press release

the future of the foreign and development policy of the european union is the main issue at the conference ‘europe and the south: a new era’

The Hague/Rotterdam, September 17, 2004

Which position will the European Union adopt vis-à-vis the American hegemony in the world? Will there be an independent European security policy? How will the EU adapt its international ambitions to the interests of the poor countries? Is the EU going to focus its development aid on the poorest countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America or on the less poor countries at the outskirts of Europe? These and other pertinent questions about the foreign and development policies of the EU are the heart of the matter at the conference that will be held on 27 and 28 September about ‘Europe and the South: A New Era – European Development Cooperation: Towards Policy Renewal and a New Commitment’. This conference with more than 250 participants will take place in the Netherlands Congress Centre, Churchillplein 10 in The Hague. The opening ceremony on September 27 – in the presence of Minister Van Ardenne and UNDP Associate Administrator Diabre – will start at 10 a.m.

More than 250 experts and opinion leaders in the area of development cooperation and foreign relations will participate at the conference ‘Europe and the South: A New Era’: politicians, academics, policy makers and representatives of non-governmental organisations in Europe and abroad. They will discuss issues such as the relation between foreign policy, security and development; trade and development; impact of European development aid; East-South cooperation; the institutional architecture of development cooperation; policy and practice of European development policy; migration and development; and the relation Europe-Latin America.

The Society for International Development (SID) is organising this conference in conjunction with the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) and Europe’s Forum on International Cooperation (Euforic). ‘Europe and the South: A New Era’ should result in an action plan presenting recommendations for the new European Commission and the European Parliament.

Keynote speakers are Agnes van Ardenne (Minister of Development Cooperation), Zephirin Diabre (Associate Administrator UNDP), Leonardo Santos Simão (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mozambique), Poul Nielson (outgoing EU Commissioner for Development Cooperation), and Tom Kitt (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland). Conference chairs are Jos van Gennip (Chair SID-NL/Europe) and Louk de la Rive Box (President of EADI). The conference programme is composed of a large number of workshops and contributions by experts

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