Dying in Mediterranean

The question today, after the dramatic news about a major loss of life at sea, in Mediterranean, can only be a simple and direct one: what policy should the EU put in place to address the very complex issue of illegal immigration? I do not know the reply to this question. And I am not sure there is one. But I understand there has been a call for an urgent meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss this major human crisis. I will be paying serious attention to the conclusions of such a meeting. 

The UN´s role: are we again ignoring it?

Are we witnessing, once more, a process of side-lining the UN and the Security Council when it comes to addressing new major conflicts, like the one taking place in Yemen, or when negotiating key political agreements, like the one regarding Iran´s nuclear programme?

This is a question that I will be raising soon and debating in a public forum. And I am a bit afraid the answer to it is could be too obvious.  

Mozambique´s enormous population growth challenges

After an agonizing day of hesitation and with great regret, I concluded I could not accept an invitation to deliver a talk in Maputo, at the end of May, on the vast population growth challenges Mozambique is confronted with. The date was not good as I have already a number of commitments around that time. I would have loved to do it. I was the first representative of the UN population agency (UNFPA) in that country, back in 1980. But besides that, Mozambique is a mirror of the situation many African countries face at present: very fast population growth rates, early marriage and teenage pregnancies, as well as very important internal migrations and unemployment issues.

The talk would be an opportunity to contribute to the reflection about the medium and long term implications of all these problems. It would also be an opportunity to acknowledge some of national efforts that the country is trying to implement. And it should also be another chance to call for deeper international partnerships with Africa in matters related to the links between population and development.

I hope these issues will come out loud and clear, in any case. 

Dying at sea, but invisible in the political capitals

Scores of desperate people drowned today at sea, when trying to cross the Mediterranean and enter the EU illegally. This is a recurrent drama that hardly gets the attention of the European public opinion. It´s no longer news, in many ways. And because it is not in the headlines any more, there is no real political attention that is given to the matter. Mass illegal immigration across the Mediterranean Sea, a daily occurrence, and the human tragedies associated with it, has become politically invisible. It is a major problem, it would require a clear-cut approach, but our leaders feel content the question is not burning on their desks.

That´s the way leadership is practised at present in our corner of the Earth.  

Fighting Boko Haram

The Chibok girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram a year ago. And many other Nigerian girls and women have also been taken hostage by this terrorist group. Everyone condemns these actions. But we should go beyond that and ask loud and clear how can that happen in a country that has one of the largest and better African equipped armies. How is it possible that a terrorist group has been able to capture people and territory? And then, we need to raise another question: where did they get the weaponry from?

Chad and Niger have now been engaged in the fight against Boko Haram, side by side with the Nigerian Army. There have been reports of some serious setbacks for the terrorists. But as of late one gets the impression that the anti-Boko Haram coalition is no longer making any tangible headway. Why is it?

The missing people and the memory of all those who have been executed by the savages under the banner of Boko Haram call for an answer to all the questions. They also call for clarity about the situation. 

Downright pathetic politics in Egypt

Every time I see images, or read the proceedings of today´s Egyptian courts, a single word comes to mind: deplorable.

When the shock is too big, we can´t find too many words. 

On Russia, we have to keep the diplomatic bridges open

On 9 May there will be a major party in Moscow. It will celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the Soviet victory against Nazism, the end of World War II, as we would say on this part of Europe. In the Russian historical narrative this is a big day. Most probably one of the top celebrations every year. It has also a lot of political meaning, as the date is sold to the people as Russian soldiers liberating Europe, after a devastating war.

This time the European leaders will not be around in Moscow. The current political and military tensions with Russia led to a decision to boycott Vladimir Putin´s invitation to attend. The decision seems to be consistent with the economic and political sanctions being imposed by our side on Russia.

But I think we should make a distinction between sanctions – which are fully justified – and diplomacy. Diplomacy should be more active than ever, now that there are serious reasons to be unhappy with Russia´s international behaviour. Diplomacy aims at repairing conflict situations. And diplomacy means contacts, being around, keeping the doors open.

In the case under discussion here, I think the best solution would have been to accept the invitation to attend the 9^th May party but to send second line political representatives. That would mean we would be around, and ready to engage, but at the same time our lower level of participation would be showing our displeasure with today´s Kremlin´s political options.

That would give no excuse to our hosts, no chance to paint us in bad colours.

Five good examples of development assistance

A brief note to put on record five good examples of commitment to international development assistance. In 2014 the following countries’ financial contributions to development assistance exceeded the agreed threshold of 0.7% of their GDP: United Kingdom, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. Sweden, it should be added, was particularly generous. Its financial assistance to development programmes and projects reached 1.1% of its GDP.

These countries and 23 more make the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD. The average contribution of the DAC countries to development, also in 2014, remained well below the target – the 0.7% figure – at a mere 0.29% of GDP. 

Our little world

Our part of the world is once again responding with indifference to the human tragedies that are taking place in Syria and Iraq and to the deepening of the security crisis around Yemen. As we remain unresponsive to so many other violations of basic human rights.

 Our leaders seem to be overwhelmed by our own domestic problems, the media is focusing on Le Pen, the UK forthcoming elections and the inability of the US local police to deal with the challenges of multi-ethnicity in their towns, and we, the little people, we are just trying to cope with the air control strikes and the taxes that keep falling on us. Or preparing for the next holiday.

These are indeed interesting times: the more we know about the world, and we know plenty nowadays, the more we close ourselves in our little circles. The information reaches us but we have learned to ignore it. 

The Baltics are in sensitive region of Europe

The Baltic region, a corner of Europe I came to gradually know after I retired from the UN and initiated my current professional interests, is a very sensitive geopolitical area. The Baltic States are now in the EU and NATO. But they have a powerful and resentful neighbour and significant Russian minorities within their borders. I have always thought they need to have a very wise relationship with that neighbour. They can achieve it and, at the same time, continue to strengthen their links with our part of Europe and with NATO. The balancing act is possible. It is actually the only option that is sensible.

What is not sensible is to post a tweet in the social media, as the Latvian Foreign Minister did yesterday, that says: “The more I follow modern RU, the more I come to conclusion that she will end up like German Reich after both WWI & WWII & it'll be too late”. Such statement shows political immaturity. It does not serve the interests of his country and the region. And if we take into account that Latvia is now chairing the EU, until the end of the semester, the tweet is unacceptable, as I see it from Brussels.