom Argentina, where she served as the first female Chief Executive Officer.

On July 18th, IPI together with the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations cohosted a policy forum and report launch to unpack the concept of intelligence in UN peace operations.

Event Video

While the use of intelligence to support UN peace operations through an improved situational awareness has over many years proved to be indispensable across all operations, the concept has traditionally been controversial due to the multilateral nature of the UN. Today, with UN peace operations involved in more and more volatile and dangerous situations, there seem to be growing signs of acceptance among member states that the strengthening of the intelligence capacity in UN missions is necessary, not only to fulfill mission mandates more effectively but importantly to ensure the improved safety and security of UN staff. Furthermore, in 2015, the report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations and the follow-up report of the Secretary-General on The Future of Peace Operations made calls to strengthen the analytical capabilities of peace operations to better be able to deal with complex environments. In advance of the launch of the UN intelligence framework currently being developed by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, this policy forum will reflect on the nature of intelligence in UN peace operations, as well as its modalities and limitations.

A new report by IPI, CIC, and NUPI, titled “Demystifying Intelligence in UN Peace Operations: No Magic Bullet,” presents recommendations for the UN and its member states. Panelists reacted to this report, which strives to unpack the concept of intelligence at the UN through identifying the organizational needs and requirements for analysis and processed information, as well as assessing the current structures in place at UN headquarters and in field missions, paving the way for suggestions on how decision-makers could better be supported.

Panelists discussed how the approach of the UN has developed over the years, and how missions in the field have adapted in different ways to fill the crucial gap of information needed for early warning, the protection of civilians, and the safety and security of its staff. They also reflected on ways to consolidate the interests of member states, and to energize them to assure that UN field missions can best be equipped to fulfill the objectives set out in their mandates.

Speakers:
H.E. Mr. Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Hervé Ladsous, United Nations Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (TBC)
Dr. Alexandra Novosseloff, Senior Visiting Fellow, Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
Ms. Olga Abilova, Policy Analyst, International Peace Institute (IPI)

Moderator:
Mr. Arthur Boutellis, Director of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, International Peace Institute (IPI)

On Thursday, July 14, 2016, IPI hosted Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia at a lunchtime Global Leaders Series event featuring official candidates vying to become the new UN secretary-general. After making a presentation, he participated in a wide-ranging question-and-answer format with members of the audience and those following via video.

Mr. Lajčák is a career diplomat currently serving his 3rd term as Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

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

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On Tuesday, July 8, 2016, IPI hosted Igor Lukšić of Montenegro at a lunchtime Global Leaders Series event featuring official candidates vying to become the new UN secretary-general. After making a presentation, he participated in a wide-ranging question-and-answer format with members of the audience and those following via video.

Mr. Lukšić is the former prime minister of Montenegro.

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

On July 13th, IPI together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark cohosted a policy forum event to discuss the origins of the contemporary international human rights system and how a comprehensive historical reading of these origins may affect the international community’s collective will to promote human rights as the cornerstone of sustainable development and lasting peace.

Event Video

This year, the UN celebrates the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, as well as the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Human Rights Council. Looking forward, the international community has recognized that the promotion and protection of human rights is a key element in realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in achieving lasting peace. Indeed, respect for human rights is fundamental in ensuring that no one is left behind and in preventing and resolving violence and conflict.

However, some discussions about human rights are marred by the perception that human rights—and the UN system that promotes and protects these rights—is a Western project, conceived and pushed by Western states, sometimes against the will of the Global South. But this perception is based on an incomplete reading of the factual history of the international human rights system. A recently published study –The Making of International Human Rights: The 1960s, Decolonization, and the Reconstruction of Global Values–demonstrates that much of the international human rights system that we see today, both in its normative and institutional aspects, was constructed and shaped by states from the Global South, with Ghana, Jamaica, Liberia and the Philippines taking on a lead role.

The event on July 13th took place at IPI on the sidelines of the high-level thematic debate of the UN General Assembly entitled, “Human Rights at the Centre of the Global Agenda,” which took place at the UN on July 12th and July 13th.

Speakers at the event discussed the following questions:

• Can revisiting the history of the international human rights system influence the dynamics of political negotiations today, especially in the contexts of implementing the SDGs and the role of human rights in sustaining peace?
• Could such an exercise contribute to mobilizing greater political will to engage constructively on human rights challenges among governments and the broader public?

Keynote Address:
H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly

Speakers:
H.E. Mr. Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations
Mr. Steven L.B. Jensen, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights and author of The Making of International Human Rights: The 1960s, Decolonization, and the Reconstruction of Global Values

Closing Address:
H.E. Mr. Søren Pind, Minister of Justice, Denmark

Moderator:
Dr. Els Debuf, Senior Adviser, International Peace Institute

In January 2016, Kenya suffered its largest ever military defeat at the battle of El Adde in the Gedo region of Somalia. Yet many of the questions surrounding this attack remain unanswered. On the six-month anniversary of the battle at El Adde, this report provides a preliminary analysis of the battle and some of the wider issues with respect to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

This issue brief lays out a number of lessons the attack on El Adde can offer to the Kenya Defence Forces, AMISOM, and all peace operations engaged in various forms of stabilization and counterinsurgency. Lessons for AMISOM include the following:

• It is crucial for AMISOM to develop positive relationships with local communities, without which the mission will struggle to acquire information and earn trust and support, including from the Somali National Army.
• AMISOM needs better intelligence-gathering capabilities to ensure it is aware of the movements of major al-Shabaab formations.
• The lack of communication and coordination across AMISOM’s different national contingents played into al-Shabaab’s hands.
• The lack of an AMISOM rapid-response force and military air assets under the force commander’s control meant there was no hope of rescue in the event of an al-Shabaab attack.

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As the world’s technological revolution proceeds, the United Nations can benefit immensely from a plethora of technologies to assist its peace operations. Fortunately, significant progress is being made. The UN has adopted a strategy for technology and peacekeeping and is showing the will and the means to implement it. New concepts, such as “technology-contributing countries” and “participatory peacekeeping” through new information technology, can improve peace operations. New technologies can also help UN field workers “live, move, and work” more effectively and safely, creating the possibility of the “digital peacekeeper.”
This report provides an overview of technological capabilities and how they are being used, explores progress to date and key challenges, and offers a set of practical recommendations. These recommendations include several general principles, such as to:

• Seek the buy-in of host countries and local populations so locals support the technologies;
• Use greater feedback and reach-back to UN headquarters and other international supporters, made easier as technology allows more information processing and support from farther away;
• Develop life-cycle equipment management, encouraging a systematic approach that maximizes technological potential; and
• Manage expectations so that some failures can be tolerated along the road to success and so innovation can flourish without unreasonable fears.

Beyond these general principles, it proposes ideas for new activities and processes:

• At UN headquarters, develop a “solutions farm” and a “tech watch” with “tech scouts,” annual reviews of UN technology and innovation, technology selection criteria, cooperation with research and development institutes, and national testing and evaluation centers.
• In the field, institute testing of new equipment, “proofs of concept” and pilot projects, demonstration kits, technology lessons-learned reporting, and special technological missions.
• Engage troop- and police-contributing countries by incentivizing them to bring in effective modern equipment, providing them training to foster technological expertise, and encouraging technology-contributing countries to assist them.
• Engage external actors and vendors by hosting a technology fair or “rodeo” and supporting a “hackathon” for smartphone and tablet app-developers on useful applications for peacekeeping.

This paper is part of the Providing for Peacekeeping series.

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On Friday, July 8th, IPI hosted a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Dr. Igor Lukšić, candidate for the position of UN secretary-general.

At the event, Dr. Lukšić discussed his experiences and how they informed 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 defined his priorities in office.

The Montenegrin Government formally nominated Dr. Lukšić as a candidate for the position of UN secretary-general in December 2015. Born in Bar, Montenegro, Dr. Lukšić attended the University of Montenegro, Faculty of Economics, where he received his BA, MA and PhD.

From 2004-2010, Dr. Lukšić served as Finance Minister, where he focused on balancing the federal budget, lowering taxes and reducing public debt. He implemented numerous reforms that spanned the banking and insurance industries as well as the government’s tax and budget processes.

After being elected Prime Minister of Montenegro in 2010, Dr. Lukšić pressed for reforms that led to the opening of accession talks with the EU, progress towards NATO membership and the approval of Montenegro’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). He worked to promote the Open Government Initiative, which encouraged governmental transparency, social participation and freedom of the press. He also initiated the adoption of a law on vocational training of college graduates, which created a framework for young people to continue their education while working. He also launched the government’s e-petitions portal as well as an inclusive approach towards the civil sector.

In the field of regional cooperation, Dr. Lukšić launched the Western Balkans Six as an operational arm of formal regional initiatives, which was supported by the European Commission. He is now an Associate Professor at the Faculty of International Economics, Finance, and Business in Podgorica, teaching courses in economics and development.

This event was moderated by Mr. Warren Hoge, Senior Adviser for External Relations at IPI.  

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On July 5th, the International Peace Institute, together with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, held a seminar in Vienna on the North Asia Peace Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI). The event was designed to increase awareness of NAPCI among Vienna-based institutions, and to enable NAPCI to learn from such institutions like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

NAPCI was initiated by President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea in 2013 in order to improve security and cooperation in Asia. It is considered a key element of the Park administration’s Trustpolitik. Involving China, Japan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Russia, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, NAPCI is designed to promote regional dialogue and cooperation. It focuses on soft security issues like disaster management, nuclear safety, drugs, health, energy security, cyberspace, and the environment.

The seminar was opened by the Republic of Korea’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs, Hyoung-zhin Kim. He noted the good cooperation between the Republic of Korea and both IPI and the OSCE, as well as the similarities between the guiding principles of NAPCI and the OSCE. In his welcoming remarks, IPI Senior Vice President Walter Kemp pointed out that almost exactly one year earlier, in the Palais Coburg where this seminar was being held, an agreement was reached between Iran and six world powers on limiting Iran’s nuclear program. He hoped that this would be an inspiration for a de-escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Several speakers recalled the “Asia paradox,” namely growing economic prosperity but deteriorating stability. To overcome this, they stressed the need for frameworks for cooperation, an open-ended process of dialogue, and agreed rules for improving good neighborly relations in Northeast Asia.

Within the course of the discussions, one speaker compared the role of the Republic of Korea to that of Finland during the Helsinki process of the 1970s, while another recalled the importance of the OSCE in the process of German reunification.

Over the course of three sessions, participants discussed a range of topics including lessons learned from the early days of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the work of the OSCE in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and confidence-and security-building measures, as well as cooperation between NAPCI and other partners. There was particular interest in cooperation on nuclear safety issues as well as DRR. It was suggested that non-political issues are a useful entry point for fostering greater trust and cooperation.

It was suggested that efforts should be made to promote synergies between like-minded initiatives, like NAPCI, the UB dialogues (that take place in Mongolia), the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (involving China, Japan and South Korea), as well as the Conference on Inter-action and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Networks were described as a useful way of pooling knowledge and widening support. It was noted that both NAPCI and the OSCE are working in this direction. For example, this event was organized as part of IPI’s involvement in the OSCE Network of think-tanks and academic institutions.

The seminar brought together over fifty experts and officials from the Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, non-governmental organizations, as well as the United Nations, OSCE and NATO.

Urbanization has become a central issue in global security, development, and governance. While rapid urbanization can offer higher standards of living and opportunities for millions of people, it can also come at a cost: cities that are unable to respond to the needs of their growing populations face rising violence, crime, and poverty. As a result, urban fragility has emerged as a key issue for national and municipal governments and for global and local security and development actors.

This report aims to highlight diverse sources of urban fragility and approaches to urban transformation, renewal, and resilience. Five authors explore the drivers of fragility in their cities and offer examples of policies and programs that can build resilience. The case studies are: (1) Bangkok, (2) Dhaka, (3) Mumbai, (4) Lagos, and (5) Medellín. These cases demonstrate that every city is fragile in different ways, but three common features emerge: socioeconomic and spatial segregation, rapid population growth, and suboptimal governance systems. The lessons emerging from these cases suggest four guiding principles for strengthening urban resilience:

• Adapt dynamic and scenario-based urban planning. This dynamic process can enable city planners to prepare urban systems to absorb future shocks.
• Optimize urban governance. Leaner government structures and clearer lines of authority and responsibility can improve engagement and coordination with multiple stakeholders.
• Add voices to decision making. Urban decision makers can learn from community-led initiatives and facilitate community participation—from planning to implementation.
• Focus on spatial segregation. Segregation remains a key factor of urban fragility, and inclusiveness is a policy principle central to urban resilience.

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On Thursday, June 30th, IPI together with the Folke Bernadotte Academy, and the United Nations Development Programme cohosted a policy forum to discuss political challenges to the rule of law and human rights.

Recent years have witnessed a series of crises that challenge global perceptions of stability. Factors that undermine the rule of law have been at the root of these crises at both the international and national levels. These include broad-based violations of human rights, unresponsive institutions of justice, and the rising impact of violent extremism.

At this policy forum, speakers discussed political challenges to the rule of law based on country examples, exploring ways and means of combining political engagement with technical expertise to establish effective and rights-based rule of law. Discussants will also address how to establish rule of law amidst a crisis in state-society relations and as part of implementing the SDGs. This policy forum provided the opportunity to reflect on the work of UNDP and FBA’s joint engagement in this domain over the course of the past year and the publication of a report on responsive and responsible rule of law reform.

Welcome:
Ms. Sima Sami Bahous, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, United Nations Development Programme

Opening Remarks:
Mr. Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations Department of Political Affairs

Speakers:
Dr. Richard Sannerholm, Head of Rule of Law, Folke Bernadotte Academy
Ms. Sara Hossain, Honorary Director of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Service Trust
Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Associate, Democracy and Rule of Law Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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

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On June 29, IPI launched a new book by Philip Remler entitled Chained to the Caucasus: Peacemaking in Karabakh. The book recounts twenty-five years of (mostly failed) diplomatic attempts to broker peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

At a roundtable discussion at IPI’s Vienna office, Mr. Remler (a retired US diplomat who served with the State Department and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) described how leaders on both sides have pursued a policy of “total victory.” As a result, compromise is very difficult. Even when the presidents of the two countries have managed to come to agreement on key areas of a settlement, the promise of “total victory” makes compromise look like failure or betrayal. This has cost some Armenian politicians their jobs, and even their lives.

As a result, said Mr. Remler, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan must believe that they personally will survive an agreement. This requires “political cover” from the international community. It also involves preparing the people for peace. As Mr. Remler writes, “for any peace deal to work, the parties’ leaders must be able to show suspicious populaces that the gains are worth the concessions.” There must be a credible peace dividend.

He recalled past attempts at peace, and noted that the building blocks of a settlement exist. However, he stressed that both parties share an expectation that peace is not likely in the near future, and adapt accordingly. With this perspective, politicians use negotiations as “an arena for scoring points, impressing patrons, and posturing to build a political career” rather than seeking peace.

Participants stressed the urgency for intensified mediation in the aftermath of a deadly flare-up in violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan in April this year–the worst violence since a cease-fire was declared in May 1994. They also discussed initiatives stemming from recent high-level meetings between Presidents Aliyev and Sagsyan in Vienna and St. Petersburg designed to de-escalate tensions along the Line of Contact, as well as the impact of these meetings on the negotiation process led by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Mention was also made of proposals to increase the number of international monitors.

The issue was also looked at in the context of wider geopolitical tensions and developments in the region. Among the discussants was Ambassador Herbert Salber, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, and Dennis Sammut, director of LINKS.

Although the OSCE has a mandate for peacekeeping, it has not undertaken peacekeeping operations per se. Nonetheless, it has carried out a diverse and extensive range of activities that fall within what have been described as “peace operations.” These have included verification, monitoring, and observation missions, particularly the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine. Taking into account lessons from the OSCE’s engagement in Ukraine, geopolitical shifts in the OSCE area, and debates within the UN on more effective conflict prevention and an enhanced role for regional arrangements, what are the future prospects for OSCE peace operations?

In addressing this question, this report argues that the OSCE has proven it is well-positioned and well-qualified, though not fully equipped, to deploy peace operations. To improve the effectiveness of peace operations, the report makes a number of recommendations:

• Link the political and the operational. Ideally, the OSCE should be involved in any political process that leads to the deployment of peace operations.
• “Lighten” the operational presence. The OSCE could open smaller or regional offices while keeping the option of “boots on the ground” on the table.
• Focus on prevention and analysis. The OSCE should consider preventive deployment and build its analytical capacity for prevention and early warning.
• Employ strategic communications and technology. OSCE peace operations should consider public information as public policy and more widely adopt new technologies.
• Reconsider the composition of peace operations. When appropriate, participating states should consider integrating military units and skills into civilian-led missions.
• Take an integrated approach toward sustaining peace. Other OSCE structures can complement peace operations as part of a broader approach to sustaining peace.

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A group of interfaith leaders shared the mid-Ramadan observance with members of the Muslim faith by marking the occasion with advocacy for peace, moderation, and mutual understanding. The June 20, 2016 meeting, “Fast For Peace,” was held at the International Peace Institute Middle East and North Africa (IPI-MENA) office in Manama.

Imams, reverends, priests, pastors, scholars and other religious and faith representatives adopted a declaration, “Peace Commandments of Fasting,” that urged all warring parties and entities to choose peaceful and political means to resolve their differences, rather than resort to violence. Dialogue is the only way to achieve lasting and comprehensive solutions, they agreed.

Clerics agreed that while different religions have their own traditions related to fasting, the philosophy behind these practices is universal—the elimination of poverty, hunger and inequality. Participants praised efforts by all religious entities to highlight their respective faiths’ peace commandments.

Religious leaders expressed appreciation for the religious freedom in Bahrain that enabled their exchange of ideas. Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Baha’i representatives expressed their best wishes for Muslims during this time, emphasizing the deep-rooted values of peace shared by the fasting practices and rituals of all religions.

The participants strongly rejected acts of violence made in the name of religion, agreeing that all religions’ observance of fasting, lent and other forms of abstinence aim to reinforce the values of peace, solidarity, and mutual respect.

Highlighting their common conviction in the pursuit of peace, the participants appealed to all faith followers to further reflect on the peace reasoning of fasting in religious texts and practices. They commended efforts aiming at peacefully eradicating all forms of incitement to hatred, segregation, and the violation of the freedom of faith.

Reiterating their dedication to the IPI-MENA Interfaith Dialogue, they committed to devote efforts in the holy month of Ramadan, and other faiths’ similar observances, to the promotion of commandments of peace in fasting, and the rest of daily life.

They called on all believers to stand together, speak out and act against violent extremism, and all forms of sectarianism, hatred, exclusion and segregation. They urged all religious fora to further commit to serving all causes of peace through education, gender equity and inter-religious dialogue.

The participants concluded:

• We further value the importance of value-based advocacy and preaching in favor of fasting that means abstaining from all sorts of violence, aggression and discrimination.

• We renew our call on all educational, spiritual and cultural institutions to further promote fasting commandments of peace as enshrined in all beliefs and faiths.

• We call on further scriptural reasoning to demonstrate common peace values in fasting and other commandments within all religions and faiths.

• No single cause deserves one single drop of blood.

Download the Final Declaration

Related Coverage in Arabic:
Bahrain TV (June 22, 2016)

On Tuesday, June 21st at 1:15pm EST, IPI is hosting a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring Ms. Irina Bokova, candidate for the position of UN secretary-general.

IPI Live Event Feed

At the event, Ms. Bokova will discuss her experience and how it informs her vision of the future of global politics and the United Nations. She will address questions including how she would shape the job of UN secretary-general and define her priorities in office.

In February 2016, the Bulgarian Government formally nominated Ms. Bokova as a candidate for the position of UN secretary-general. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, she graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and studied at the University of Maryland and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Ms. Bokova joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria in 1977, where she was responsible for human rights and equality of women issues. She was later appointed in charge of political and legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York. She was also a member of the Bulgarian delegation at the United Nations conferences on the equality of women in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985), and Beijing (1995).

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

On Friday, June 17th at 1:15pm EST, IPI together with the Government of the Republic of Estonia are cohosting a policy forum on women, peace, and diplomacy. Speakers at the event will share their insights on the impact of more female voices at the United Nations and beyond—including in peace and security decision making around the world.

IPI Live Event Feed

The positive impact of women’s leadership on peace, security, and development is widely recognized in policymaking at the United Nations. There is mounting evidence that women’s participation is not only a right but a necessity to sustain peace and political solutions after conflict. Women’s presence in foreign policy decision making is increasing, and despite their continued under-representation, experienced and outspoken women leaders are active in every region of the world.

This event will feature a panel of experienced female officials and experts to reflect on the impact of more female voices at the United Nations—from the Security Council, to senior leadership, to peacekeeping operations. The speakers will reflect on the gender dynamics of their work in diplomacy, mediation, and foreign policy at large. Panelists will also be asked to share their thoughts on the UN’s senior appointment process and how long-standing commitments to appoint more women could be realized.

Keynote presentation:
H.E. Ms. Marina Kaljurand, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Estonia

Discussants:
H.E. Ms. Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations
H.E. Ms. Raimonda Murmokaitė, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations
Ms. Elmira Bayrasli, Co-founder of Foreign Policy Interrupted, visiting Fellow at the New America Foundation, and lecturer at New York University
Ms. Marie O’Reilly, Head of Research, Institute for Inclusive Security

Moderator:
Ms. Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, Senior Policy Analyst, IPI

On Thursday, June 16th at 1:15pm EST, IPI is hosting a Global Leaders Series presentation featuring H.E. Dr. Srgjan Kerim, candidate for the position of United Nations secretary-general.

IPI Live Event Feed

At the event, Dr. Kerim will discuss his experience and how it informs his vision of the future of global politics and the United Nations. He will address questions including how he would shape the job of UN secretary-general and define his priorities in office.

In December 2015, the government of the Republic of Macedonia formally nominated Dr. Kerim as a candidate for the position of UN secretary-general. Dr. Kerim is Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia and a member of the Council of Presidents of the UN General Assembly.

Dr. Kerim has more than 30 years of international political experience, as Foreign Minister, Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia, and President of the 62nd Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

On Wednesday, June 15th at 6:20pm EST, IPI is hosting a Distinguished Author Series event featuring Agnia Grigas, author of Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire.

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How will a newly assertive Russia seek to redraw post-Soviet borders, and what are the consequences across the peripheries of Russia and beyond? And how should the European Union and NATO respond to this expansionist zeal? In her book, author and political risk expert Agnia Grigas illustrates the way Moscow has quietly leveraged the populations of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in bordering nations to pursue its territorial goals. Demonstrating how this policy has been implemented in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, and Georgia, she provides up-to-date analysis of the nature of Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy ambitions in Europe and Asia, and Russia’s strategy of justifying its moves as “compatriot protection” to warn that the Baltic States, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and others are also at risk.

The conversation will be moderated by IPI Senior Adviser for External Relations, Warren Hoge.

IPI’s Distinguished Author Series brings critically acclaimed writers to IPI to present on international issues and to engage in a lively discussion with experts from the permanent missions to the UN and other members of the foreign affairs community in New York.