European Parliament: The Week Ahead

The Week Ahead 6-12 July 2009
03-07-2009

Political groups week – Brussels

Swedish Presidency/Conference of Presidents. The outgoing President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, will be joined by leaders of the political groups in Stockholm for a meeting with the Swedish government as Sweden takes on the presidency of the Council (Monday).

Preparing for the plenary.

The political groups will finalise their preparations for the 14-16 July inaugural plenary session of the 7th directly elected European Parliament. On Thursday, the Conference of Presidents will set the plenary agenda, notably deciding whether there should be a vote on the Commission presidency at this stage. The session will begin with the election of Parliament’s new President and the Vice-Presidents and is likely also to include debates with the outgoing Czech presidency and the incoming Swedish presidency of the Council.

Greater cooperation between the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the EU Parliament

Greater cooperation between the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the European Parliament

18th March 2009: Today, Baroness Nicholson, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Iraq, hosted a delegation of Committee Chairmen from the Iraqi Council of Representatives.

The seven Chairmen strong delegation is on a fact-finding mission to the European Parliament and the UK Houses of Parliament to discuss and study the work and practices of their Parliament with fellow Parliamentarians in Brussels and London.

Baroness Nicholson welcomed the delegation to the European Parliament saying that “the growing cooperation and flow of information between the two Parliaments is creating a bridge of understanding and friendship between Europe and Iraq”.

The delegation represented by Ala Thasin Habib thanked Baroness Nicholson for her work in Iraq and the developing relations between Iraq and the European Parliament that Iraq highly values and wishes to pursue strongly.ENDS

Notes:- Members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives Delegation:

- Saleh Abdullah Hafthulla - Chairman of Labour and Services Committee

- Abdulkhaliq Mohammed Rashid Zangana - Chairman of the Refugee, Displaced and Immigrants Committee

- Hashim Yahia Ahmed Al Ta’ee - Chairman of the Regions and Governates Committee

- Ismail Shakur Rasul - Chairman of the Complaints Committee

- Ala Thasin Habib - Chairman of the Civil Society Committee

- Raof Osman Marof - Deputy Chairman of Culture, Media, Tourism and Archaeology Committee

- Harith Mohey Aldeen Abd Al-Obaidy - Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Committee

Bernard Kouchner and Hervé Morin at the EU Parliament

15th July 2008 15.00 - 16.30

Exchange of views with Mr. Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the French Republic and acting President-in-office of Council, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Minister of State to the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, on Foreign Policy priorities of the French Presidency. (for second half of 2008: French Presidency).

Many MEPs attended this event and several of them put questions to Mr. Kouchner.

There was only one question related to Iraq, it concerned the death sentence of Mr. Tariq Aziz.

Mr. Marco Cappato, MEP Italy, (List of Emma Bonino) who is opposed to the death penalty put a question to Mr. Kouchner about the fate of Mr. Tareq Aziz who has recently been sentenced to death in Iraq. He asked if he would intervene in order to try and stop the execution of Iraq's former Foreign Affairs Minister.

Mr. Bernard Kouchner's reply was that one cannot make an exception because Mr. Tariq Aziz is a Christian.

15th July 2008 16.30 - 18.00

Exchange of views with Mr. Herve Morin, Minister of Defence of the French Republic, on European Security and Defence.

What Now, Europe?

By Hans-Gert Pöttering

In the run-up to this week's European Union summit in Brussels, the president of the European Parliament is ratcheting up pressure on the Irish government to present a new plan of attack after its voters rejected a major EU reform treaty. In an editorial for SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hans-Gert Pöttering argues that the ratification process must continue.

REUTERS
European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering of Germany: "It remains our goal to see the Lisbon Treaty enter into force ..."On June 12, 2008 the citizens of Ireland voted "no" to the Lisbon Treaty. A detailed analysis will be needed of how this result came about and what caused the Irish, who have benefited from the European Union more than almost any other country, to vote this way.

At first glance it seems that the "no" vote resulted for contradictory reasons: Some business people favored a "no" because they felt their economic freedoms were under threat; others, such as some trade unionists, feared that the treaty didn't pay enough attention to the social system. Yet others even believed that abortion would be made easier by the treaty or that the Irish tax system would be put in question.

As French General Charles de Gaulle once said, in a referendum answers are given to questions that were not asked. I would not go as far as that, but there is a kernel of truth in that statement. What really motivated the Irish people, why they did not believe the European Union was going into the future on the right path with this treaty, remains to be analyzed in detail.
What is certain is that the outcome of this vote confronts the EU with one of the most difficult challenges in its history -- albeit not the first one. The Lisbon Reform Treaty is a huge step forward and we should not give it up. Compared to the existing Treaty of Nice, the reform treaty offers many advantages that one cannot deny: Lisbon grants the EU more democracy, greater ability to act and greater transparency. It strengthens the European Parliament considerably, gives national parliaments more responsibility in determining the course of European policy. Lisbon allows citizens of the European Union a power of initiative in relation to the European Institutions what will make democracy on the EU level more vital. More Europe will not mean less space for decision-making on the local level. On the contrary: The Treaty of Lisbon guarantees local self-government.

The Lisbon Treaty is the answer to justified criticisms that citizens have made of the European Union's shortcomings. This treaty brings the European Union closer to its citizens. We must make it perfectly clear that the adoption of the reform treaty is an absolute necessity to enable the European Union to defend its values and interests in the 21st century. Without the reforms made possible by the Lisbon Treaty, the accession of further countries to the European Union is hardly conceivable. We call upon the EU summit on Thursday and Friday in Brussels to take all appropriate steps to make the reform treaty a reality.

So what comes next? First, the ratification process must continue without reservation, since 18 countries have already approved the treaty. Ratification by other countries of the European Union is just as valid and must be respected just as much as the vote in Ireland.
We expect that at the EU summit in Brussels on June 19-20, the Irish government will give an initial assessment of the outcome of the vote in Ireland and put forward proposals as to how we can jointly progress beyond this difficult phase in European politics. The Irish government must have the first say in this matter. Not just because this is the custom but out of respect for the Irish vote. Therefore any speculation or conjecture as to possible solutions ahead of the summit would be inappropriate.

The European Parliament will devote all its energies and display maximum commitment to overcoming these challenges. We expect the same of the European Commission and of the governments of all European Union member states. We equally expect the European Parliament to be fully involved in the process. It remains our goal to see the Lisbon Treaty enter into force before the June 2009 elections to the European Parliament.

Hans-Gert Pöttering, a German member of the center-right Christian Democrats (known as the European Peoples Party in Brussels and Strasbourg), is president of the European Parliament.
URL:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,560496,00.html

Iraqi Turkmen Front EU Representative at the ALDE-UNPO Conference at the EU Parliament in Brussels on 16 May 2008

الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقية لدى الاتحاد الأوربي يشترك في المؤتمر العام التاسع لمنظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير الممثلة ( يو. ان. بي . او) الذي انعقد في بروكسل من 15 إلى 18 مايس 2008

تلبيه لدعوه تلقاها من منظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير الممثله ( يو. ان. بي . او) اشترك الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقية لدى الاتحاد الأوربي في أشغال المؤتمر العام التاسع لهذه المنظمه الذي انعقد في بروكسل من 15 إلى 18 مايس 2008 ضمن وفد تركماني ضم أيضا كل من الساده محمد قوجا رئيس تحرير صحيفة تركمن تايمز ، شيت جرجيس رئيس منظمه حقوق الإنسان لتركمان العراق و السيد أتيلا قلندار

وفي الجلسه الثانيه للمؤتمر التي انعقدت يوم الجمعه 16 مايس 2008 في قاعه البرلمان الاوربي في بروكسل ألقى الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقيه لدى الاتحاد الاوربي كلمه باسم تركمان العراق تطرق فيها الى معانات الشعب التركماني في العراق منذ تاسيس الدوله العراقيه في 1921 الى هذا اليوم وشجب جميع السياسات القمعيه
و العنصريه وكذلك التهميشيه التي طبقت من قبل مختلف السلطات العراقيه في كلا العهدين الملكي و الجمهوري ضد تركمان العراق الذين يشكلون القوميه الاساسيه الثالثه المكونه لشعب العراق و الذين لهم تاريخ طويل وحضاره عريقه قي هذا البلد مركزا بالاخص على المعانات و المظالم التي يعاني منها تركمان العراق منذ ثورة 14 تموز 1958 نتيجة الاظطهاد و التمييز العنصري ضدهم و كنتيجة لسياسة التعريب التي طبقتها النظام السابق في المناطق التركمانية
في محافظات كركوك و ديالى و صلاح الدين و نينوى و كذلك المعانات و المظالم التي يعاني منها تركمان محافظة اربيل منذ اعلان قرار الحكم الذاتي لاكراد العراق في 1970 الناتجه من سياسة التهميش و التكريد التي تطبقتها السلطات الكرديه في هذه المحافظه منذ ذلك الوقت

و أضاف قائلا
ربما لازال البعض يضن خطأ بان الامور قد تحسنت في العراق بعد الغزو الانكلو – الامريكي في مارس 2003 الذي أطاح بالنظام واحتل البلاد ثم مهد الطريق الى اجراء انتخابات برلمانبه أدعي انها كانت ديمقراطيه نزيهه و سلم السلطه الى الفائزين في هذه الانتخابات و الذين حدث ان جلهم كانوا من المتعاونين مع سلطات الاحتلال و المؤيدين لقوات الغزو ثم باشر في كتابة دستور جديد للبلاد أدعي انه عادل و عصري ، وبان السلطه في العراق قد باشر في تطبيق الديمقراطيه و ان الشعب العراقي بجميع مركباته و بينهم تركمان العراق بدؤا العيش هنيئا في جو ديمقراطي حر

للاسف الشديد لا شيئ من هذا القبيل قد تحقق لنا في العراق لان الاحتلال الاجنبي مستمر لبلادنا وإن تبدل اسمها من قوات الاحتلال الى قوات متعدد الجنسيات ولان الانتخابات تخللتها التجاوزات و عمها الغش لصالح الاحزاب التي كانت لها مليشيات مسلحه تدعمها و ان الدستورالجديد لم يكن عادلا و لا عصريا حيث فرق بين العراقيين و قسمهم الى قسمين او الى نوعيين من المواطنيين معتبرا عرب و اكراد العراق وحدهما كمواطنين من الدرجه الاولى وعنصريين اساسيين في تشكيل الشعب العراقي اما التركمان فقد اهملهم الدستور الجديد واعتبرهم مجرد اقليه في العراق ومع حقوق اقل من الحقوق المعترفه الى العرب و الاكراد . أي جعلهم مواطنين من الدرجه الثانيه قي العراق

كما ان الدستور الجديد تضمن فقرات او مواد خلافيه كالماده 140 في شأن مستقبل كركوك ومصطلحات غريبه كمصطلح الاراضي المتنازع عليها الذي يستعمل عادة لتحديد اماكن النزاع بين الدول المتنازعه و لا يليق ان يدخل ضمن فقرات دستور البلد الواحد

هذه بعض الادله على استمرار تهميش التركمان في العراق من قبل العرب و الاكراد المشاركين في الحكم و هناك
مصادر قلق اخرى للتركمان في العراق منذ الاحتلال حيث سمحت قوات الاحتلال المليشيات الكرديه الى الدخول في المناطق التركمانيه و السيطره على المدن التركمانيه ابتداء من مدينه كركوك و التحكم في مقدراتها و التلاعب في تركيباتها السكانيه باستيراد مئات الالاف من الكرد اليها لتكريدها تمهيدا لفرض الامر الواقع وضمها الى منطقة الحكم الذاتي

تركمان العراق شعب مسالم ، أحزابهم السياسيه تؤمن في مبادئ الديمقراطيه و تطبقها، تنبذ العنف و ليست لديها اية تنظيمات او ميليشيات مسلحه على خلاف الاحزاب العربيه و الكرديه المهيمنه على الساحه السياسيه قي العراق الان و التي حولت العراق الى يلد يعمه الفوضى بمساعدة قوات الاحتلال وبتوجيه منها حيث اصبح الشعار لدى هذه القوى البقاء للاقوى و القوي هو ذلك الذي يملك السلاح وله ميليشيات و الاقوى هو ذلك الذي يملك اكثر عدد من هذه الاسلحه و الميليشيات

لذا وقي هذه الظروف المعاشه في العراق اليوم أصبح صعبا جدا على التركمان الاحتفاظ على حقوقهم او المطالبه بحقوق إضافية إسوة الى العرب و الاكراد

نحن ندعوا الى تعديل الدستور العراقي الجديد كي يعترف الدستور المعدل على جميع حقوقنا المشروعه و يساوي التركمان مع العرب و الاكراد في الحقوق وكذلك لازالة جميع المواد و الفقرات أو المصطلحات الخلافيه منه

نحن نطالب السلطات العراقيه التحرك السريع لارجاع املاك و اراضي التركمان التي استوليت عليها في العهدين السابق و الحالي الى أصحابها الشرعيين وتعويضيهم تعويضيا عادلا لما خسروا جراء الاستيلاء على هذه الاملاك

نحن نسعى الى قيام جمهوريه عراقيه مستقله، ديمقراطيه و تعدديه و نتوجه بنداء عاجل الى منظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير

الممثله ( يو. ان. بي . او) و الى الاتحاد الاوربي و كذلك الى الامم المتحده و كل الخييرين في العالم كي يساعدونا في تحقيق مسعانا هذاأشكركم جدا

أشكركم جدا

Turkic Peoples' representatives at the ALDE-UNPO Conference on 16 May 2008 at the EU Parliament in Brussels (Part IV)

Iraqi Turkmens, Southern Azerbaijan, East Turkestan and Crimean Tatars Representatives

From left to right:

Dr. Hassan Aydinli, ITF Europe Representative

Mrs Rebiya Kadeer, President of the World Uyghur Congress

Mr. Eltkin Alptekin (Uyghur) UNPO Honorary President

Southern Azerbaijan and Iraqi Turkmens Representatives




Southern Azerbaidjan, Uighur (East Turkestan) and Iraqi Turkmen Representatives

Dr. Hassan AYDINLI, ITF Europe Representative attended the ALDE-UNPO Conference at the EU Parliament on 16 May 2008 (Part II)

الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقية لدى الاتحاد الأوربي يشترك في المؤتمر العام التاسع لمنظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير الممثلة ( يو. ان. بي . او) الذي انعقد في بروكسل من 15 إلى 18 مايس 2008

تلبيه لدعوه تلقاها من منظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير الممثله ( يو. ان. بي . او) اشترك الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقية لدى الاتحاد الأوربي في أشغال المؤتمر العام التاسع لهذه المنظمه الذي انعقد في بروكسل من 15 إلى 18 مايس 2008 ضمن وفد تركماني ضم أيضا كل من الساده محمد قوجا رئيس تحرير صحيفة تركمن تايمز ، شيت جرجيس رئيس منظمه حقوق الإنسان لتركمان العراق و السيد أتيلا قلمدار

وفي الجلسه الثانيه للمؤتمر التي انعقدت يوم الجمعه 16 مايس 2008 في قاعه البرلمان الاوربي في بروكسل ألقى الدكتور حسن آيدنلي ممثل الجبهة التركمانية العراقيه لدى الاتحاد الاوربي كلمه باسم تركمان العراق تطرق فيها الى معانات الشعب التركماني في العراق منذ تاسيس الدوله العراقيه في 1921 الى هذا اليوم وشجب جميع السياسات القمعيه
و العنصريه وكذلك التهميشيه التي طبقت من قبل مختلف السلطات العراقيه في كلا العهدين الملكي و الجمهوري ضد تركمان العراق الذين يشكلون القوميه الاساسيه الثالثه المكونه لشعب العراق و الذين لهم تاريخ طويل وحضاره عريقه قي هذا البلد مركزا بالاخص على المعانات و المظالم التي يعاني منها تركمان العراق منذ ثورة 14 تموز 1958 نتيجة الاظطهاد و التمييز العنصري ضدهم و كنتيجة لسياسة التعريب التي طبقتها النظام السابق في المناطق التركمانية
في محافظات كركوك و ديالى و صلاح الدين و نينوى و كذلك المعانات و المظالم التي يعاني منها تركمان محافظة اربيل منذ اعلان قرار الحكم الذاتي لاكراد العراق في 1970 الناتجه من سياسة التهميش و التكريد التي تطبقتها السلطات الكرديه في هذه المحافظه منذ ذلك الوقت

و أضاف قائلا
ربما لازال البعض يضن خطأ بان الامور قد تحسنت في العراق بعد الغزو الانكلو – الامريكي في مارس 2003 الذي أطاح بالنظام واحتل البلاد ثم مهد الطريق الى اجراء انتخابات برلمانبه أدعي انها كانت ديمقراطيه نزيهه و سلم السلطه الى الفائزين في هذه الانتخابات و الذين حدث ان جلهم كانوا من المتعاونين مع سلطات الاحتلال و المؤيدين لقوات الغزو ثم باشر في كتابة دستور جديد للبلاد أدعي انه عادل و عصري ، وبان السلطه في العراق قد باشر في تطبيق الديمقراطيه و ان الشعب العراقي بجميع مركباته و بينهم تركمان العراق بدؤا العيش هنيئا في جو ديمقراطي حر

للاسف الشديد لا شيئ من هذا القبيل قد تحقق لنا في العراق لان الاحتلال الاجنبي مستمر لبلادنا وإن تبدل اسمها من قوات الاحتلال الى قوات متعدد الجنسيات ولان الانتخابات تخللتها التجاوزات و عمها الغش لصالح الاحزاب التي كانت لها مليشيات مسلحه تدعمها و ان الدستورالجديد لم يكن عادلا و لا عصريا حيث فرق بين العراقيين و قسمهم الى قسمين او الى نوعيين من المواطنيين معتبرا عرب و اكراد العراق وحدهما كمواطنين من الدرجه الاولى وعنصريين اساسيين في تشكيل الشعب العراقي اما التركمان فقد اهملهم الدستور الجديد واعتبرهم مجرد اقليه في العراق ومع حقوق اقل من الحقوق المعترفه الى العرب و الاكراد . أي جعلهم مواطنين من الدرجه الثانيه قي العراق

كما ان الدستور الجديد تضمن فقرات او مواد خلافيه كالماده 140 في شأن مستقبل كركوك ومصطلحات غريبه كمصطلح الاراضي المتنازع عليها الذي يستعمل عادة لتحديد اماكن النزاع بين الدول المتنازعه و لا يليق ان يدخل ضمن فقرات دستور البلد الواحد

هذه بعض الادله على استمرار تهميش التركمان في العراق من قبل العرب و الاكراد المشاركين في الحكم و هناك
مصادر قلق اخرى للتركمان في العراق منذ الاحتلال حيث سمحت قوات الاحتلال المليشيات الكرديه الى الدخول في المناطق التركمانيه و السيطره على المدن التركمانيه ابتداء من مدينه كركوك و التحكم في مقدراتها و التلاعب في تركيباتها السكانيه باستيراد مئات الالاف من الكرد اليها لتكريدها تمهيدا لفرض الامر الواقع وضمها الى منطقة الحكم الذاتي

تركمان العراق شعب مسالم ، أحزابهم السياسيه تؤمن في مبادئ الديمقراطيه و تطبقها، تنبذ العنف و ليست لديها اية تنظيمات او ميليشيات مسلحه على خلاف الاحزاب العربيه و الكرديه المهيمنه على الساحه السياسيه قي العراق الان و التي حولت العراق الى يلد يعمه الفوضى بمساعدة قوات الاحتلال وبتوجيه منها حيث اصبح الشعار لدى هذه القوى البقاء للاقوى و القوي هو ذلك الذي يملك السلاح وله ميليشيات و الاقوى هو ذلك الذي يملك اكثر عدد من هذه الاسلحه و الميليشيات

لذا وقي هذه الظروف المعاشه في العراق اليوم أصبح صعبا جدا على التركمان الاحتفاظ على حقوقهم او المطالبه بحقوق إضافية إسوة الى العرب و الاكراد

نحن ندعوا الى تعديل الدستور العراقي الجديد كي يعترف الدستور المعدل على جميع حقوقنا المشروعه و يساوي التركمان مع العرب و الاكراد في الحقوق وكذلك لازالة جميع المواد و الفقرات أو المصطلحات الخلافيه منه

نحن نطالب السلطات العراقيه التحرك السريع لارجاع املاك و اراضي التركمان التي استوليت عليها في العهدين السابق و الحالي الى أصحابها الشرعيين وتعويضيهم تعويضيا عادلا لما خسروا جراء الاستيلاء على هذه الاملاك

نحن نسعى الى قيام جمهوريه عراقيه مستقله، ديمقراطيه و تعدديه و نتوجه بنداء عاجل الى منظمه الأمم و الشعوب الغير

الممثله ( يو. ان. بي . او) و الى الاتحاد الاوربي و كذلك الى الامم المتحده و كل الخييرين في العالم كي يساعدونا في تحقيق مسعانا هذا
أشكركم جدا

Iraqi Turkmens attended the ALDE- UNPO Conference in Brussels on 16-17 May 2008 (Part I)

From left to right:

Dr. Hassan AYDINLI, Iraqi Turkmen Front Europe Representative

Mr. Attila KALANDAR

Mr. Mohammed KHOJA, Editor of Turkmen Times

Dr. Sheth JERJIS, President of SOITM

ALDE Conference in partnership with Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization and Nonviolent Radical Party

IX UNPO General Assembly

16-17 May 2008

Brussels, Belgium

16 May 2008 Session at the European Parliament

Chair: Ledum Mitee Esq. , President, UNPO General Assembly

Mr. Marino Busdachin, UNPO General Secretary

Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, President, World Uyghur Congress (WUC)

Mr. Marco Cappato, Member of European Parliament, ALDE Group

Venerable U. Uttara, Secretary General of Sasan Moli-International Burmese Monks Org.

Mr. Marco Perduca, Senator of the Italian Parliament

Mr. Michael van Walt van Praag, Executive President, Kreddha

About the UNPO:

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international, nonviolent, and democratic membership organization. Its members are indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognized or occupied territories who have joined together to protect and promote their human and cultural rights, to preserve their environments, and to find nonviolent solutions to conflicts which affect them.

Although the aspirations of UNPO Members differ greatly, they are all united by one shared condition - they are not adequately represented at major international fora, such as the United Nations.

As a consequence, their opportunity to participate on the international stage is significantly limited, as is their ability to access and draw upon the support of the global bodies mandated to defend their rights, protect their environments, and mitigate the effects of conflict.

In today's world where over 90 percent of conflicts are intra-state, UNPO has been established to fill this gap, proficing an internaitonal forum through which its Members can become effective participants and contributors to the international community.

The UNPO was founded in 1991 at the Peace Palace in The Hague (the Netherlands).

The Iraqi Turkmens are Members of the UNPO (*)

(*) http://www.unpo.org/content/view/7878/117/

Dr. Hassan AYDINLI, ITF Europe Representative

Mrs. Merry FITZGERALD, Europe-Iraqi Turkmens Friendships

Please see article published in TURKMEN TIMES

by Mr. Mohammed KHOJA (in Arabic):

http://www.turkmentimes.net/Default/wesima_articles/reports-20080516-12455.html

and

http://www.turkmentimes.net/Default/wesima_articles/news-20080518-12503.html

UNPO Declaration: Opening the World Order to De facto States

Limits and Potentialities of de facto states in the International Context

15 May 2008
European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium

On 15 May 2008, UNPO hosted the conference "Opening the World Order to De facto States" in the European Parliament, Brussels.

Attendees at the conference included Graham Watson, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the ALDE Group, Marco Panella, Member of the European Parliament and Leader of the Nonviolent Radical Party, Michael Kau, Representative of Taiwan to the European Union and Belgium, Maxim Gunjia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Mohamoud Daar, Representative of the Republic of Somaliland to the European Union, Scott Pegg, Associate Professor, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Marino Busdachin, Secretary General, UNPO.

Below is the text of the UNPO Declaration on De facto States, prepared in consultation with the de facto states representatives and speakers present at the conference:

Declaration
Recognising that beyond the confines of the world’s internationally recognised State borders exist entities without official recognition as States, yet who possess many or all of the traditional empirical criteria for statehood and sometimes even function as States in international fora.

Recognising that these de facto states may have their own democratically elected government, political system, laws, judiciary, police force, defence force, currency, foreign representation, or all of the above, independent of any officially recognised State in whose (claimed or sovereign) territory they may lie.

Recognising that many sovereign States are not in favour of opening up the World Order to de facto states.

UNPO has convened this conference, not to address whether or not these entities should be independent and sovereign, which is a very complex and controversial matter, but to deal with the reality that these pockets of the world do exist and function, to varying degrees, as states, and the practical implications of this fact.

This conference will show that, without full access to the World Order, both the peoples of these de facto states and the international community at large suffer. We suffer in terms of trade and investment, international security, health, safety and the prosecution of transnational, international and domestic crime. Negligence towards de facto states harms human rights and human dignity.

On a domestic level, examples of this suffering can be seen in the obvious consequences to the commercial sector of the de facto state lacking an internationally recognised central bank, the health of the peoples of the de facto state suffering because, for example, the de facto state entity is denied access to the World Health Organisation, or their safety being jeopardised by the de facto state airline having to conduct its air traffic controlling from a neighbouring State.

On an international level, the practical implications of the restricted access of de facto states to the World Order are more profound still. Obviously, whilst the very same domestic concerns mentioned can have wide-ranging international consequences, in a globalised world, the dangers created by the legal voids that these areas represent in international security and crime should be of grave concern to all State governments.

This conference, then, brings together officials from unrecognised governments with the main aim of creating and sustaining permanent mechanisms of involvement and consultation of unrecognised state entities in the international community, for the benefit not only of the peoples of these de facto states, but for the international community at large.

It is the sincere hope of UNPO that following on from this conference, a series of consultations between de facto states and between de facto and sovereign States can begin.

Office of the General Secretary
P. O. Box 85878 - 2508 CN The Hague - The Netherlands
Tel: +31(0)70 3646 504 - Fax: +31 (0)70 3646 608 - unpo@unpo.org

Conference at the European Parliament in Brussels

With Ms Erika Mann, Member of the European Parliament

With Mr. Paulo Casaca, Member of the European Parliament

Conference debate at the European Parliament hosted by
MEPs Ms Erika Mann and Mr Paulo Casaca

"Women Journalist in Iraq – Testimonies of courage"
6th May 2008.

Invited speakers:

Ms Susanne Fischer, Middle East Program Manager of IWPR (Institute for War and Peace Reporting) who has been running journalism training programs in Iraq since 2005. She was based in Suleymaniya.

Ms S. Fischer had brought with her two of her Iraqi colleagues:

Mrs Zainab Ahmed and Mr Dawood Abdullah.

Ms Zainab Ahmed will be receiving, as representative of IWPR Iraq, the Henri Nannen Award for Freedom of Press engagement in Hamburg (Germany) on May 9, 2008.

ITF Europe Representative Dr Hassan Aydinli, and Mrs Merry Fitzgerald from the Committee for the Defence of the Iraqi Turkmens' Rights participated at this conference.

During the gathering which took place after the conference, Dr AYDINLI updated MEPs Erika MANN (Germany) and Mr. Paulo CASACA (Portugal) about the situation in the north of Iraq and he conveyed to them the Turkmens' views and position concerning: Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution which became null and void on 1st January 2008 and the Turkmens opposition to its prolongation for a further 6 months.

Concerning the situation in Kerkuk Governorate Dr Aydinli denounced the 'de facto' demographic changes and kurdification of Turkmen cities and towns since 2003, giving the examples of the abnormal population increases in Kerkuk and Leylan to the benefit of the Kurds.

Dr Aydinli reiterated his demand for the EU's support to the Turkmens' just cause.

Gabriele Zamparini: Exchange with Graham Watson Member of European Parliament

Gabriele Zamparini, The Cat's Dream
April 24, 2008

An e-mail exchange with Graham Watson MEP, Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar and Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament

Dear Graham,

I hope all is well.

Please find below an e-mail I sent to your colleagues Edward Davey and Nick Clegg.

I kindly invite you too to highlight the human cost of the Iraq war.

Thank you.
Best wishes,
Gabriele Zamparini
London

email to Liberal Democrats MPs Edward Davey and Nick Clegg RE: Iraq war death toll

Graham Watson's reply:

Dear Gabriele Zamparini

Thank you for copying me in on your email to Edward Davey and Nick Clegg. You may be interested to read a speech I made in the EP on Iraq. It can be found at: [link]

Yours sincerely
Graham Watson MEP

My reply to Graham Watson MEP:

Dear Graham Watson MEP,

Thank you for your reply and for sending the link to the speech you gave on Wednesday, 16 November 2005 at the European Parliament at Strasbourg.

You said then: "Yet after two years and eight months of war, the deaths of countless Iraqis and over 2 000 coalition troops, it is clear that life in Iraq is little better than before."

Yes, "little better" indeed.

Let’s remember that the "before" was when the UN, under the US and UK pressure, imposed an embargo to Iraq, that helped destroyed the country and caused the death of a terrifying number of innocent people. One million? Two millions? Will we ever know?

Denis Halliday, former UN Assistant Secretary General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (1997-98) said: "I had been instructed to implement a policy that satisfies the definition of genocide: a deliberate policy that had effectively killed well over a million individuals, children and adults." After thirty-four years with the United Nations, he resigned in protest over the effects of the embargo on the civilian population.

Hans Von Sponeck, who had succeeded Denis Halliday as UN Assistant Secretary General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (1998-2000), resigned on February 13, 2000. He asked: "How long should the civilian population of Iraq be exposed to such punishment for something they have never done?"

Like Halliday, he had been with the United Nations for more than thirty years. [Source: The New Rulers of the World, by John Pilger, Verso, 2002]

Then came the US+UK war of aggression, illegal under the UN Charter – as recognised by the then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan - and called at Nuremberg in 1945 the supreme international crime: "To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." - Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Trial of German Major War Criminals - Nuremberg, Germany 1946

I was glad to read in the second part of your speech, the first of your three concerns: "First, the Pentagon’s acknowledgement a few hours ago that the US used phosphorous incendiary devices in Fallujah.

The European Union must demand a UN inquiry into the use of these banned weapons." This was in November 2005.

Please, may I ask you if the European Union demanded that UN inquiry?

Most importantly, I would kindly like to have your attention on one point. Once again, as the media watch FAIR wrote a few weeks ago: "There is no more important question about the Iraq War than the question of how many Iraqis have died. It is impossible to truly evaluate the war or discuss where to go from here without knowing the human cost of the war, and that cost has overwhelmingly been borne by Iraqis."

Please, it would be possible for the European Parliament to ask for an investigation on the human cost of the Iraq war?

Thank you again for your time and all you’ll be able to do on this issue.

Best wishes,
Gabriele Zamparini
London


P.S. Useful resources:

Iraq: the Human CostUpdated Iraq Survey Affirms Earlier Mortality EstimatesORB Update on Iraqi Casualty DataAnswers to Questions About Iraq Mortality SurveysCounting Iraqi Casualties -- and a Media ControversyWhat is the real death toll in Iraq?Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust'

www.thecatsdream.com/blog/2008/04/exchange-with-graham-watson-mep-leader.htm

PRESS RELEASE: ALDE calls for an urgent reappraisal of EU Policy in the Middle East

(ALDE: Alliance of Liberals & Democrats for Europe)

Distribution: immediate - March 10, 2008, 7:14 pm


At today's plenary debate on the situation in Gaza, European Liberal and Democrat group leader Graham Watson called into question the EU policy in the Middle East: "The major condemnation of the EU is that we have followed blindly US policy in the region. As a result, Palestinian infrastructure funded by the European taxpayer is regularly destroyed by Israeli forces using American weapons. Is that the way we should put our resources to work? If ever there was a need for a European common foreign policy, this is it".

The scale of the humanitarian disaster demands urgent action and ALDE welcomes the informal ceasefire."The cycle of violence will not be broken by yet more violence. For peace to succeed we need to foster dialogue. That is surely the primary task of Tony Blair in his capacity as UN Middle East envoy. Clearly there can be no dialogue if Israel delegitimises every interlocutor or if Hamas continues to undermine such efforts by its cynical policy of launching rocket attacks knowing that Israel is likely to respond disproportionately." said Graham Watson.



L'ADLE demande à l'UE de reconsidérer d'urgence sa politique au Proche-Orient

Lors du débat que le Parlement européen, réuni aujourd'hui en session plénière à Strasbourg, a consacré à la situation dans Gaza, le président de l'Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l'Europe, Graham Watson s'est interrogé sur la politique de l'UE au Proche-Orient : "Le principal reproche à faire à l'UE est d'avoir suivi aveuglément la politique américaine dans la région. Avec comme seul résultat de voir les infrastructures palestiniennes payées par le contribuable européen régulièrement détruites par les forces israéliennes armées par les Etats-Unis. N'avons-nous rien de mieux à faire avec notre argent? Si jamais nous avons besoin d'une politique étrangère commune européenne, c'est bien là".

L'ampleur du désastre humanitaire appelle une réponse urgente et l'ADLE se félicite du cessez-le-feu informel qui s'est imposé."Le cycle de la violence ne sera pas brisé par la violence. Pour que la paix réussisse, il faut dialoguer. C'est incontestablement la première tâche de Tony Blair en tant qu'envoyé spécial du Quartet au Moyen-Orient.

Or il ne peut y avoir de dialogue si Israël nie la légitimité de ses interlocuteurs ou si le Hamas persiste avec cynisme à bombarder Israël tout en sachant que cela provoquera une réaction disproportionnée ", a conclu Graham Watson.


Web: http://www.alde.eu/sendstudio/users/link.php?LinkID=1862&UserID=12553&Newsletter=1415&List=9&LinkType=Send

bLiar's candidacy for EU top job not acceptable

Sarkozy seen as backing Blair for top EU job

09.01.2008 -
By Elitsa Vucheva

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair will attend a conference of French president Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right party UMP on Saturday (12 January), in what is said to be his first intervention for a party other than his own. The move is fuelling speculation that Mr Blair, who belongs to the UK's center-left Labour party, is in the running for EU president – a new high-profile job that can be held for up to five years starting in 2009.

The two men will debate Europe and Mr Blair may get clear backing from Mr Sarkozy in exchange of his participation at the conference, according to media reports.The UMP meeting marks the launch of its pre-electoral campaign before the municipal elections in France on 9 and 16 March – but there is set to be much speculation around Mr Blair's attendance.

The president of the socialist group in the French national assembly, Jean-Marc Ayrault, has accused Mr Sarkozy of preparing the ground for Mr Blair's candidacy for the EU top job with Saturday's event."I see something emerging from the UMP's side and from the president of the republic (…), which is preparing Tony Blair's candidacy for EU president", Mr Ayrault was reported as saying by French news agency AFP on Tuesday (8 January).

"This candidacy is not acceptable, because it is not acceptable that the first EU president is a man who supported and participated in the war in Iraq", he added.

Other politicians who have already expressed interest in what is to set to be one of the EU's top jobs include Luxembourg's prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern.

Two more positions are also up for grabs next year – president of the European Commission and EU foreign minister.

Haggling over the nominations for the post is set to start in earnest in the second half of this year when France takes over the EU presidency.

Note:
The leader of the opposition French socialists, Francois Hollande, also said Mr Blair's support for the US-led invasion of Iraq makes him unsuitable for the post.


http://euobserver.com/843/25415

Debate at the European Parliament: The situation of Iraqi Refugees in the Mashreq

Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries
Tuesday, 27 November 2007, 15.00 to 17.00
Brussels, Room ASP 5G2
Iraqi refugees in the Mashreq: a major challenge to Europe

DRAFT PROGRAMME
1. Welcome and introduction by the Chairwoman of the delegation, Mrs Béatrice Patrie
2. Outline of the situation in the region
 UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Ms Judith Kumin
 Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Ms Lisbeth Pilegaard
 International Rescue Committee (IRC), Ms Shannon Meehan
 Amnesty International, Mr Carsten Jürgensen
3. How the European Union is currently responding
 ECHO humanitarian aid and structural aid, in the presence of representatives of the European
Commission
4. Conclusions of the meeting by the Chairwoman of the delegation, Mrs Béatrice Patrie