(Photo: Trevor Haldenby/Flickr)

Wednesday 3 March 2010.
Maison De L’Europe, 35 Rue des Francs Bourgeois, Paris

Organised by European Alternatives in collaboration with Maison de l’Europe, with the support if the Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation and of the European Parliament.

This conference will look into different models for ensuring civil society and NGO participation in international summits, exploring existing practices and new suggestions, and focussing in particular over the test cases of EU – Latin America and EU – China relations.
The day is divided in two sessions:

Morning: The Role of Civil Society in International Relations

In the year of establishment of the new European External Action Service, the opening session of the conference looks at the rationale and motives for engaging civil society in international forums and negotiations. The aim of this opening panel is to assess current discussions and practices around civil society participation in the decision-making process, isolating the potentially transformative power of a more democratic international diplomacy based on citizens’ interaction and counting on civil society to isolate politically, economically, and socially just agreements.

Speakers:
Franziska Katharina Brantner, MEP, Greens, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and of the Delegation for relationship with Israël.

Helena Drnovšek Zorko, Director of International Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Governon for Slovenia of the Asia Europe Foundation.

Francesco Martone, The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal, and Sezione Internazionale, Fondazione Basso

Gabi Zimmer, MEP (Die Linke), Development Committee

Afternoon: Engaging Civil Society in International Summits: The case of civil society Forums

In this second session we will look at some specific example of civil society participation in international relations, focussing in particular on the role of international Forums bringing together civil society actors. These Forums variably serve to exchange views, come up with joint action plans around a specific issue to influence political decision-making, or establish long-lasting network of international collaboration. But what would be the most effective link between such events and the European and international political process? What are some examples of best practices of collaboration between civil society forums and international summits, what the problems, and what the suggestions for a greater civil society participation in European external action?

Speakers:
Mr. Jean-Paul Delattre, Secretary-General of the China-Europa-Forum Foundation, former official at the French Ministry of National Education

Sally Rousset, Representative of the Asia-Europe People’s Forum in France

Franziska Keller, MEP, Greens, Member of the Development Committee and of the Mix Parliamentary Commission EU-Turkey

Willy Meyer (tbc), MEP, Member of the Europe-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly involved in the “From Lima to Madrid” process

Flyer – Citoyens et Relations Internationales EA 3 mars 2010-FR
Flyer – Citizens and Foreign Policy in Europe – EA 3 mars 2010-EN