QCEA would like to invite you to our next faith-based organizations’ informal lunch discussion this Thursday 9 February from 12h30 to 14h30 at the Quaker House (50 Square Ambiorix). Kindly note that this next lunch will be open to other peacebuilding, human rights and development civil society organizations in Brussels.
Topic: This discussion will address the legislative proposal “Regulation of the EU-Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 of 11 March 2014 establishing an instrument contributing to stability and peace” (IcSP) that was presented by the EU-Commission together with a Document on Capacity Building in Support of Security and Development (CBSD) in July 2016. Several civil society organisations have expressed their concern as they see a trend that development funds will be used to ‘train & equip’ partner countries’ armies. Furthermore, they point to the risks involved with this initiative, in particular in the context of fragile states or states that do not show a convincing performance in human rights standards. Last December, the European Parliament (EP) decided that the rapporteur on the CBSD portfolio would be a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) from the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP). For reference, I attach the legislative proposal to amend the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace for CBSD ( i.e.: Train & Equip initiatives) and the impact assessment accompanying the legislative proposal. This discussion will be an opportunity to bridge actors and policies on peacebuilding, development and human rights; and for civil society in Brussels to learn about this initiative and/or share interests and concerns on this issue.
Speakers: We are delighted to welcome two speakers for this discussion:
Ben Moore, Assistant Director at the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, who will provide a brief overview of this legislative proposal and present the risks associated with it;
Dr. Martina Fischer, Policy Advisor at Bread for the World (Berlin), who will present the position of her organization on the plans for using the “IcSP” to support military functions and assess the problems related to CBSD from a peace researcher’s perspective.