By Martin Banks - 4th June 2009
It's clear we must do more
Benita Ferrero-Waldner
EU external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner says the EU has more to do when it comes to responding to global trouble-spots.
Speaking at a major conference in Brussels, the Austrian official detailed what she sees as some of the EU's major contributions in resolving conflicts in places like Afghanistan.
But she also outlined the main challenges facing EU security policy.
"I see three important areas of focus - our capacity and resources; partnership with civil society and the role of women in conflict," she told delegates.
"First, the EU needs to build-up its resources and capacity to meet complex and multifaceted peace-building challenges in a professional and holistic way. That means sufficient staffing, but also staff with appropriate training.
"Second, we have to further deepen our partnership with the peace-building community - meaning NGOs, academia and other institutions."
The commissioner said experts from EU institutions and member states should receive professional training in crisis management and closely related areas like security sector reform.
"We have set up a broad-based network of specialised European NGOs with expertise in early warning, conflict prevention, peace-building, post-conflict and post-disaster recovery."
The third challenge, she said, is to make more effort on the role of women in conflicts.
She said, "So far, more than 1000 staff in commission delegations has been trained in gender equality. Our next step is a new action plan for gender equality and women's empowerment.
"Before 2005 female heads of missions accounted for less than a quarter of the total, but that figure is now nearly 50 per cent. In addition about half the staff of the missions are women.
"But it's clear we must do more."
She went on, "I believe that the European commission has a unique role to play in the 21st century, providing we get our strategic focus right, build the right partnerships for the future and manage our resources well.
"But that's not possible alone; we need partnership with others."
She was the keynote speaker at a two-day conference, organised by the commission, entitled "Making the difference."
The event, which concluded on Thursday, brought together policymakers and practitioners in conflict prevention and crisis response.
Speaking at the event, former UK government minister Peter Hain said he hoped the EU could learn from Britain's experience in bringing to an end the "500-year-old" Irish conflict.
