Conference Report

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy led the World Without Walls 2011 Conference entitled “Promoting Peace and Stability in the Mediterranean: An International Peace-building Congress” from the 22nd to the 25th September 2011. This conference was kindly hosted by the European Institute for the Mediterranean in Barcelona.

The program brought together a group of 40 Conference participants and over 30 leading international speakers from backgrounds such as Academia, International Relations and NGOs.  

The Conference consisted of a very full program of lectures from individual speakers and interactive discussions. The participants were also given the opportunity to present their own papers. The evenings were dedicated to cultural activities related to the La Merce Festival as well as a visit to the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall. All this led to a varied and diverse program of events.

Conference Speakers

• Anna Terrón i Cusi
  Secretary of State of Immigration and Migration of Spain
• Anna Mercadé Ferrando
  Lecturer and Author
• H. E. Amb. Alon Bar
  Ambassador of Israel to Spain
• Aureli Argemí
  Founder and President of Escarré International Centre for Ethnic Minorities and Nations (CIEMEN)
• H.E. Amb. Ayman Zaineldine
  Egyptian Ambassador to Spain
• Caroline Madeleine, 
  Coordinator of Governance and Cooperation, Casa Mediterraneo
• Bashkim  Shehu
  Writer
• Prof. Dr. Carles Castellanos
  Professor of the Department of Translation, University of Barcelona
• The Hon.  Ernest Maragall i Mira
  Former Counsellor of Education, Catalonia
• Dr. Francesc Granell Trías
  Professor, Economics Department University of Barcelona
• Lord Jack McConnell
  Member of the House of Lords, Former First Minister of Scotland
• Dr. Jaume Saura Estapà
  Professor, Department of Law, University of Barcelona
• The Hon. Minister Jesmond Mugliett
  Minister for Urban Development and Roads of Malta
• João Ribeiro de Almeida
  Consul General of Portugal in Barcelona
• Joseph Mifsud
  President, Euro-Mediterranean University
• Jozo Radoš
  Member of the Croatian Parliament, Croatian People’s Party
• Mr. Juan Battlo Ferrer
  Economic Counselor, Consulate of the Czech Republic
• Dr. Juan Merelo-Barbera
  Professor, University of Barcelona
• Dr. Milagros Álvarez-Verdugo
  Professor of International Relations, University of Barcelona
• The Hon. Miltiadis Varvitsiotis
  Member of the Greek Parliaments, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece
• H. E. Amb. Musa Amer Odeh
  Ambassador of Palestine to Spain
• The Hon. Nouzha Skalli
  Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity of Morocco
• The Hon. Petros Efthymiou
  President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Member of Parliament of the Hellenic Parliament
• H. E. Amb. Rolands Lappuķe
  Foreign Ministry Republic of Latvia, Policy Planning Unit, Ambassador at Large
• H.E. Amb. Ryszard Schnepf
  Polish Ambassador to Spain
• Dr. Santiago Ripol
  Professor of Public International Law
• The Hon. Selmo Cikotić
  Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• H. E. Amb Sotirios Varouxakis
  Ambassador-Coordinator for the Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens
• H.E. Amb. Željana Zovko
  Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Spain
• H. E. Ambassador Yigit Alpogan
  Deputy Secretary General for Transport and Urban Development of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean

An Introduction to the Speeches

22nd September 2011

Knowing Complexity for a Durable North-South Democracy
Prof. Dr. Carles Castellanos

• The historical relations in the Mediterranean area have been more complex than the present North-South relation.
• Dr. Castellanos highlighted the important historical and linguistic links, putting forward the example of the “lingua franca” but also of cultural and technical dialogue around the Mediterranean.
• According to him, the present North-South cleavage was created during the colonization and grew afterwards.
• For a durable North-South Democracy, a bilateral rapprochement is needed. Countries in both sides need to break their ideological taboos. In the North by abandoning the clichés and the superiority complex, in the south by adopting values like democracy, equality, secularism and cultural and linguistic diversity.

Marginalized European and Mediterranean Peoples for a World without Borders
Aurelí Argemí

• Marginalized peoples: minority language and no state
• In the new context of globalization and European Integration, the artificial State borders are diluting and this should allow all peoples to enjoy their linguistic rights.
• The “great wall” between privileged and marginalized peoples

What a Neighbour Gets is Not Lost - Priorities of the Polish Presidency in a New European Neighbourhood
H.E. Amb. Ryszard Schnepf

• The history of Poland getting into the EU and its presidency of the council of the European union
• After 1990 elections which ended the communist regime, Poland restored its freedom and dignity by gathering around the idea of solidarity
• Today’s Europe is not Alice in the wonderland
• Europe is facing serious strategic questions: long-term energy supplies; migration and border control; fierce economic - and political - competition from other parts of the world; instability across North Africa and the Middle East 
• The polish approach to the relations with the EU can be summed up in three words: growing, secure and open.
• The Polish Presidency recognises the importance of EU relations with its neighbouring regions
• Boosting Eastern Partnership and assisting in reforms in Southern Neighbourhood belong to the EU’s priorities
• The Presidency will work to set up a new framework of cooperation between the EU and Russia
• The EU draws on the hard-won experience of Polish and other countries transformation
• Poland has taken on the EU Presidency in the spirit of solidarity and optimism and they will spread their faith to Europe.

23rd September 2011

Women, Peace and Progress in the Mediterranean
Anna Mercadé Ferrando

• Women are create wealth and social progress by investing in health and education of their children and creating companies that benefit the entire family and bring economic progress to their environment.
• Peace needs democracy based on freedom and respect for human rights for everyone.
• Peace is essential for economic, social and cultural development. People and women in particular need to believe in a peaceful future to give hope and confidence and to create a better future for their children and country.
• Women think in the long term, care more about future generations and are better communicators and negotiators. If they were in power positions, the Mediterranean would be more peaceful.

24th September 2011

Lecture and Discussion
The Hon. Nouzha Skalli

• The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, has been not only signal the reunification of Germany, but the fall of a symbol of a divided Europe in perpetual conflict.
• The Palestinian-Israeli is an obstacle not only to the development in the middle east area but also in the Mediterranean
• Can the Israelis understand that it is a necessary step to ensure stability and peace not only between the peoples of the Middle East, but in the Mediterranean and worldwide. Recognizing that peace and security can be founded only on justice, dialogue and recognition of each other.
• The desire for freedom, the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and gender equality has managed to blow the walls erected by fear and repression in Tunisia, Egypt and Libyan
• The Arab Spring is promising to bring democracy, freedom and dignity to the peoples of the region
•  It is fair to say that the marginalization of women is one of the prominent causes of the deterioration of the economic, social and political reality, in the southern Mediterranean countries
• Crises are also due to discrimination against women and their low contribution to the social  political and economic decisions
• Gender inequality has many negative impacts on the societies in the region
• The promotion of women's rights and equality is the good way to build more fair, more human and more united societies
• The Moroccan revolution is one of most peaceful and serene in the Arab world.
• Morocco has made a lot of reforms and changes different field (economics, politics, human rights...)
• The new constitution was announced by His Majesty Mohammed VI since March 9, 2011
• The constitutions brought many changes to the country

Lecture and Discussion
H.E. Amb. Musa Amer Odeh

• Palestine’s application to the UN membership and the obstacle standing against this application
• People in Palestine are living under
•  Religion must not be based for any country
• In the 21st century occupation is not accepted anymore so the Israeli occupation must have an end
• The Palestinians should have the same right as the Israelis
• There is a huge violation of human rights in Palestine
• The Americans and the Europeans should stand for their principles while dealing with the issue of Palestinian-Israeli conflict
• The Palestinians wanted the UN and the world to recognize Palestine as an independent state with the borders of 1967

National Measures on Nuclear Exports Control: The Harmonization Challenge
Dr. Milagros Álvarez-Verdugo

• Taking into account SC Resolution 1540(2004) and Recommendations adopted by the 2010 TNP Review Conference, guidelines agreed at the Zangger Committee and the NSG have become a universal standard of national measures on nuclear exports control.
• However, the content of these guidelines promotes very limitedly the harmonization of those national controls, given the vague and imprecise nature of many of its provisions and the great discretion they leave to states for its application.
• Indeed, the universal application of these guidelines does not contribute significantly to build up a coherent network of national control measures on nuclear exports and, even more, could weaken the role assigned to the competent international organizations in the field.
• Non proliferation goals as well as security of commercial trade justify advocate for a change in the regulation of nuclear exports control. This change should permit to move from a system focused on limiting nuclear goods supply to one focused on real and effective control of nuclear activities carried out within the states.