www.cep.si

Centre for European Perspective is starting a two-day seminar today titled Illicit Trafficking of Firearms in the Danube Region. The project proposal was selected to receive financial support from the EU Strategy for the Danube Region – START Fund.

Project is implemented in cooperation with Criminal Police of the Republic of Slovenia and three partners from the Western Balkans, the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (Serbia), Centre for Security Studies (Bosnia and Hercegovina) and Centre for Monitoring and Research CeMI (Montenegro). The main objective of the project is to improve the fight against illicit trafficking of firearms in the Danube Region through strengthened cooperation between practitioners (law enforcement and judicial authorities) and with extensive support of the researchers, international organisations and other actors.

Organized crime is a major global and regional security risk. Illicit arms’ trafficking is one of key forms of crime, defined in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. After the armed conflict in the Western Balkans (WB) in the 90ies, large quantities of weapons, particularly military arms, remained on stock and are ending in the black market.

Western Balkans region is often a source of weapons used in different terrorist attacks. EU believes that there are two main trafficking routes for weapons from the Balkans into EU: one in the south, through Italy, and another through Slovenia and Austria. It is also in that sense that the Danube region is particularly vulnerable from the security perspective, uniting EU member states and EU accession countries, as well as those which are in and out of the Schengen area. In the light of recent terrorist alarms across Europe, it is obvious that this topic is of key importance. Pressing issue is the purchasing and use of these arms by terrorists and extremist groups, by organized criminal groups in conflicts between criminal gangs, but also for armed robberies and other violent acts on a daily basis.

Taking these risks into consideration the EU and other organisations have reinforced their efforts to systematically limit the smuggling of arms originating from the Western Balkans. More effort should be put on early stages in criminal intelligence and support countries of the WB in the field of stockpile management, surplus and destruction of the arms.

The mentioned project Illicit Trafficking of Firearms in the Danube Region is being implemented in three phases since May 2015. It started with a comprehensive needs assessment analysis, and is being followed with the current two-day seminar, which will be followed by a report and list of recommendations. A two day seminar will focus on the skills and tasks required for successful performance of work by criminal police and prosecutors in the field of illicit trafficking in firearms, theft of weapons and illegal accumulation of firearms with the aim of exchanging know-how, best practice and information between countries upstream and downstream the Danube River. Seminar will be practically orientated and will aim at developing concepts of coherent approach, better cooperation and boosting trust in the fight against stockpiling and trafficking of illicit firearms with special emphasis on early intelligence work.

The first meeting of the IECEU-project Advisory Board is taking place in Brussels today. Advisory Board consists of prominent experts, working in the field of civilian crisis management, peacebuilding, post-conflict stabilisation, policy or humanitarian tasks and in different organisations, such as EEAS, academic institutions, NGOs and others. The IECEU project is set to analyse and evaluate best practices and lessons learned with a view to enhance the civilian conflict prevention and peacebuilding capabilities of the European Union (EU). The miscellaneous expertise of the representatives of the Advisory Board will validate the conceptual framework of the project and its results as well as contribute to the high-level dissemination for all relevant information end-users.

The first working package of the project was successfully completed. Its objective is to provide the consortium with an up-to-date review documents for better understanding of the framework and definitions of the EU external action, civilian and military as well as existing practices in terms of pooling and sharing of capabilities. Documents are based on the literature review, expert discussions, online discussions and online surveys. Secondly, the first working package is establishing factors and indicators for measuring effectiveness of the EU CSDP operations as well conceptual framework and methodology to analyse the effectiveness of the EU in the upcoming case studies (the Balkans, Africa, Middle East and Asia).

During the first working package several online surveys and interviews were conducted as well as five workshops: one two-day internal methodological workshop of the IECEU consortium members in Finland, three internal expert panels and one panel open to public and held under the Chatham House Rule 21 October in Slovenia.

During the Hostile Environment Awareness Training HEAT' in Slovenia, 4 partner organisations gathered to also discuss issues related to IECEU field work and research in the Balkans and Africa, which will take place in the Spring of 2016.

The new project IECEU started in the beginning of May 2015 and will last until end of February 2018 (33 months). IECEU -project aims towards enchancement of European Union (EU) external activities. The consortium is coordinated by Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and consists of a diverse group of civilian, research and military organisations reflecting the variety within EU missions. The overall goal of the project is to find out new approaches and solutions to respond the future challenges and threats.

Ob izdaji publikacije Strategic Foresight 2016: Central and South East Europe, Inštitut za strateške rešitve vabi na na Posvet o mednarodnem poslovnem okolju v letu 2016, ki bo 5. januarja ob 14. uri (predviden zaključek ob 16. uri) v Domu gospodarstva (GZS), Dimičeva ulica 13, Ljubljana.

Program:

1. Uvodni nagovor Tine Kračun, direktor Inštituta za strateške rešitve

2. Predstavitev ugotovitev Strategic Foresight 2016: Central and South East Europe

3. Pogovor o izzivih slovenskih podjetij v mednarodnem poslovnem okolju v letu 2016

    - Nuša Pavlinjek, Roto

    - Janez Škrabec, Riko

    - Tomaž Berločnik, Petrol

Pogovor bo povezoval Uroš Urbas, Siol.net

4. Zaključek okrogle mize

Prijave na dogodek zbiramo do ponedeljka, 4. januarja 2016, na This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Udeležba dogodka je brezplačna.

A three-day workshop intended to support programming of development in Kosovo municipalities was successfully concluded on 3 December 2015. Twenty represent

atives of national, regional and municipality level examined the importance of programming for the successful implementation of municipal development projects. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy. The workshop was opened by Ambassador of Republic of Slovenia in Priština Miljan Majhen.

The work was conducted by practically examining programming of waste management and energy efficiency, building on relevant Slovenian lessons learned and taking into account findings of challenges in the pre-workshop assessment. Participants examined all phases of programming and characteristics of quality programming. Great attention was given to the participation and coordination of relevant stakeholders, including better involvement of municipalities who have an opportunity and responsibility to co-create development programme in the way which ensures ownership and can be also helpful for coordinative body to determine feasible solutions in satisfying needs of local development and attainment of development potentials.

Project is part of the Slovenian Development Aid Programme funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

Slovenija pomaga pri programiranju razvoja občin na Kosovu

Tridnevna delavnica, namenjena pomoči pri programiranju regionalnega razvoja in razvoja občin na Kosovu, se je 3.12.2015 uspešno končala. Na delavnici je dvajset predstavnikov nacionalne, regionalne in občinske ravni obravnavalo pomembnost programiranja za uspešnost implementacije občinskih razvojnih projektov. Projekt je CEP izvedel v sodelovanju z Službo Vlade za razvoj in evropsko kohezijsko politiko, delavnico pa je odprl Miljan Majhen, veleposlanik Republike Slovenije v Prištini.

Delo je potekalo skozi praktično obravnavo primerov programiranja upravljanja z odpadom in programiranja energetske učinkovitosti, izhajalo je iz slovenskih izkušenj in je vključevalo ugotovitve iz analize izzivov na zadevnem področju, ki je bila narejena pred delavnico. Udeleženci so na delavnici obravnavali vse faze programiranja in značilnosti kvalitetnega programiranja. Posebno pozornost so namenili vključevanju in koordinaciji deležnikov pri programiranju, vključno z boljšim vključevanjem občin, ki naj imajo možnost in odgovornost za sooblikovanje programa regionalnega razvoja na način, da ga vzamejo za svojega. Izpostavljeno je bilo, da naj se občine pri iskanju izvedljivih rešitev, vključujejo na način, ki je v pomoč koordinacijskemu organu za ustrezno zadovoljevanje potreb lokalnega razvoja in doseganja razvojnih potencialov.

Projekt je del slovenskega programa razvojne pomoči, ki ga financira Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve Republike Slovenije.

In the period from 18 May 2015 to 15 November 2015, Centre for European Perspective in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, organised the project »United for one cause, united for our future, which took place on social media.

Visibility of the international development cooperation field in the Slovenian public is very deficient, as only 5% of respondents in the latest special survey of Eurobarometer on development cooperation, are aware of the Millennium Development Goals, 14% have heard about the Goals, but don't know exactly what these are, 80% of respondents did not know what the Millennium Development Goals are.

For this reason, we at the Centre for European Perspective, decided that we need to raise awareness in a wider Slovenian public about development cooperation and that we could actively involve them in the process of changing the world in which we live. Participants in the project (Slovenian Kindergartens, diplomatic corps in Republic of Slovenia, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CEP, members of European Parliament, Slovenian celebrities and other individuals) planted 250 trees, with which we directly provided more oxygen to our posterity, as one tree produces 118 kilograms of oxygen per year. Furthermore, we also contributed to the improvement of long-term access to natural resources and the protection and improvement of our beautiful world. Goran Dragić, Ambassador of the European Year for Development, also joined our challenge and planted a tree on the first day of the 2nd basketball camp of Goran Dragić at Rogla and set a good example to all the children who have attended basketball camp. Furthermore, also the Jure Franko, winner of a giant slalom silver medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, who gladly accepted our invitation and supported the project. We are also very proud that that along with ambassadors and other statesman, children participated in our challenge. Children from 11 Slovenian Kindergartens, aged 2-5 years planted or made trees from waste materials.

With our posts on social media (Facebook and Twitter) we have reached 310.000 users, and this certainly helped to raise the visibility of the field of international development cooperation. 94% of surveyed participants in the project, during the duration of our project, learned something new about international development cooperation, which is an important step forward in raising awareness of the Slovenian public, considering the fact that 74% of our respondents, before participating in our project, did not know that this year is European Year for Development. United for one cause, to improve our world, united for our future.

V obdobju od 18. maja 2015 do 15. novembra 2015, je potekal projekt »Združeni za en namen, združeni za našo prihodnost«, ki je potekal na socialnih omrežjih in ga je Center za evropsko prihodnost izvedel v sodelovanju z Ministrstvom za zunanje zadeve Republike Slovenije.
Prepoznavnost področja mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja v širši slovenski javnosti je zelo pomanjkljiva, saj je samo 5% vprašanih v zadnji raziskavi posebnega Eurobarometra o razvojnem sodelovanju vedelo, kaj so razvojni cilji tisočletja, 14% je že slišalo zanje, vendar ni točno vedelo, kaj to so, kar 80% vprašanih pa ni vedelo, kaj so razvojni cilji tisočletja.

Prav zaradi tega, smo se na Centru za evropsko prihodnost odločili, da je potrebno širšo slovensko javnost aktivno vključiti v proces spreminjanja sveta v katerem živimo, kar pa je najlažje storiti prav s pomočjo različnih izzivov na socialnih omrežjih.
Naš spletni izziv sajenja drevesa, omogočil posameznikom oz. skupinam, da so v času trajanja projekta posadili ali izdelali drevo, s čimer so pripomogli k širjenju pomembnega sporočila o razvojnem sodelovanju ter informiranju širše javnosti.

 Udeleženci projekta (slovenski vrtci, diplomatski zbor RS, zaposleni na MZZ in CEP, evropski poslanci, znani Slovenci ter drugi domači in tuji posamezniki) smo posadili 250 dreves, s čimer smo neposredno zagotovili več kisika za naše zanamce, saj eno drevo letno proizvede kar 118 kilogramov kisika. Posredno pa smo prispevali k izboljšanju dolgoročnega dostopa do naravnih virov ter varstvu in izboljšanju našega čudovitega sveta.
V našem izzivu je sodeloval Goran Dragič, ambasador Evropskega leta za razvoj, ki je drevo posadil prvi dan 2. košarkarskega kampa Gorana Dragića na Rogli, s čimer je postavil lep vzor vsem otrokom, ki so se košarkarskega kampa udeležili, da je potrebno skrbeti za našo prihodnost.
Drevo je posadil tudi prejemnik prve zimske olimpijske kolajne za Slovenijo, Jure Franko, ki se je z veseljem odzval našemu vabilu in podprl projekt.

 Zelo ponosni pa smo, da so se v izzivu, veleposlanikom in drugim državnikom, postavili ob bok tudi naši najmlajši. Otroci iz 11 slovenskih vrtcev, stari od 2-5 let, so skupaj z vzgojiteljicami in starši, drevesa posadili oz. izdelali iz odpadnih materialov.

 Z objavami na socialnih omrežjih (Facebook in Twitter) smo dosegli 310.000 uporabnikov in s tem zagotovo pripomogli k dvigu prepoznavnosti področja mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja. Kar 94% anketiranih udeležencev projekta, je v času trajanja našega projekta naučilo nekaj novega o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju, kar je pomemben korak naprej, pri osveščanju slovenske javnosti, saj kar 74% naših anketirancev, pred sodelovanjem v našem projektu ni vedelo, da je letošnje leto Evropsko leto za razvoj.

Združili smo se za en sam namen, izboljšati naš svet, združili smo se za našo skupno prihodnost.