Agrégateur de flux

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Top diplomats, regional experts, academics, private sector actors and media representatives called on governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to assert the role of the multilateral system and work towards a reformed and fit-for-purpose application of its principles to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the MENA region.

On November 30th, IPI MENA hosted a webinar on “The Deepening Crisis in the Middle East and the Role of the Multilateral System.”

Opening the webinar, IPI MENA Senior Director Nejib Friji referenced the many crises plaguing the region, from Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, to Palestine. He emphasized that these situations have one important thing in common: human suffering on a massive scale costing current generations decades of development delays.

He reminded the audience that the multilateral system emerged from a desire to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, but past decades have dealt major blows to people’s confidence. Multiple internationally-led conflicts have continued with no blessing or intervention by the Security Council.

“In the face of continuing conflicts and suffering, some instinctually reject the multilateral system. But we at IPI MENA believe there is a critical need for the vision it offers of the world – maybe more than ever.”

H.E Taïeb Baccouche, Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former Minister of Education for the Republic of Tunisia, referred to the Israel-Palestine conflict, focusing on the way out of the current crisis. He said that the situation is defined by grave injustice, highlighting the continual encroachment on Palestinian territory by Israeli settlers.

He reflected on changing attitudes and approaches to the crisis amongst Arab leaders, outlining how they strongly rejected the 1947 partition plan and later accepted peaceful initiatives including the 1991 Madrid Conference and the Oslo Accords.

In terms of solutions, Mr. Taïeb Baccouche suggested a return to the starting point, disregarding all illegally gained territory. He offered two models: either two states or one multiconfessional state. He emphasized that the UN must play a key role in helping both parties move towards a peaceful resolution.

Referring to the situation in his country, Libya, H.E Mohamad Dayri, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the State of Libya said: “The outcome of the regime change in 2011 led to serious concerns for Libya, its neighboring countries, and beyond in Africa and Europe.” He noted that the situation has been marred by civil wars and security dysfunctions, allowing terror groups to take sanctuary in Libya. The threat of these groups has since diminished. Nonetheless, Libyans were subjected to multiple unlawful acts at the hands of local militias, including killings, kidnappings, and torture.

Mr. Dayri enumerated the internal and external factors that led to the current state of Libya. Poor governance and the plundering of public funds worsened living conditions for Libyans. In addition, the influence of foreign stakeholders and their conflicting priorities have compounded the complex landscape in the country. He emphasized that, despite an extended finger-pointing exercise, all parties have contributed to the current situation.

Moving to the role of the international community, Mr. Dayri highlighted that, despite the multifaceted nature of the situation, mediation efforts led by the UN have exclusively resulted in power-sharing packages, ignoring other substantial components and priorities for the people of Libya. He concluded with his recommendations, including a national reconciliation process facilitated by the UN.

H.E. Mr. Luis Amado, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former Minister of Defence for the Portuguese Republic pointed to the wider implications of geopolitical crises in the MENA region and beyond. He outlined the core challenge at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict: how can we address an old, crystallized conflict in a new geopolitical context, with changed regional dynamics and forces?

Taking a step back, he referred to the “dynamic of confrontation” between the great powers – the US, Russia, and China – that shapes and imposes global crises. This dynamic imposes on all the power structures of the world, creating circumstances that expose the weaknesses of all multilateral institutions, e.g., repeated impasses between veto powers in the Security Council.

Mr. Amado emphasized the importance of envisioning a role for the multilateral system, sketching out a long scenario of confrontation between the great powers given the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and a looming cold war. Speaking more optimistically, he suggested a post-Western, multi-polar world emerging.

He concluded by affirming that the Israel-Palestine crisis must be faced on a UN legal basis. “We need to go back to the law. We have no alternative in political terms.” However, he implied that returning to past decisions is easier said than done, especially when it concerns removing 800,000 new settlers – is it possible to go back and undo the negligence of the international community over the past?

In answer to Mr. Friji’s question about the connections between the Libya crisis and the freezing process of the Arab Maghreb Union, Mr. Dayri referred to adverse effects on Tunisia, Algeria, Chad, Niger, and Sudan, stating that the disintegration of Libya has negatively impacted the integration of the Maghreb countries.

Mr. Naman, a reporter from the Gulf Daily News asked about how certain Middle Eastern countries’ economic ties to Israel affect their response to the crisis and whether an energy shift could lead to a geopolitical shift in the region.

Mr. Luis Amado responded, pointing to the experience in Europe where only economic integration could solve repeated clashes between France, the UK, and Germany. He said a similar integration could be a path forward for the Middle East. However, he stressed that regional economic integration requires parallel political stability, and this dynamic must be balanced to make a difference.

Ms. Desiree Custers, Project Manager at the Centre for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO), reflected on what channels could be opened to increase communication or capacity for dialogue, especially given a discrepancy in values and ideas for the future.

Anuja Jaiswal, IPI MENA Intern, unpacked an emerging strand in the discussion. She argued that given the various time scales at play, solutions rooted in transitional justice should be placed alongside those rooted in conflict resolution.

Alors que seulement 20 % des 96 millions d’habitants ont accès à l’électricité, deux jeunes entrepreneurs ont lancé en 2020, à Goma, un premier site qui alimente déjà 3 000 clients.

La réalisatrice camerounaise Cyrielle Raingou et l’Iranien Ali Ahmadzadeh questionnent, chacun à sa manière, les maux de leur pays.

Réalisées grâce à la collaboration du CHU Le Dantec de Dakar et de l’hôpital militaire de Ouakam, les opérations suscitent l’espoir chez les dialysés, pour qui la maladie est un fardeau physique autant que financier.

Dans un récit construit comme un documentaire, la journaliste « française-algérienne » part à la conquête de la « partie manquante » de l’histoire familiale, perdue quelque part en pays berbère.

« Darons d’ailleurs ». Chaque semaine, un de nos journalistes à l’étranger explore la parentalité hors de nos frontières. A l’école marocaine, l’enseignement de la sexualité est quasi exclusivement orienté vers l’abstinence, dans un pays où la question divise.

Le Conseil européen a décidé le 28 novembre d'augmenter son financement pour la formation des forces armées ukrainiennes dans le cadre de la mission d'assistance militaire de l'Union européenne en soutien à l'Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). À ce jour, plus de 34 000 soldats ont été formés par l’EUMAM Ukraine depuis le lancement de la mission en novembre 2022.

Ce soutien sera accordé dans le cadre de la facilité européenne pour la paix (FEP) et prendra la forme d’équipements létaux et non létaux, ainsi que de services de soutien aux activités de formation.

Le montant financier est augmenté de 194 millions d’euros pour un montant total de 255 millions d’euros. L’objectif est de continuer à soutenir le renforcement des capacités des forces armées ukrainiennes par l’EUMAM, en fonction des besoins ukrainiens et compte tenu de la portée et de la complexité croissantes du programme de formation.

Ce soutien continuera de faciliter la formation à grande échelle du personnel des forces armées ukrainiennes et permettra aux États membres de l’UE de fournir les équipements et fournitures nécessaires en matière de formation. 

Europe should consider Ukraine as the "arsenal of the free world" and learn lessons from the conflict with Russia, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries, told the European Defence Agency's annual conference.

"We are paying a terrible price but (the war) allows us to guarantee the quality of our defence products," Kamyshin told the 300 delegates gathered in Brussels, who included Ministers of Defence, EU lawmakers, members of Europe’s armed forces, defence industry representatives and experts.

"We offer you a chance to get ready, we ask you not to miss it. We didn’t choose this way, we have been a peaceful country But this world pushes us to build an arsenal, the arsenal of the free world, let’s build it together," Kamyshin said.

He added that the 'innovation cycle' in Ukraine during wartime was as short as two weeks: from the moment the military sees something is not working to its reestablishment as a reliable asset. 

Speaking on a panel dedicated to supporting the European Defence Technological Industrial Base (EDTIB), Timo Pesonen, Director General, DG DEFIS, European Commission, said that the Commission, EDA and NATO were working together to develop industry.

Wendy Gilmour, Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO, recalled that collective defence, planning and setting standards have allowed the transatlantic alliance to deliver interoperable capabilities. She said EDA, OCCAR and NSPA worked together to deliver on European goals, citing the Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF).

"A more effective European defence industrial base will make NATO stronger," Gilmour said, urging European cooperation with Turkey, Britain and the United States. Gilmour said that Ukraine was firing 15,000 rounds a day of large calibre ammunition, showing the challenge for Western production facilities to help meet the demand.

Radka Konderlova, Director-General for Industrial Cooperation, Ministry of Defence, Czechia, said there must be better access to financing for defence companies. She said Czechia was trying to address the issue with banks. "The devil is sometimes in the details," she added.

'European preference'

Antoine Bouvier, Head of Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions at Airbus, said volume and performance were both crucial to a successful defence industry in Europe. "You can get volumes through inventories ... but this is not sustainable. It is sustainable to invest. It means you have to take a political decision from governments and a business decision from industry." 

Bouvier called for a "European preference" when it came to Member States buying military assets and equipment, saying it would give more predictability to industry. He also said it was important to attract young people to work in European defence companies. "Funding, predictability yes. But if we are missing human resources, we will be prevented from doing our job," he said. 

En vertu de la compétence universelle, le tribunal de Celle a poursuivi un ancien nervi du dictateur Yahya Jammeh pour « crime contre l’humanité », « meurtre » et « tentative de meurtre ».

The European Union should strive towards a fully-fledged ‘European Defence Union’, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the European Defence Agency’s annual conference.

Warning Member States against buying too many assets and too much equipment without coordination, and from abroad, President von der Leyen said the Commission was preparing a new ‘European Defence Industrial Strategy’ for early in 2024. 

“We have made tangible progress towards a European Defence Union, but the strategic challenges we face have grown even faster,” von der Leyen told the 300 delegates gathered in Brussels, who included Ministers of Defence, EU lawmakers, members of Europe’s armed forces, defence industry representatives and experts. “The next chapter is a fully-fledged European Defence Union.”

Forged out of the ashes of the Second World War, the EU has always seen itself as a peace project. Von der Leyen urged Europeans to now think of the EU as a security project. “Peace needs security,” she said.

The EU should also include Ukraine's military needs as the Union designs the future strategy of Europe's defence industry, von der Leyen said.

"Our strategy can only be complete if it also takes into account Ukraine's needs and Ukraine's industrial capacity," von der Leyen said

Josep Borrell, EDA’s Head of Agency and EU High Representative, welcomed a €70 billion increase in defence spending, following what he called a “silent process of disarmament” in Europe in previous decades.

Borrell reiterated his view that the EU continues to lack critical capabilities. Presenting EDA’s 2022 defence data, Borrell said that, at a record €240 billion, 2022 European defence spending again increased by 6% on the previous year, marking the eighth year of consecutive growth. 

“We have to increase the level of our ambition,” Borrell said of European cooperative military projects. “This is an opportunity to think bigger.” He also called for more joint spending in research and technology (R&T), after a 6% fall in 2022. "This, we cannot afford."

  European Defence Industry Programme

Building on EDA’s work in military collaboration, von der Leyen said the Commission’s strategy would seek to deepen further defence cooperation in the EU. “We need a strategic planning function that ties together national and EU-level planning. This will give predictability and reduce fragmentation,” she said. “We need simpler and more efficient rules … We can use our regulatory framework.”

In her policy speech, von der Leyen told the EDA annual conference that the Commission will first consult with industry. In addition to a White Paper on dual use research, the EU executive will “explore all possible ways to reward, incentivise and compensate the costs of cooperation and industrial competitiveness,” von der Leyen said.

She said the Commission will propose a European Defence Industry Programme early next year. This will integrate the experience of recent EU legislation, ASAP and EDIRPA.

ASAP stands for Act in Support of Ammunition Production.  It aims to facilitate the ramp-up of ammunition production capacity in the European defence industry. ASAP has a budget of €500 million over 2023-2025. EDIRPA stands for European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act.  EDIRPA has a budget of €300 million.

Von der Leyen also said the Commission was working closely with EDA on VAT exemption to support joint procurement, as well as joint ownership of defence capabilities. The Commission will also look at how a government’s defence investments might be taken into account under EU fiscal governance rules.

Von der Leyen said it could be a “relevant factor when we assess if Member States have an excessive deficit.”

La forêt congolaise abrite les tourbières tropicales les plus vastes de la planète. Mais l’industrie pétrolière espère en exploiter les sous-sols.

Moïse Katumbi, Félix Tshisekedi, Denis Mukwege et Martin Fayulu ont tous tenu meeting dans une ville des Kivu, endeuillés depuis des années par des groupes rebelles.

En septembre, quatre ONG de défense de l’environnement avaient déposé plainte pour « climaticide » contre le géant français et son oléoduc traversant l’Ouganda et la Tanzanie.

Plus de 13 000 migrants sont arrivés sur les côtes espagnoles depuis janvier. Une augmentation de 11,5 % par rapport à 2022. Près de la moitié est originaire du Maroc.

En affirmant son leadership à l’occasion de plusieurs sommets sur l’écologie organisés à Nairobi, l’ancien agronome agace parfois ses pairs, qui redoutent que les intérêts africains soient réduits à ceux du Kenya.

The European Union should consider ‘European defence bonds’ to fund investment in European defence and security as part of a new push for deeper military coordination, the President of the European Council Charles Michel told the European Defence Agency’s annual conference.

Member states should pool what could amount to €600 billion in defence investment over the next 10 years, Michel told the conference, urging for better coordination of how it is to be spent. He also proposed a European cyber force equipped with offensive capabilities to counter attacks through computer networks.

“We must fortify our European continent. We must beef up our European defence,” Michel told the 300 delegates gathered in Brussels, who included European Ministers of Defence, EU lawmakers, members of Europe’s armed forces, defence industry representatives and experts.

Michel said European defence bonds would be an attractive asset class, including for retail investors. Michel also said the time was ripe to channel more military investment and activities into a combined European effort to defend the EU’s values of liberal democracy.

“The idea of EU defence is not new,” Michel said. “Russia’s invasion have injected a new urgency. Our ambition must match the urgency (of the moment).”

No more ‘peace dividend’

Belgium’s Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder warned that, given that the war in Ukraine was likely to last for some time, the EU must strengthen its industrial base.

“We must consider that our security needs real investment in a defence capability that is sufficiently robust to act as a deterrent and sufficiently resilient to support a war effort if required," she told the conference. Belgium will take over the EU Presidency of the Council of the European Union in January.

“Our major challenge will be continue to rebuild our defence capabilities.” Minister Dedonder outlined how she took over a defence ministry that had been badly underfunded, but that was now changing.

Cyprus Minister of Defence Michalis Giorgallas said: "In recent years, Cyprus' defence SMEs have specialized in cutting-edge technologies such as cyber-defence, tactical to strategic communications, maritime surveillance, intelligence, and unmanned vehicles."

Both ministers said the EU should be more independent. Eric Beranger, Chief Executive Officer, MBDA Missile Systems, highlighted that more than 70% of European orders for military assets and equipment are made outside of Europe. Only about 30% are procured inside Europe, he said. "Europe will become more autonomous when this ratio is reversed. This is what will break the vicious circle."

EDA’s Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý underscored the work that EU Member States already engage in, but called for deeper integration. He also argued for sharper, higher-end, full-spectrum capabilities along the lines of the Agency’s newly agreed Capability Development Priorities.

“If I have one message for you today, it is that we cannot continue in EU defence as we did before, with the mentality of peace time. We have lived too long on the peace dividend,”  Šedivý told the conference. “Never before have we had such a convergence with the NATO priorities,” he added.

‘Different planets’

During the conference’s first panel, Nathalie Loiseau, Chairwoman of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence, shared President Michel’s urgency. She called for the EU to move closer to something resembling a war footing in its support for Ukraine. She also urged EU Member States to dedicate more shared funds to defence.

“We do need to increase the money for the European Defence Fund,” she said, noting that the €8 billion in the EDF for the 2021-2027 period is less than the €13 billion originally proposed. She said that the European budget for defence amounted to €4 a year per European citizen.

Christian Molling, Deputy Director, German Council on Foreign Relations, told the conference that there were still big issues to address. He said that over the past two decades, EU institutions, defence companies and governments were on “different planets” and that their goals were not aligned.

He said EDA was trying to bridge the gaps, also with NATO. “Future conflict is not 2024. Future conflict is tomorrow and preparation is today,” he warned.

Reacting to Michel’s prediction of the €600 billion in future defence investment, Molling said: “The demand in Europe is tremendous. Take the economic risk now to evade the military risk later.”

Un destroyer lance-missiles américain naviguant dans le sud de la mer Rouge a abattu mercredi un drone lancé depuis une zone du Yémen contrôlée par les Houthis, rebelles pro-iraniens.

"A environ 11h heure de Sanaa" l'USS Carney "a abattu un KAS04, un appareil volant de construction iranienne sans pilote, lancé depuis une zone du Yémen contrôlée par les Houthis", a déclaré le commandement de l'armée américaine pour le Moyen-Orient (CENTCOM) dans un communiqué:

"Les intentions de l'appareil ne sont pas connues, mais il se dirigeait vers le navire de guerre", qui escortait un pétrolier ravitailleur et un navire qui transportait du matériel militaire, a ajouté la même source. La Navy n'a fait état d'aucun blessé ni de dégâts matériels.

La Marine américaine a déjà abattu plusieurs drones venant du Yémen le 23 novembre, un le 15 novembre et des missiles et des drones le 19 octobre.

Renforts britanniques
Le MoD a annoncé que le destroyer HMS Diamond va renforcer l'actuel dispositif de l'opération Kipion dans le golfe et dans l'océan Indien. Lire le communiqué ici.

Ce bâtiment va rejoindre le HMS Lancaster, trois chasseurs de mines et un bâtiment de soutien de la  Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Il s'agit des HMS Bangor, HMS Chiddingfold, et HMS Middleton du RFA Cardigan Bay.

Deux destroyers de Type 45 (bâtiments de défense aérienne de premier rang) sont donc désormais déployés dans la région.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has today published its annual Defence Data report for 2022, for the first-time detailing defence spending from all EU Member States. At a record €240 billion, 2022 European defence spending again increased by 6% on the previous year, marking the eighth year of consecutive growth. 20 of the 27 EU Member States increased defence expenditure, with six increasing spending by over 10%.

2022 European Defence Spending - Key Findings

• Sweden (+30.1%), Luxembourg (+27.9%), Lithuania (27.6%), Spain (19.3%), Belgium (14.8%) and Greece (13.3%) recorded the highest increases in overall expenditure among the EU 27.

• A record €58 billion was allocated to defence investments; overwhelmingly towards the procurement of new equipment, which increased by 7% on the previous year.

• Significant jump in value of projects managed by EDA; with 18 projects starting in 2022 worth more than € 76 million, for a combined value of € 250 million across 46 projects managed on behalf of Member States by EDA.

High Representative/Vice-President and Head of the European Defence Agency Josep Borrell said: “Our armed forces must be ready for a much more demanding era. Adjusting to these new realities first and foremost means investing more on defence. A record €240 billion underpins the commitment of Member States to bolster European defence. However, we have key capability gaps and continue to lag behind other global players in spending. This is why it’s not just about spending more in defence, but also about spending better and together. We must find extra value in our ability to cooperate and seize the opportunities to strengthen our armed forces through common planning, shared projects and joint procurements.”

Commitment to investment 

The allocation of €58 billion of total defence expenditure to defence investment by the 27 EU Member States marks a robust growth of 5.9%. The agreed benchmark of 20% total expenditure to this area is surpassed for the fourth year with a 24.2% total across the EU. 20 Member States reached this collectively agreed benchmark, with Luxembourg (53.5%), Hungary (48.1%), Greece (42.6%), Finland (37.4%) and Lithuania (34.8%) with the highest allocation of their overall defence expenditure to investment.

Research spending slips  

Despite record overall spending, expenditure dedicated to defence research and technology (R&T) is down, €200 million compared to the previous year. Only two MS meet the agreed 2% benchmark of defence expenditure dedicated to R&T activities, together accounting for more than 80% of all defence R&T expenditure. EU collaborative endeavours such as the EDA Ad Hoc framework and funding via the European Defence Fund can collectively bring the EU closer to achieving the benchmark for defence spending allocated to R&T activities.

 

BACKGROUND

EDA collects defence data on an annual basis, and has done so since 2006, in line with the Agency’s Ministerial Steering Board Decision of November 2005. The Ministries of Defence of the Agency’s 27 Member States provide the data. EDA acts as its custodian and publishes the aggregated figures in its “Defence data” booklets and on its website. On 23 March 2023, Denmark joined the Agency, allowing for the first time EDA’s Defence Data Publication to account for all European Union MS. Of note, this edition incorporates Denmark’s defence data for 2022 only. Datasets of MS are available since 2006 on the Defence Data Portal on EDA’s website.

Notes for editors

1. EDA Defence Data Report 2022
2. EDA Defence Data webpage
3. The European Defence Agency (EDA), the hub for European defence cooperation:
   1. Created in 2004 to support and facilitate defence cooperation in Europe, EDA has become the place where countries willing to develop their defence capabilities collaboratively can do so.
   2. EDA’s expertise and activities cover the whole spectrum of cooperation: from harmonising requirements to delivering operational capabilities; from research & technology (R&T) and innovation to developing technology demonstrators; from training and exercises to support to CSDP operations.
   3. EDA also closely engages with the European defence industry to enhance Europe’s defence technological and industrial base and help make the industry stronger and more competitive.
   4. The Agency’s role and impact have constantly grown, especially with the implementation of the EU’s Global Strategy (2016) which also led Member States to reinforce the Agency’s mission in 2017, and more recently with the adoption of the EU Strategic Compass.

 4. Follow #EUdefence on social media (X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) for more and    visit our website www.eda.europa.eu.