Conference on "Energy Security in Southeast Asia and beyond – from Competition to Cooperation? Civil Society’s Stake in Asia’s and Europe’s Energy Policy"
20th - 22th October 2009, Singapore

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia, in partnership with the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Nanyang Technological University hosted a conference titled "Energy Security in Southeast Asia and Beyond – from Competition to Cooperation? Civil Society’s Stake in Asia’s and Europe’s Energy Policy" from 20 to 22 October 2009 in Singapore. This event was particularly timely, in view of the twin-pillared global energy challenges Asia and Europe are currently facing, namely increasing energy consumption needs and climate change. The conference served as a common platform for policymakers and civil society organisation (CSO) representatives from Asia and Europe, specialising in the field of energy security, to discuss pertinent issues and share regional insights related to the roles of CSOs in energy policymaking processes. A sustainable, low-carbon, development path can no longer operate without taking into account the increasingly important roles of CSOs in the energy policymaking process. Ultimately, CSOs strive to improve governance through the empowerment of the general public; enhancement of government transparency and accountability; and to complement states’ capacities in providing energy security to the people. CSOs’ involvement in the field of energy security, revolving around "3As" – awareness, action and advocacy – was a recurring theme throughout the conference. The conference also served to highlight the continued relevance and significance of increased CSO engagement in energy security.

In general, participants agreed that CSOs would play an increasing role in energy security in the foreseeable future, especially in Asia where governance deficits in some countries had more often than not obstructed effective energy policymaking. In the later part of the conference, participants engaged in lively brainstorming sessions on the trajectory of CSOs’ activities in the field of energy security and mapped out ideas which could better position CSOs in augmenting the governments’ roles in energy policymaking. Interesting initiatives, from seeking ways to forge an integrated framework for CSOs involved in energy policymaking to advocating local energy self-reliance at community levels, were thoughtfully conceived by the participants. Conference presentations, as well as the background papers and the briefing paper on the outcomes of the conference can be downloaded here:

• Briefing Paper on Conference Outcomes, November 2009
• Opening Presentation by Ambassador Jörg Ranau, October 2009
• Background-Paper and ppt-Presentation by Susanne Wallenoeffer, October 2009
• Background-Paper and ppt-Presentation by Namrata Bansal, October 2009
• Background-Paper and ppt-Presentation by Lina Alexandra, October 2009
• Presentation by Prof Thierry Lefevre, October 2009
   

"The 6th Asia-Europe Roundtable – Minority Conflicts:
Towards an ASEM Framework for Conflict Management"
10th - 12th June 2009, Derry/Letterkenny (UK/Ireland)

The Asia-Europe Roundtable is a joint initiative by the Asia-Europe Foundation, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, being a series of fora that aims to examine Asia-Europe experiences and cooperation in tackling common challenges such as region-building and conflict management. Building on the findings from the previous gatherings, the recently concluded 6th Asia-Europe Roundtable examined different types of minority conflicts with a particular focus on "frozen conflicts" in which cessation of open hostility offers a chance for the regional and international community to explore possible solutions and frameworks for transforming the conflict into sustainable peace. More than 40 Asian and European experts in conflict and peace studies and research, academics, specialised journalists, human rights activists, practitioners, and diplomats came together in Derry and Letterkenny in both jurisdictions in Ireland from June 10-12, 2009 to work towards a framework for conflict management. Together they produced a set of policy recommendations on minority conflict management to political decision makers in Asia and Europe and identified issues and case studies that could be effectively addressed within the ASEM framework and through cooperation among key stakeholders in Asia and Europe.

Find here the documentation of the 6th Asia-Europe Roundtable. Additional the following papers were published for this event:

• "Intervention, Integration and Insecurity. Case Studies on Minority Conflicts in Kosovo and Gerogia", by Mary Martin (Center for Study of Global Governance, LSE London), June 2009
   
• "Case Studies of Ethnic Minority Conflicts in Southern Philippines and Southern Thailand", by Edgardo Pedro Legaspi (Southeast Asian Commitee for Advocacy), June 2009
   
• "The Regional and International Regulation of Ethnic Conflict Patterns of Success and Failure", by Stefan Wolff (Centre for International Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution, University of Nottingham), June 2009

The 6th Inter-Parliamentary Forum on Security Sector Governance
"Police Governance in ASEAN Member States – What Role for Parliaments?"
29th - 30th May 2009, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)

The Forum was initiated in 2006 by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia FES-Singapore and the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces.  It is an informal network of members and staff of parliaments, security sector officials, civil society representatives and academics from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand as well as representative of the ASEAN Secretariat and international experts. The Forum convenes twice a year on different topics related to security sector governance. The 6th Forum meeting on 29-30 May 2009 in Kota Kinabalu addressed the topic of police governance. The police are instruments of the executive and play a significant role in society. Being a law enforcement body, they are endowed with particular powers, including the legitimacy to use force. Because of this capacity, the police are often associated with being a state’s tool for violence, repression and corruption. While the police forces are the most visible manifestation of government authority in terms of public security, their conduct vis-à-vis the public can also be seen as a key indicator of the quality of democracy in a country. What should the police stand for, what should they do and in what manner? How can members of parliament contribute to democratic policing? These key questions were discussed in-depth at the workshop. The workshop served as a platform for extensive exchange as well as for the identification of entry points for reform at both national and regional level. Concurrently, it provided the parliamentary participants with suggestions for a better engagement in overseeing policing in their home country.

Find here the final program.