On 24 and 25 April 2008, a workshop entitled 'Conflict Prevention and Climate Change' will be organised in Brussels by the Madariaga European Foundation and the Folke Bernadotte Academy with the support of the Slovenian EU Presidency and in close cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO).
The workshop represents the start of a second two-year training cycle in the field of conflict prevention in practice. Its objective is to develop the abilities of working groups throughout the world in the area of early warning and planning activities in conflict prevention. The two-year programme of workshops is linked thematically with the issues of climate change, combating arms trafficking, the role of the media, and religious aspects of conflicts. Workshops have been held during the Slovenian Presidency and will continue under the future French, Czech and Swedish EU Council Presidencies.
The workshop programme is to a great extent related to the recommendations of the annual Report on Conflict Prevention. It is intended to foster awareness of and sensitivity to conflicts, to build national capacities, to strengthen political dialogue with major partners and to enable the exchange knowledge in various areas of activity. The closed expert workshop taking place on the second day of the meeting is for experts from the EU Member States and representatives of international organisations, the EU institutions and non-governmental organisations.
The workshop is being attended by 150 prominent representatives from various world regions and international, governmental and non-governmental organisations.
