CoE President-in-office Estonian Ambassador Kivi to Eurofora on Migrants, Children + Internet issues

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- PanEuropean CoE's Committee of Ministers' President in office for the period of May - November 2015, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Estonia, Katrin Kivi, speaking to "Eurofora" just after opening an International Conference on "Human Rights in Culturally Diverse Societies", earlier this (Monday) Afternoon, stressed, on the Topical Issue of the Migrant Crisis, that, while Refugees must be Protected, Nevertheless, Time has come to Make it Clear Who are Real Refugees, and who are simply Economic Migrants, or even Smugglers and Traffickers.

But Estonian CoE Presidency's Priorities, for the Period of May - November 2016 are mainly Focused on Children, as well as on the Internet, she added, advancing also on a Controversial aspect of the recent Deal between EU Commission and Big American Web Providers,  that "a Good Balance has to be Found", between Freedom of Expression and Public Authorities' actions Extending far  Beyond propaganda of Terrorism or Violence, but concerning also the so-called "Hate Speech" debate, where various NGOs have recently Warned against Risks of Abuse by Private Companies' interference, out of the Established Legal Procedures, (See Infra).

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Even if she speaks a good French, (Proud of having even been awarded the prestigious Honorific title of  "Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite" back on 2012 by France at Tallin, while she served as Ambassador in Denmark after having worked as No 2 in the Estonian Embassy in Paris earlier-on, Nevertheless, Ms Kivi accepted to Speek in English for "Eurofora"s version in this language, standing under the serious-looking eyebrows of World-famous former Brittish Prime Minister Winston Churchil's Statute, placed at the entrance of CoE's Press Room, (See relevant Photo)...

Kivi is the 2nd Senior Official from Estonia to be Interviewed by" Eurofora"s co-Founder, after that Baltic Country's Experienced, former long-time Estonian Parliament President, Mrs Ene Ergma (2003 - 2014), an AstroPhysician Scientist, graduated from Moscow University, an Astronomy Professor and Member of the Academy of Sciences , currently Chairwoman of the Parliament's Space Research Committee, who has Chaired also CoE's prestigious PanEuropean Bi-Annual Summits of Speekers of National Parliaments,   (See, also our relevant Publications at "TCWeekly", "SNS", etc).

But Estonia was also Home of World Famous Chess Player Paul Keres, one of the Strongest GrandMasters in History, particularly between 1944 - 1963, who often Headed the Team of former USSR in various European, International or Olympic Games' Tournaments, but also a Writer and always Topical Theoritician, that Ambassador Kivi reminded to "Eurofora", pointing also at some comparatively Younger Estonian "very Talented " Chess Players Internationaly known.

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CoE's CONFERENCE  AND MIGRANTS' CRISIS
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  - "Why this (CoE's) Conference Now ?", "Eurofora" invited the new sCoE's President-in-office to Explain from the outset.

 - "We (CoE's 47 Member Countries, with  850 Millions of Citizens) Need thist Conference, which is  very Timely, Because in our Societies of Today you need Respect of  Rule of Law, Democracy and Human Rights for Everybody, for Each one" living there, she Stressed.

 - Indeed, Recently, "among the People in Our Societies you Find very Different Individuals". And "we (CoE) are Speaking" particularly "about the Rights of Immigrants and Minorities here" (in this Conference), since "We have to Respect all These People. This Can only Contribute to Make our Societies Stronger", she pointed out in Reply.

    - "Do you think that Recent (2015-2016) Events about the Mass Migration Crisis, through Turkey and via (EU + Shengen Member) Greece, might have made things Harder, or are there also Other real Causes ?", "Eurofora" asked further.

    - "Why do you think that it might have made things Harder ?", the Estonian Ambassador stroke back, with a Smile... Despite the Notorious Problems of Security vis a vis several ISIL's Deadly Terroists found Hidden among those who came from Turkey through Greece, etc, an obvious OverCrowding with More than a Million of Asylum Seekers/irregular Migrants suddenly arriving inside the EU in just a Few Months' Time in the Biggest Population Displacement since World War II, considering also the often commented Fact that, Unlike various Other, Previous Refugees' Waves in Europe's Past, this Time the Quasi-Totality of this Exceptionaly Massive Migrtation, (at least partly Due also to some Turkey's Controversial Selection, mutatis-mutandis, mainly of Muslim and Less Educated Migrants, mostly Single, without their Families, and a Large Part comming even from the Maghreb and/or Pakistan/Afghanistan or Bangladesh etc, but Not only from War-stricken and Suffering by ISIL's Terrorism Syria/Iraq), added to the Unprecedented  Jan. and Spring 2016 Brutal Attacks against mostly Poor Young European Girls by organized Mobs of various Migrants in Koelna nd other Cities in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmarkl and Austria, recently Repeatedn also at Darmstadt, Near Frankfurt and Strasbourg, and at the UK, etc.,  even Against Minors aged Only 14 Years Old, as large-public Media reported.

    - "It's enough to just Read most Media in Europe recently", "Eurofora" simply observed...

    - Indeed, "the Europe of Today is Facing various Challenges : We have the Migrants/Refugees' Crisis, Terrorism, Economic issues, etc", CoE's President in office acknowledged.

     => - "So We Need Solidarity, Better Cooperation, and Coordination of our different Policies", she advised. "Because", at any case, "We have to Treat those People with Respect, as long as they have Reached our Continent", Ambassador Kivi noted.

    - Practicaly "Nobody dares say anything against the Real Refugees, since most of them have faced War, ISIL's Terrorism, Distructions and other serious Threats", particularly at the Syria-Iraq areas. "But, as you know, the Borderline is about Other People who have come inside this very Exceptional, Mass Displacement, and, as Greece might have made some Errors, proving Initially unable to Control alone that Massive Move comming through Turkey,  which may have Played some Games, the point is that Europe has had that Crisis, and there are many European People's Concerns about how this Other Part, of Social or Economic irregular Migrants, might Behave, integrate or not. Don't you think that , sometimes, such problems might be Bad, First of all Against the Real Refugees, who are the First to be Affected by such Issues ?", "Eurofora" queried.

     - "Well, there is No Doubt that the Real Refugees Need our (Europe's) Protection and Help", the Estonian CoE Presidency's Top Diplomat agreed. "In that sense, it's Not Only a European Concern, it's a Global Concern", she Added, Enlarging the scope of that Topical Issue in its Real Dimension, (which obviously Includes also International Community's Duty to make Stronger Efforts for the Fight against ISIL's and other Islamist Extremists' Deadly Terrorism, as well as for  Peace, particularly in Syria).

     >>> - "But, taking into account of all  those Various Migrants who have Reached our (European) Continent now, We (EU/CoE) have to Make it Now Clear : - Who are the Economic Migrants, Who are the Refugees, and What People may Profit  by Smuggling and Human Trafficking, because it's a very, very Serious Issue",  Ambassador Kivi underlined in Reply.

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+ CHILDREN :
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    + In Addition, "there are, also, More than 10.000 Unaccompanied Minors, among these People, who have "Disappeared" already, but there is also the Rest of  the Global Amount of all those Unaccompanied Children to take care", she noted, (evoking a really Strange, and probably, at least partly Tragic Issue, currently Investigated by a CoE Assembly's Rapporteur from Italy, and due to be discussed in Publc at a Plenary Session of the PanEuropean body in Strasbourg asap, as "Eurofora" has been earlier told by competent MEPs).

    => - "It Means : Better Coordination among Our Security Services, and Parliaments, Politcians and Governments, in order to Make it Clear Who is Who (Comp. Supra), and How to Help" ... For that purpose, "We Need adequate Policies", including on "Development and Technical Assistance" to concerned 3rd Countries, "where Everybody should Participate and do properly their part", she concluded.

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     + "Children are also Part of Your Priorities", observed on this occasion "Eurofora", concerning Estonia's officialy anounced Plan for its May - November 2016 Chairmanship of COE('s Highest Political body, that of its Committee of Ministers.

    - "Yes", indeed, "this is one of Estonian Presidency's Key Periorities", the Chairing Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the CoE, confirmed in reply. "Speaking of the Children, in the Context of the Estonian Presidency (of COE's Committee of Ministers : 5 - 11/2016), We want to pay More Attention mainly on 3 Issues :"

    - " (a) Children in the Digital Environment, (b) Children in the Migration Crisis, and (c) Children's Participation :" I.e. "Encourage Children to Participate in Everyday  Life, and How to Help them also when they are Involved in different Legal Procedures, f.ex. in Courts, as Victims, Defenders or for Testimony-giving, etc, in the Best Possible Way", she specified, (speaking of another Socialy and Humanly  Sensitive area, on which, by a Coincidence, "Eurofora" co-Founder's Father had Worked during almost All his Life as a Director of the Administration of Courts Specialized in Children's cases, some of which can, indeed, be among the Hardest and more Delicate, as he had several Times described in concreto).

    -  In this regard, "Everyone is Aware of the Risks that our Children may Face in a Digital Environment, as well", (Internet, Mobile Phones, CDs, etc). This is added to the "Migrant Crisis" (Comp. Supra), as part of "Global Issues". "This is why Estonia is also organizing an Event in New York, during UNO's General Assembly" meetings "on September" 2016,  "because we have also the UNICEF's Presidency" at the same time.  "But, in Tallin, we plan to organize anOther Event, at the Begnning of November, to Address those 3 Issues concernng the Children (Comp. Supra), and to Guarantee CoE's Endorsement of proposals which would have been drafted during the Estoniian Presidency".    

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INTERNET

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    - By the way, "Your CoE Presidency's Priorities Focus on Internet issues", for which Estonia is "a Landmark Country", observed further "Eurofora", (who had been Impressed in the Past by an Estonian Collegue Journalist's veery Performant Digital Tools, and, Recently, even by the Introduction of Internet Voting in Estonian Elections), inviting Ambassador Kivi to "HighLight" briefly the Main Points of what could be Expected from the PanEuropean Organisation during the Period of Spring - Autumn 2016 (5-11/2016 : which coincides also with ougoing US President Obama's reported Intention to Try to Forge a set of Global Rules on the Web during the Last Months of his Term of Office, i.e. before January 2017).

    - "Related to the Internet and Human Rights, which stand Both Off-Line and On-Line, it's about, f.ex. Promoting COE's Convention on "Cyber-Crime", (which will hold in November an Anniversary International Conference in Strasbourg), while, already, "Last Friday, CoE's Secretary General (Thornbjorn Jagland, from Norway : a Country participating at the Same "Nordic Council" as Estonia), "was paticipating in Euro-DIG, in Brussels, with many other Stakeholders, about Internet Governance", she Started to Reply.

    - Naturally, "this is Global, but the (PanEuropean, 47 Member States-strong) CoE has a Wonderful Toolbox", concerning Internet, "and it has Created Many  Legal Binding Standards", the Estonian Presidency's representative pointed out with Enthousiasm.

    - In this regard, currently, "the Aim is to make some Order in this Jungle, because, as I said Earlier Today in my Introductory Remarcks" to the above mentioned CoE's Conference (Comp. Supra), f.ex., Hate Speach Off-Line is Hindered, but Hate Speech On-Line should be also dealt with as a Crime too", she argued.

    - "So, We (CoE's Presidency by Estonia) are Addressing the Internet Freedom of Expression Issues at the Beginnning of September, Together with the German Presidency of the (Euro-Atlantic) OSCE, with which we ae making a Joint Conference on the 9th of September in Strasbourg, Ambassador Kivi Topicaly pointed out at"Eurofora".

    - In this regard, "Eurofora" asked CoE's President-in-office if she thought that there might be a "Hope" to find some "SafeGuards" in order to Address the Serious Concerns for possible Risks of Abuse, recently Expressed by various NGOs, f.ex. in E-Mails send to Medias, including "Eurofora", wheer they Strongly Criticized, precisely, that Part of a Recent Deal between EU Commisioner Vera Joureva and Big American Web Provider Companies, which related Not to Terrorist or other propaganda for Violence, (that almost Everybody Agreed to Tackle), but just the Delicate Issue of Distinguishing among  Citizens' (and Journalists') Freedom of Expression, and the so-called "Hate Speech". Indeed, both Christian and Securlar NGOs, f.ex. from the UK, as well as American and European NGOs for Internet Freedoms, often Consulted by the EU in Bussels, Denounced what they felt to be a Risk for an "Orwellian-like" Oppression of Political Dissidents throughout the Web, if even some Anonymous and UnAccountable Employees of Private Companies could f.ex. Block Access to a Website, Erase a Publication on-line, Out of any Legal Procedure under ECHR's supervision, (which, on the Contrary, applies to all CoE's Member State' activitiess).

Among various other Cases, f.ex.,, a Christian NGO said that he suddenly found its Website practicaly Blocked, under fallacious pretexts given only a Long Time Afterwards, while a Swedish Journalist saw her Video-Reportage Erased at the Internet, (before being Restored, Later-on, after Many People's Protests, almost at the Same Time that a Student was reportedly Excluded from a University's Lectures on Pretext of his Criticism against Homosexuals' Demand not only for Same Sex "Mariage", but also for Children Artificialy born or "Adopted" by them, according to some Controversial and UnPopular Laws.
    
     >>>  - "I think that We (COE) must Find a Good Balance, by Protecting the Freedom of Expression, and also the Actions of our Authorities how to Avoid" Violent or Hate Speech at the Internet, CoE's President-in-office Stressed in Reply to "Eurofora"s Question on the Controversial Part of such  Recent EU/CoE Deals with Big Companies providing Web Access and various Digital Infrastructures.     

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("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be Published asap).

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