The Regional Secretariat for Europe is the European Centre for Conflict Prevention. To find out more about GPPAC in Europe, please contact:

European Centre for Conflict Prevention
Email: info@conflict-prevention.net

Address:

European Centre for Conflict Prevention
Laan van Meerdervoort 70
2517 AN The Hague
The Netherlands
tel: +31 (0)70 311 0970

fax: +31 (0)70 360 0194
website: www.conflict-prevention.net 

Regional Conference 31 March - 2 April 2004
The European Centre for Conflict Prevention, as Regional Initiator for Europe, and the Irish government, as President of the EU, were responsible for organising the regional conference in Dublin (March 31st – April 2nd 2004). The conference hosted civil society organisations, and representatives from the EU, European governments, and the United Nations. Click here to read the conference report.

The subject for discussion in Dublin was the role of civil society in the prevention of armed conflict. How can relationships between governments and civil society be strengthened, and how can these ties be taken to supranational levels, including the EU and the United Nations?

Conference Aims

• to raise the profile of civil society involvement in conflict prevention activities;
• to enhance interaction between civil society and governments, the EU and the UN;
• to stimulate interaction between different civil society and government actors in order to develop better mechanisms for co-operation;
• to formulate recommendations to the European Union, the United Nations, and civil society organisations; and,
• to provide fresh input for the implementation of the EU’s Programme for the Prevention of Violent Conflicts (2001).

The Dublin Action Agenda
Some of the 'Guiding Principles' that were formulated in the Dublin Action Agenda will be expanded on in the Global Action Agenda. The ten Guiding Principles advocate, amongst others, a shift to prevention, the human security paradigm, the responsibility to prevent and protect, a new partnership between civil society, governments and inter-governmental organisations for effective conflict prevention.

The Irish EU Presidency submitted a review report in which they highlight the examination of how the EU and CSOs can cooperate more effectively in preventing armed conflict. The Dublin Action Agenda was forwarded to eight governments with the request to present the recommendations at the Council Meeting in June 2004. Following these events, the European Council endorsed the Irish Presidency's report. Furthermore, the Spanish delegate to the Security Council, Mr. Yanez-Barnuevo, addressed the Dublin Action Agenda at a Security Council meeting on Complex Crisis and UN response (28 May 2004). At this time, over 130 organisations have officially endorsed the Agenda; click here for a listing of these organisations.

In addition to the English version of the Dublin Action Agenda, there are also unofficial translations of agenda into Dutch, German, and Italian.

Beginnings of the Regional Process
The Western European region started a process of intensive consultation and discussions in October 2003 at the Annual Meeting of the European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation, steered by the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP). At this meeting, several important issues for the regional Action Agenda were identified, such as how to create a “Culture of Peace” and realise the fundamental shift needed in the way the world responds to conflicts. After the platform meeting, all participating organisations were encouraged to continue the debate on the Regional Action Agenda and the regional conference on a national, and local, level. Since then, national meetings have taken place in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden.