The Global Citizen: Europe

A Watered-Down Resolution on Syria?

Melissa Kaplan | September 29th, 2011
Topics: Genocide Prevention, Civilian Protection, Human Rights, United Nations

This week, it was announced that a United Nations draft resolution on Syria--written by France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal and supported by the U.S.--was backing off from demanding immediate sanctions on the Assad regime. Instead, it would threaten to impose sanctions only if the Syrian government does not cease its violence toward protesters. This change apparently comes as the sponsoring nations seek to gain the support of Russia and China, both permanent U.N. Security Council members, who oppose sanctioning Assad's government. Meanwhile, Russia is floating a resolution of its own which would condemn the violence in Syria but include no sanctions at all.

On the plus side, the France-UK-Germany-Portugal resolution "demands an immediate end to all violence", and states that the Security Council "expresses its determination, in the event that Syria has not complied with this resolution, to adopt targeted measures, including sanctions."

What Do Europe and the U.S. Agree On?

Melissa Kaplan | November 19th, 2010
Topics: Capitol Hill

The Need for Allies to Work Together to Address Global Issues

At an event on transatlantic relations sponsored by the Brookings Institution on Thursday, November 18^th, policymakers from Europe and the United States expressed agreement on one key point: the need for nations to work together to solve global problems that no one nation can solve alone. If that idea sounds familiar, it’s because it’s one of the core beliefs of Citizens for Global Solutions.

Srebrenica: 15 Years Later

Melissa Kaplan | July 12th, 2010
Topics: Genocide Prevention, Prevent War

Sunday, July 11th marked a sober anniversary for Bosnia, Europe, and the world. Fifteen years ago, approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were massacred at Srebrenica by Serb forces, in the worst incident of genocide on the continent since World War Two.

On July 11, 1995, Serbian forces arrived at Srebrenica, which had served as a safe haven for Bosnian Muslims. The Serbs overpowered the Dutch UN peacekeepers protecting the town and forced them to open the gates of the UN military base. The Serb troops then took away thousands of Muslim men and boys, whom they later massacred.

Former Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic is currently on trial in The Hague after being indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal for genocide related to the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. Former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, leader of the Serb troops in Srebrenica, remains a fugitive from justice.

The Sixty-Fifth Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day: A Reason to Rejoice

Melissa Kaplan | May 7th, 2010
Topics: International Criminal Court, International Criminal Justice, Law & Justice

"We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing…" These words were spoken by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on May 8th, 1945, immediately after he announced the German surrender that marked the end of the Second World War in Europe. Sixty-five years later, the legacy of World War Two still exerts a powerful impact, particularly on issues such as genocide prevention and the International Criminal Court (ICC) which are fundamental to the mission of Citizens for Global Solutions.

Is Europe the "Second Superpower" of the 21st Century?

Melissa Kaplan | April 12th, 2010
Topics: United Nations

Usually, when the topic of European Union foreign policy comes up, responses range from doubts as to whether the 27 - member body can even be said to have a coherent foreign policy, to questions on whether EU foreign policy matters much in a world increasingly dominated by rising powers such as China, India, and Brazil, as well as the United States. But at a Brookings Institution event on April 8th entitled "The Foreign Policy of the European Union: Assessing Results, Ushering in A New Era," panelists sounded a generally optimistic note on the future of a common foreign policy for the EU, and how Europe might still exert a positive influence on the world outside its borders.