EU Presidency Statement - The role of civil society in conflict prevention

Mr. President,

I have the honor of speaking on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the associated countries Turkey and Romania, declare that they align themselves with this statement.

The issue of conflict prevention is one of particular significance to the EU and to its Member States. The EU, which represents in itself an on-going effort in advancing peace and prosperity, welcomes the resolution 337 on the prevention of armed conflicts that was adopted by the General Assembly on July 3, 2003 as a real landmark.

The meeting convened today comes as a valuable follow-up to this resolution and we would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, for your efforts in promoting and achieving this initiative.

The EU is convinced that civil society and non-State actors play an important role in supporting the prevention of armed conflicts. NGO's have been particularly active in areas such as Small Arms Light Weapons, media training for fair reporting on tension and conflict, as well as mediation between different interests. Actually NGO's are key actors in long-term conflict prevention. For preventive action is a cross-cutting issue and it must be approached in an integrated way, involving a wide range of actors and instruments in order to achieve its greatest effectiveness. Democratic societies - where good governance and the rule of law are applied and political institutions are strong, where civil and political rights are fully recognized, where participation in electoral processes is guaranteed, where human rights, freedom of expression and independence of media are respected - are undoubtedly less exposed to conflict potential. The EU regards the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are strongly supported by the civil society actors, as a crucial component of societal development contributing to conflict prevention. The same can be said where strong economic institutions exist and where there is a stable and thriving economy, and where there is a democratic and democratically accountable security sector. And we know that all these factors also contribute to long-term and sustainable development.

The importance of civil society in conflict prevention was recognized by the EU at the Goteborg European Council in June 2001 as well as in the practice of regular consultations in the field, in Member States and in Brussels. The EU, through its Member States and the Commission, is currently implementing an annual Programme for the Prevention of Violent Conflicts. In this framework, the EU also supports the work of NGO's and non-State actors in several parts of the world in the conviction that their activities can foster a climate of peace, can help prevent or mitigate crisis situations and contribute to reconciliation. As part of its support to civil society, the Commission provides extensive assistance to initiatives by and/or for women in developing countries, particularly in Africa. In fact, a gender perspective is paramount not only in emergency operations, but also in crisis prevention.

Mr. President,

Previous participants have touched on the issue of how further to define the NGO's role and future interaction with the United Nations. In this regard, we welcome today's discussion on the preparation of an international conference of NGO's at the UN Headquarters in 2005, and we gladly take note of the cooperation that the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP) has developed with the UN Secretariat. The EU expresses its interest in being constantly informed as to the developments that will take place in preparation of the conference.

| Top |

• EU Presidency Statement - Prevention of armed conflicts (3/7/2003)