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News
13. August 2010
Workshop on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships
The IFSH and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) held a workshop dealing with the topic of “Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships” in Berlin on 12 August 2010. Prof. Michael Brzoska (Director IFSH), Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart (Head ZEUS/IFSH) and Dr Jens Narten (former IFSH rearcher, now GTZ) gave a presentation of the results of the EU sponsored international research project „Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Post-Conflict Countries. The Role of he EU“. In this project the IFSH was leader of working package 4a on security. During the workshop representatives of the BMZ - partially per video conference with the Bonn part of the ministry - , the KfW and the GTZ discussed questions, problems and opportunities of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in post-conflict settings in general and in the three case studies on Afghanistan, Democratic Republic if Congo and Kosovo in particular.
More information on Multipart here.
23. July 2010
Kick-Off-Workshop of the Project PiraT at the IFSH
The joint research project PiraT, which addresses the topic of piracy and maritime terrorism as a challenge for maritime trade security, is the biggest project so far at the IFSH. On July 6th, the cooperation between the project-partners IFSH, DIW, BLS, TUHH and ISZA was launched through a kick-off-workshop. It addressed administrative questions, answered by the project-executing organization VDI TZ, as well as questions regarding substantial aspects of the project thus paving the way for a smooth continuation of the project in the months to come. The participants especially devoted their attention to the draft paper written beforehand by the IFSH which was represented by Hans-Georg Ehrhart, Patricia Schneider and Kerstin Petretto on this occasion. By focusing on the concept of “security governance” and its application to maritime security, the paper provided a basis for discussion between the participants who analyzed the concept from their discipline’s perspective. Overall, the kick-off-workshop allowed the partners to explore the possibilities of cooperation and to specify the future course of the project. For more information on PiraT, please visit www.maritimesecurity.eu.
21. July 2010
Network UNESCO – Ecole de la Paix « Governance & Peace », Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
On 21 May 2010, Isabelle Maras was invited to give a lecture at the IEDES (Institut du Développement Economique et Social), Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, on the European Union crisis management as part of the lecture series « Governance and Peace » organised by the network UNESCO – École de la Paix in cooperation with the Bernheim Pole for Peace and Citizenship Studies (Université Libre de Bruxelles). The participants were students from the Masters Degree « Crises: interventions d’urgence et actions de développement » » at the IEDES, wishing to dedicate themselves to humanitarian intervention or development-related activities. Isabelle Maras dedicated her lecture to the civilian missions of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). A topical discussion on the current developments and challenges of the EU external policy and external intervention in the field of development followed.
21. July 2010
Research stay in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic Congo, June 2010
Last June, Isabelle Maras, a doctoral student from the IFSH, conducted a three-week field research in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the framework of her research project on the effectiveness of CSDP police missions, Isabelle Maras conducted a round of interviews with experts and policemen from the EU police mission EUPOL RD Congo, representatives and civil servants of police authorities and Ministries, as well as with representatives of international organisations (MONUC among other ones). She also conducted intensive talks with a wide range of Congolese civil society practitioners and representatives. The current political context in the DRC – with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the independance (which took place on 30 June) and the upcoming presidential elections next year – made the field research particularly interesting and instructive.
21. July 2010
Annual Report 2009
The Annual Report 2009 is now available.
Download Document
16. July 2010
Roundtable on credible deterrence
The problem of NATO providing credible deterrence in the 21st century and options to reduce the role of tactical nuclear weapons were at the center of a two-day seminar that took place in Warsaw on July 5-6 and brought together experts and decision-makers primarily from Central and Eastern Europe. The event was hosted by the Polish Institute of International Affairs and had been co-organized by IFSH, the Arms Control Association and the British American Security Information Council as part of a project funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation on reducing the role of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. Oliver Meier gave a presentation on “Reducing the role of nuclear weapons in Alliance doctrine: Options for a new consensus.”
2. July 2010
Research project on piracy and maritime terrorism starts
The joint research project “PiraT – Piracy and Maritime Terrorism as a Challenge for Maritime Trade Security” was launched. The project partners are very glad to contribute to the program for civil security. Research involves five most renowned scientific institutes and six associated partners with particular knowledge in practical issues. The Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) granted just under one million Euros for the project group. Please see our press release for details. In case of interest we inform you on a regular basis on the state of affairs. We recommend our newsletter (subscription under: a ref="http://www.maritimesecurity.eu" target="blank" class="linkru">Link).
1. July 2010
Ulrich Kühn at the 14th OSCE Summer Academy in Stadtschlaining
On 23 June, 2010 Ulrich Kühn was invited to give two lectures, dedicated to the politico-military dimension of the OSCE, at the 14th OSCE Summer Academy in Stadtschlaining. The annual OSCE Summer Academy is being organized by the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) together with the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna under the auspices of the OSCE. In his two lectures Ulrich Kühn focused on the topics of arms control, CSBMs, conflict prevention and crisis management, border management, and combatting trafficking in human beings. The 20 participants were either citizens of OSCE Participating States or OSCE Partner States.
25. Juni 2010
Global Media Forums in Bonn
Michael Brzoska participated in the Global Media Forum in Bonn on June 22 in a workshop on climate change and conflicts, organized by the PECOJON network of journalists. The empirical case discussed was that of the Philippines.
Some pictures are at: Link
EAnd the audiofile of the discussion can be downloaded here: Link
21. June 2010
Peace by intervention?
A conference on „Peace by intervention? Ethical aspects in international relations” took place in the Academy Franz Hitze Haus in Münster from 18 to 20 June 2010. The conference was organized by the Institute for Political Science of the University of Münster, the University of Hagen and the University of Siegen. The IFSH was represented by Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart, who gave a presentation on “The Afghanistan conflict: Strategies and options of the international community”.
18. June 2010
EU NATO
Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart gave a presentation at the Bundeswehr’s Military Academy on 17 June 2010. Addressing the general staff course for NATO and non-NATO member countries he talked on the topic “EU NATO: A difficult relationship”.
08. June 2010
International Workshop „Europe and Central Asia, Partners in Global Governance” in Barcelona
From 3-4 June 2010, Elena Kulipanova participated in the Workshop “Europe and Central Asia, Partners in Global Governance” in Barcelona. The workshop was organized by the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), Real Instituto Elcano und Casa Asia under support of the European Commission and the Spanish EU Presidency. Experts from Central Asia and Europe gathered to discuss selected issues during the three sessions on security architecture in the Euro-Asian space, energy and environmental challenges, and on social developments. The aims of the workshop were inter alia to identify the main topics for the future research agenda and to lay foundations for an informal network of experts to regularly exchange ideas and information.
07. June 2010
Afghanistan
The Institute for Theology and Peace organized an international workshop on “Ways to end the impasse? Criteria for realignment of statebuilding in Afghanistan“ with experts from Afghanistan, Canada, the US and Germany on 3 and 4 June 2010. Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhrat gave a presentation on 4 June entitled „COIN and statebuilding in Afghanistan: a contradiction in terms?“.
06. June 2010
Cercle Stratégique
The 22rd Franco-German Cercle Stratégique took place on 2 and 3 June in Paris. About 50 representatives from ministries, politics, industry and think tanks discussed on the topics of a European White Book and the new strategic concept of NATO in the premises of the Assemblée nationale. Head of ZEUS Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart chaired a panel entitled “Which contents for a new White Book?”. The panelists were Hervé Mariton, spokesman on defense of the ruling party UMP, and Franz Borkenhagen, former head of planning staff of the German federal ministry of defense.
29. May 2010
18th Meeting of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, Part II
The 18th Meeting of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum was put under the headline of “Promoting good governance at border crossings, improving the security of land transportation and facilitating international transport by road and rail in the OSCE region”. The Meeting’s second and main part was conducted again in its traditional place – the Czernin Palace in Prague, on 24 – 26 May 2010. It was a positive observation that the Forum’s organizers at the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities did obviously pay special attention to directing key speakers’ contributions and subsequent discussions towards the security dimension of the subject. The Forum took place against the background of continuing conceptual discussions between the national delegations to the OSCE in Vienna on the future orientation of the economic and environmental dimension. A respective decision of the same title (MC.DEC/4/09) had been adopted at the Athens Ministerial Council in December 2009. Dr. Frank Evers, CORE Deputy Head, took part in the Forum as member of the international academic community.
29. May 2010
Conference “The International Crisis and the Post-Soviet States”
Elena Kropatcheva took part in a conference “The International Crisis and the Post-Soviet States” at the University of Glasgow on 13-14 May 2010. The aim of the conference was to examine the implications of the financial crisis that began in late 2008 for the post-Soviet states, particularly Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. Kropatcheva presented a paper “Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Choices after Presidential Elections in 2010,” in which she examined the implication of the global financial crisis on Ukraine’s presidential elections and the foreign policy choices of the country. She considered whether the foreign policy after the “blue revolution” will be Russia- or Western-oriented, or whether the new president will be able to conduct a balanced “multi-vector” policy.
28. May 2010
Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: the Role oft he EU
The fourth Steering Committee Meeting of the MULTIPART project on “Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: the Role oft he EU” took place in Pisa on 19 and 20 May 2010. Besides the IFSH ten other international research institutes are participating in MULTIPART that is funded by the EU’s 7th Framework Program. The IFSH was represented by Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart head of the Centre for European Peace and Security Studies and coordinator of working package 4a on security aspects of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships.
See for further information http://www.multi-part.eu/
18. May 2010
Ecumenical Kirchentag
The IFSH was represented at the 2nd Ecumenical Kirchentag in Munich on Mai 14 by an introductory keynote speech by Michael Brzoska on the subject of the security dilemma in developing countries. This speech introduced a panel discussion organized by the Joint Conference of the Churches and Development on the question of the relationship between security and development in conflict and post-conflict zones.
18. May 2010
Peace Report 2010 is published
Website Peace Report
07. May 2010
Focus Afghanistan
The Körber Foundation organized a panel diiscussion in the framework of a series called “Focal point Afghanistan” on 6 may 2010. The third and final debate was entitled “After Exit – what now?” The discussants were Dr. Hans-Georg Ehrhart (Head ZEUS at the IFSH) and Dr. Christian Taaks (Head International Relations, Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation). The event which was attended by 50 guests was chaired by Andreas Bormann (NDR).
28. April 2010
Hearing of the European Parliament
On 26 April 2010 Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart participated in a public hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Security and Defence. The topic under discussion was “EU civil-military cooperation: a comprehensive approach”. Dr Ehrhart gave a presentation on “Civil-military cooperation on the ground (Western Balkans, Afghanistan, DRC): lessons learnt”. His co-panelists were Bas Rietjens (Netherlands Defence Academy) and Francoise Krill (International Committee of the Red Cross). Richard Wright (director DG RELEX, European Commission) acted as discussant.
26. April 2010
New Publication
Subrata Ghoshroy/Götz Neuneck(eds), South Asia at a Crossroads. Conflict or Cooperation in the Age of Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense, and Space Rivalries (Demokratie, Sicherheit, Frieden, Bd. 197), Baden-Baden 2010, 330 S., ISBN 978-3-8329-5398-0.
15. April 2010
CORE Working Paper 20 ("OSCE Efforts to Promote the Rule of Law: History, Structures, Survey") released
The working paper on "OSCE Efforts to Promote the Rule of Law: History, Structures, Survey" describes the gradually evolving definition of rule-of-law promotion in the OSCE from 1973 to the present day and describes relevant OSCE structures. It also presents the results of a survey carried out by CORE among those responsible for the rule of law in the field operations in April and May 2009. It ends with conclusions and recommendations on the OSCE's promotion of the rule of law in terms of events, personnel questions, topics, and guidelines. The paper was commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany and part of a jointly conducted international workshop ("OSCE Rule-of-Law Assistance") of CORE and the German Federal Foreign Office in the Vienna Hofburg, 25-26 March 2010.
Download Document
29. March 2010
International Afghanistan Conference in Hamburg
Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart (Head ZEUS/IFSH), Prof Charles Pentland (Queen’s Centre for International Relations, Kingston/Ca) and Prof Sven Gareis (German Command and Staff College/FüAkBw) organized an international conference on Afghanistan on 25 and 26 March 2010. The event was funded by NATO’s Public Diploamacy Devision. More than 40 participants with various professional backgrounds (International Organisations, think tanks, armed forces, policy, NGOs, media) attended the conference and discussed in seven panels the overall topic “Security Governance by comprehensive approach? NATO ant the international community at the Afghan crossroads”. In the first panel chaired by Hans-Georg Ehrhart (IFSH) representatives of NATO (Mihai Carp)and the UN (Eckard Schiewek) presented the respective approaches. By this it became clear that an effective cooperation is being undermined by the logics of the differing concepts (reintegration versus reconciliation). The second panel (chaired by Dr Axel Krohn, speakers: Marina Laker, Canadian Embassy, and Prof Sven Gareis, FüAkBw) dealt with the comprehensive approach and its implementation. While Canada made this approach work by consequent structural reforms and strong political will Germany is still struggling to make its concept of networked security work on the ground. The third panel was chaired by Klaus Schreiner (GTZ) (panelists: Richard Roy, Canadian Forces, and Dr Jochen Hippler, INEF) dealt with the problems of counterinsurgency (COIN). The conditions for effective COIN and the similarities with complex peace support operations were debated. COIN should not be misunderstood as a mere technical problem because it is political in the first place. In the hub of each COIN operation is the question of legitimacy of the government. The fourth panel was chaired by Martin Kipping (BMZ) (panelists: Robert Lindner, Oxfam, and Citha Maass, SWP). In this panel it was emphasized that humanitarian actors cannot partner with the military in an integrationist sense. There should be a clear delineation of and respect for the different competences and logics of action. However, joint planning and the concentration on comparative advantages could be strived for. The fifth panel (Chair: Captain (Navy) ret. Heinz-Dieter Jopp, ISZA, panelists: Prof Mark Sedra, Waterloo University, and Dr Eva Gross, Free University of Brussels) broached the issue of security sector reform. The state of military and policy reform were presented and the implementation of NATO’s and the EU’s SSR policy were critically reviewed. The role of Pakistan was the main issue dealt with in the sixth panel (Chair: PD Dr Stefan Bayer, FüAkBw; panelists: PD Dr Wolfgang Wagner, SWP, and Prof Julian Schofield, Concordia University). The panelists presented the historic background and the actual challenges Pakistan is facing as well as the socio-economic conditions of its relation with Afghanistan and the special role of the Pakistani army. The final panel chaired by Prof Charles Pentland (QCIR) (panelists: Consul General Karen E. Johnes, USA, and Timo Christians, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, and General ret. Helmut Ganser) dealt with challenges and lessons for NATO and the international community. One of them was that the “West” should stick to its own norms, another that development cooperation in a COIN environment is very problematic. This led to the conclusion that more time should be invested on strategy building and that politicians should be more cautious with regard to decisions implicating the use of military force.
28. March 2010
Public Panel Discussion on Afghanistan
On 24 March 2010, the IFSH organized a publi panel discussion which was attended by more than 70 guests. The event funded by NATO’s Public Diplomacy Deviision and chaired by Dr Hans-Georg Ehrhart was entitled “What shall be done in Afghanistan? NATO and the international community at the Afghan crossroads.” The panelists were Dr Rolf Mützenich (foreign affairs spokesman of the SPD faction in the German Parliament), William Moeller (head polical-military section of the US embassy), Mihai Carp (Internataion Staff, NATO) and Dr Wolfgang Jamann (Deutsche Welthungerhilfe). Mihai Carp explained the most important aspects of NATO’s new strategy which strives for a transfer of responsibility to the Afghan stakeholders as soon as possible. He saw progress with regard to the implementation of intensified cooperation between the various stakeholders that is the so called comprehensive approach. Bill Moeller criticized the lack of civilian and military means and asked the states involved to do better. Accordingly the US will stay engaged in Afghanistan as long as needed. Wolfgang Jamann underlined that the concept of networked security undermines the work of humanitarian and development organizations. The mingling of mandates inevitably leads to detrimental effects. He contrasted the concept of networked security with the preferred concept of Human Security. Rolf Mützenich expressed doubts whether the decision taken during the London Afghanistan conference last February will be successful. But it is worth a try. He hinted at the structural problems Germany is facing with Afghan police reform, and he emphasized the necessity to strive for much more cooperation with Afghanistan’s neighbors in order to enhance conflict resolution efforts. He also stressed the position of the SPD that the transfer of responsibility is to be implemented between 2013 and 2015. Hans-Georg Ehrhart concluded the panel discussion with a quote from ex-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt who had equaled the situation ion Afghanistan with a classic Greek tragedy. He remarked that the dynamics in this war torn country will also be influenced - positively and negatively - by the wisdom of political decisions made by the international community. Hence, the rule for future engagement should be to be more cautious when decisions on the use of force are made.
12. March 2010
Japanese-German Dialogue on Non-Proliferation
On March 8-9 Oliver Meier took part in the Japanese-German Dialogue on Non-Proliferation, which was organized by the Heinrich-Böll Foundation and the Japanese-German Center Berlin in cooperation with the Center for the Promotion of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation at the Japan Institute for International Affairs in Tokyo. Oliver Meier spoke on perspectives for cooperation between Japan and Germany on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. His presentation can be found on the website of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
12. March 2010
Strategy Meeting of the Conference of European Churches
On March 2-3 Oliver Meier participated as an external expert on the strategy meeting of the Conference of European Churches in Brussels on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and spoke about the role of the European Union at the forthcoming NPT Review Conference.
01. March 2010
Afghanistan
An interview with Hans-Georg Ehrhart was published in the US newspaper Stars and Stripes on 27 February 2010. Link
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