EU-CoE South Med. Program 2015-2017 kicks off in quest of New Tools for Democratic Stability

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- The Quest of New Tools for Democratic Stability in South Mediterranean marked the overall ambiance of EU/CoE's Conference which kicked off in Strasbourg the South II joint Program for the period of 2015-2017, in the presence of CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland, who stressed from the outset the importance it has Today to help "spread Europe's Values well beyond the continent", and particularly at its immediately Neighbouring Countries, when "facing"  ISIL's  Deadly Terrorists and other "growing extremism and anti-democratic forces" has become an urgent, vital need, where CoE's impressive institutional armature on Democracy and "against Human Traffickig, Corruption and Terrorism" can expand "a Common Legal Space" with Europe's Historic Neighbours.

 

    - Speaking later to "EuroFora", the experienced Director of the PanEuropean Organization's Constitutional Law watchdog, known as "Venice Commission", Thomas Markert, observed from the outset that the Special Status of "Partner for Democracy", already attributed by CoE's Parliamentary Assembly to Morocco and Tunisia, might, indeed, be a useful instrument to spread wider in that area in the Future, but also warned of the currently obvious fact that, at least as things stand now, something similar doesn't yet seem possible f.ex. for Libya, while even in Jordany it might prove to be quite Difficult to realise soon enough, so that Progress should better be made Today through other EU/CoE's tools.

----------------------------------------

    - But it was mainly from the Southern Coast of the Mediterranean that came a First Call for a "New Tool" to boost the Euro-Mediterranean policy, after Barcelona's EuroMed. Program focused on Culture, and EU's Union for the Mediterranean's focus on Economy, apparently seeking a New Horizon, while others denouned the fact that, in substance,  "20 Years were lost" in EU - South Mediterranean relations, as they criticaly said...

    - The 1st vice-President of the Parliament of Morocco, Mohamed Yatim, at the Concluding Session of EU/CoE's Conference, suggested the Idea for those Southern Mediterranean Countries who already have an "Advanced Expertise" in CoE's Legal and Political instruments, to go Further Ahead in a way which "could ensure Success of Other Countries too", as he said.

    +Speaking later to "EuroFora", vice-President Yatim explained, f.ex., that, in his view, it would be Easy for CoE's Assembly, - where Morocco and/or Tunisian MPs can Speak, (as representatives of those Southern Mediterranean Countries which have already become CoE's "Partners for Democracy"), but can't yet Vote, not even, Table a Draft Resolution, neither Amendments, nor become PACE's Rapporteurs, etc, - to give them, progressively, some More Possibilities to Act and react, together with all other  PACE's full Members.

-------------------------------

    - Meanwhile, the Experienced former President of CoE's International NGO's conference (INGOs), Jean-Marue Heydt, from Strasbourg's Region Alsace, who has recently been Elected as CoE's North-South Center's President, headquartered at Portugal's Lisbon, speaking to "EuroFora", found natural to try to use his acquired know-how in order to facilitate the development of Personal Contacts and "Networks" between the "Civil Societies" of teh Two Shores of the Mediterranean, in relation with EU/CoE's relevant activities.

---------------------------------------

    - As for the impressive CoE's Opening Session's Keynote Speaker, Mohammed Tozy, Director of Economics and Governance School of Rabat, and Head of CoE's Political School for Morocco, speaking later to "EuroFora", he advanced, inter alia, also the Idea to develop mutualy desirable contacts and projects, focusing also on cultivating the emergence of several People (Politicians, Officials, Experts, Journalists, Businessmen, etc),  who could become both motivated and able to act and cooperate Together for the Common Interest of the Euro-Mediterranean area.

 Last, but not least, curiously, the otherwise well-educated President of Tunisia's National Instance for the Fight against Corruption, Samir Annabi, said  that we should all be inspired here also by what he called "the German word "Praxis"" (sic !), and, unfortunately, the otherwise efficient Moderator from Deutsche Welle Akademy, Patrick Leusch, didn't rectify at all, on the contrary almost repeating Annabi's Terminologic inaccuracy... It's a pitty, because, in fact the Word "Praxis" notoriously comes from Ancient Greek language, (stemming, in particular frrom the Verb : "Pratw", which means "I do" or "act").  It's true that German Scientists have, many times, Saved several parts of Ancient Greek Civilisation, often by  renovating and/or completing them, as f.ex. with the Wonderful Work done by German Jurists in Medieval times on the "Pandekten-Recht", which stems from Legal Rules Codified by Byzance's Emperor Justinian since the 6th Century AC, etc. But it's, on the contrary, Unwise to make as if the Greek Language of Ancient Times didn't even exist Today : Regardless of whatever  Errors some Contemporary Politicians in Greece might have committed on Financial policies,  the Ancient Greek Civilisation doesn't belong to them, but to the Cultural Heritage of Europe, or even of the World. Particularly when it comes to the ...Mediterranean Sea's Countries, where the Ancient Greek Language notoriously used to be "Ligua Franca" for more than a Thousand Years, during which it was practiced by various People in everyday "Praxis"....    

------------------------------

    The 2015 South II program launching Conference was attended also by the new Deputy Head of EU's Delegation to the CoE, Tanja Leikas-Botta, and various Representatives (Politicians, Scientists, Judges, Heads of Independent Authorities, etc) from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon,  Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia, etc, as well as an impressibe tableau of CoE's Officials from manifold bodies experienced on Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of law issues, such as, f.ex., the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, ECHR, the "Venice Commission" on Democracy through (mainly Constitutional) Law, the Lisbon-based "North-South Center, the World Forum for Democracy, the Neighborhood Division, the Treaty Office and the Legal Cooperation Department,, the Action against Crime Department, "Group Pompidou" to Combat Drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking of Drugs,  Economic Crime Unit, the Division for Independence and Efficiency of Justice and the CEPEJ, etc, under the guidance of Verena Taylor, Director General of Programs.          

    While Pilar Morales, Head of COE's  Neighborhood Division was reading out for Discussion a Draft paper on the Conclusions of the 2015 South II Conference, it was anounced by the CoE that, already, a First Group of specialists from South Mediterranean Countries was due to come to Strasbourg Next Week in order to get familiar to ECHR's functioning and related matters.  

(../..)

------------------------

***

("Draftnews", as already send to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

***