Conferentie over verbetering diplomatieke vaardigheden EU (en)

The Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European External Action Service will host a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels on how to strengthen the mediation capacity of the EU.

The promotion of peace and the prevention of conflict have been key drivers in the development of the European Union, as recognised by the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. The creation of the European External Action Service, with its global network of EU Delegations and a dedicated mediation support team, has enhanced the EU’s capacity for peace mediation.

This high level conference will bring together policy makers and practitioners from the EU, the United Nations and civil society to examine the contribution of the European Union to mediation. As well as the activities undertaken directly by the EU and its Delegations, the conference will examine the EU’s cooperation with partners including the UN and civil society organisations which are active in the field of mediation. The conference will examine the strengths and weaknesses of existing tools then consider possible steps to further improve EU mediation capacity, including an assessment of the proposal to establish a European Institute of Peace.

The conference will be opened by Elmar Brok i, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and Helga Schmid, Deputy Secretary General of the EEAS. Mediation experts from the UN and civil society will contribute to the debate before keynote interventions by Tánaiste and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore (Ireland), Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (Sweden) and Pierre Vimont, Executive Secretary General of the EEAS.

ENDS

Note for Editors

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  Find out more event information.
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  The conference will consider the activities foreseen in the EU’s 2009 Concept on Mediation.
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  Find information about the current activities of the EEAS Mediation Support Unit.