CoE to create PanEuropean "Early Warning" forum, linking Human Rights/Democracy and Peace

Chaired by CoE Assembly EDG Group President, British Conservative MEP David Wilshire, who enthousiasticaly stressed to "EuroFora" that "we must use all CoE's means to prevent conflicts where People are being killed", the 1st PanEuropean "Early Warning" Forum in Strasbourg succeeded to attract support by Top Politicians from France, Russia, Sweden (current EU chair), Spain, Switzerland (forthcoming CoE chair), etc. with a wide  participation of key-Experts from EU, WEU, OSCE, UNO, scientists, MEPs, journalists, INGOs (as International Red Cross, etc).

He spoke almost a year after the August 2008 Russia - Georgia war clash at the Caucasus, where the outgoing CoE's Secretary General Terry Davis and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (current EU chair-in-office) had vainly warned, since June 2008 at a Press Conference in Strasbourg, of the dangerous existence in that area not only of "frozen conflicts", but also of "sleeping volcanoes"... (See "EuroFora"'s publication from that event).

- "When people are killed in conflicts, it never happens all out of a sudden", as an earthquake. "Most of the times, there is, previously, a period of tensions and events which leads to that. It's there CoE could and should act. And when it comes to save People from being killed, all CoE's means should be used", Wilshire added to "EuroFora"

A written "Recommendation" to make CoE's Early Warning Forum "an Annual event", was adopted by PanEuropean gathering, after Wilshire seized on the fly a proposal made by CoE's Rapporteur on the "Future role" of Strasbourg's PanEuropean Organisation, Head of France's Delegation, ChristianDemocrat MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, to "regularly repeat it anew".

On August 2008, it was notoriously the fast-track and efficient intervention of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, (EU-Chairman then), which succeeded to stop the war at a crucial moment, after he flew immediately to Moscow and Tbilisi to meet Russian President Medvedev and his Georgian counterpart Saakashvili.

- "But we have only one President Sarkozy", while we need a permanently peaceful panEuropean area, said Mignon, smiling, to "EuroFora".

The idea surprisingly attracted even the  anti-Militarist, experienced Swiss MEP, President of CoE Assembly's Socialst Group, Andrea Gross, who just drafted a new Report seaking to revitalize "UNO's reform", 4 years after the Historic 2005 New York Summit for the 60 Years of the International Organisation.  -"Because, now, at New York, the UNO reform proces faces a deadlock. That's why parliamentarians should help to re-launch it", as Gross told "EuroFora".

UNO's key Expert, Mrs Annita Ernstorfer, Conflict Prevention specialist at UNDP's Bureau for Crisis' Prevention, also stressed that, we (UNO) need for Peace to be "sustainable". It makes no sense to draft Peace agreements which may break down soon, followed by new and sometimes worse conflicts. It's here that respect for Human Rights and Democracy can be useful, because they avoid conflicts and help to keep stability, she observed.

Now that Winston Churchil's original Historic idea to set up in Strasbourg a PanEuropan Organization has started to be realized,  with East-West Europe's recent reunification after EU's 2004 Enlargement, a decade after Russia's entry into the CoE, a landmark Study titled "No Peace without Human Rights : CoE and Conflict Prevention", reminded the famous Brittish Conservative Prime Minister's prophetic words : - "There should come into being a Council of Europe... when created, (it) must eventually embrace the whole of Europe.. to prevent renewed aggression and the preparation of future wars".

Significantly, this interesting Study was drafted by the experienced former Director of CoE Assembly's Political affairs Committee and of CoE Secretary General's office, Jan Kleijssen from Austria, who is now Head of CoE's Human Rights' standard-setting mecanisms, (which spread from "Democracy through Law" Venice Commission, and anti-Torture watchdog CPT, up to anti-Discrimination and anti-Racism body ECRI, etc).

F.ex. - "Torture is said to be the best recruiting agent for armed insurgents or terrorist movements", the CoE's Senior Official noted. Even if ..."Fire-proof doors and carpets are less fascinating than a roaring fire engine", "CoE, .. better known for its protection of Human Rights, rule of Law and pluralist Democracy", is making a major contribution to conflict prevention exactly through these activities", observed Kleisjen.

Lengthy presentations by EU Commission and Council secretariat's competent Experts, described a series of Services, on the spot Offices, Agents, etc., and the recent creation of an EU's "Early Warning Network".

Certainly, all those recruited agents, offices, networks, secretariats, equipments and communications, budget funds, etc. would do a valuable job, worthy of EU taxpayers' money... But it's an undeniable fact, that, back during 2008's Summer, when the EU had to move urgently, at the beginning of August, to stop the War between Russia and Georgia before it arrives to Tbilisi, and save Human Lives and Homes from more Killings and Destructions, Sarkozy notoriously didn't find anyone ready to act from Brussels ! And he was obliged to take initiatives alone (as EU Chairman), after phone calls with German Chancellor Merkel, who was holidaying at South Tirol in Italy, and following even a dramatic call by Pope Benedict to save innocent civilian People from on-going destructive clashes, and prevent new divisions in Europe. (See "EuroFora"s Publication from Brixen/Bressanone, at the eve of Sarkozy's visit to Moscow).

- "CoE should re-integrate and develop several of WEO's activities on Security", said to "EuroFora" mainstream Spanish ChristianDemocrat MEP, Head of Delegation to the WEO's Assembly, Pedro Agramunt Font de Mora.

Russian meanstream MEP  Sergey Markov, speaking to "EuroFora", said that he agreed with Strasbourg's move. It would be even better if it came in the larger framework of developing a genuinly panEuropean CoE, and a "new common area" where EU and Russia could usefully exchange together, as French President Sarkozy recently agreed with German Chancellor Merkel, (after discussing the idea also with new USA President Obama) : Russia can help boost Energy and High-Tech. exchanges (f.ex. in various Space applications, etc), while EU can help modernize Russia", said to "EuroFora" Markov.

Instead of those who search to isolate and push Russia away from the rest of Europe, we should create a really common area, spreading from the Euro-Asian and Central Asian space up to the Mediterranean and Africa, added Markov, finding interesting to apply a similar idea as that of the "Union for the Mediterranean", (created at Päris' Summit on July 2008, during the French EU Presidency) : It helps, f.ex. "Finland to act up to Africa's coasts". But this should not exclude Russia", Markov observed.

-  The "existence of Political will and support" was underlined as an important point for the development of such "Early Warning" activities, by the President of CoE Assembly's Political affairs Committee, Goran Lindbland, ChristianDemocrat MEP from Sweden (current EU Chair).

President of CoE's Assembly, experienced Spanish Socialist MEP Jose Luis de Puig, concluded Strasbourg PanEuropean Conference's 2-Days work, also by stressing the links between Human Rights, Democracy, rule of Law and Peace :

 - "We must put Peace at the Center of our concerns", and "CoE must invest in capacities to prevent Conflicts", declared De Puig  : When the latest CoE Summit of Heads of State and Government, on 2005 in Warsaw, said that CoE must focus on Human Rights, Democtacy and Rule of Law, it also added that this should be done "in the light" and "in the perspective" of CoE's "priority to guarantee Peace between its Member States", he observed.

 - "This goes both inside Europe and in relation to our neighbouing countries", CoE Assembly's President added.