Congress Autumn Session (13-15 November 2006, Moscow)

Jean-Claude Frécon: “Local elected representatives are the voice of the communities that desire peace in the Middle East”

Held in Moscow as part of the Autumn Session of the Congress, the round table “European Cities – how to support the Middle East?” highlighted the expertise of European local representatives in conflict settlement and their wish to help alleviate the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. The Congress wants to bring together all the local players working with the communities affected by the war to encourage dialogue and reconciliation, as its Vice-President, Jean-Claude Frécon, explains below.

 
With international diplomacy making no headway on the Middle East conflict, what contribution can local elected representatives make on this issue, which, at first glance, is outside their sphere of competence?

 Jean-Claude Frécon: The primary aim of the Council of Europe, and hence the Congress, is the search for peace. Furthermore, we have been working for a long time with all the countries of the Mediterranean, European or not, and this justifies our involvement. But above all, for historical reasons, European local elected representatives have valuable experience in the search for reconciliation between communities through the activities of cities and local authorities. It is this experience we wish to pass on, in particular to the Israeli and Palestinian associations of local authorities.

 What assets do you have to help you advance the peace process when the major powers have not yet succeeded?

 Jean-Claude Frécon: We cannot speak for States, but we are best placed to express the pain and exasperation felt by those who lose family members or their home because of this conflict. Bombed villages, bereavement, burials, ruined buildings – that is the daily lot of the inhabitants of the region, and hence of their local representatives. European local elected representatives must help their counterparts in the Middle East to echo the cry of those who say “we’ve had enough of this war”.

 What tangible repercussions will the Moscow round table have?

 Jean-Claude Frécon: We began by issuing a formal call to all associations of Israeli, Palestinian and Arab local authorities to resume dialogue and explore peace options. Unfortunately, the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) was unable to leave Palestine to take part in the round table, as it informed us shortly before the meeting, and we regret that. We then decided to convene a major round table to take place shortly; either in Strasbourg or Brussels, which will be attended by all the players involved locally in seeking solutions to the conflict and helping the communities affected. It will be a full-scale international conference bringing together elected representatives and institutions of all origins, something which has never been done until now. The Council of Europe has a reputation for impartiality in the Middle East. This represents an asset for the round table, which we hope to organise in partnership with the EU’s Committee of the Regions.