Human Rights and Governance

OVERVIEW

This two-day conference brought together 48 participants from 21 ASEM countries; participants consisted of representatives from civil society, including research institutes/think tanks, the academia, and NGOs, as well as government and inter-governmental multilateral institutions.

During the event, papers and case studies were presented on the following topics:

- Actors, tools, and mechanisms for conflict prevention

- Conflict map of East Asia and Europe (from the Atlantic to the Caucasus)

- Dimension of the Mindanao conflict

- Competition for resources in the South China Sea

- Early warnings in the Yugoslav crisis

- Potential conflicts arising from Africa-to-Europe migration

Recommendations arising from the roundtable discussions were later sent to ASEM governments; these recommendations covered the following areas:

- The current conflict prevention capacity in Asia and Europe

- Early warning indicators of potential crises and appropriate responses

- Capacity and institution building for regional-level and inter-regional responses

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Rolf Muetzenich, Member of the Germany Federal Parliament and Chair of the Disarmament & Arms Control Sub-Committee, Germany

Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Former Foreign Minister and Member of Parliament, Thailand, and Member of the Board, International Crisis Group