Friday, September 29, 2017

UK Visas and Immigration offers a UK-wide Assisted Digital service to support customers who need digital help to complete their immigration application online.

This service does not provide immigration advice.

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assisted-digital-uk-visas-and-immigration

The Germany Travel Show - Episode 4/16 - Schwerin

Find out about the Assisted Digital service which gives customers digital support to complete their online application.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3xJG8bshlM

Speech by Foreign Minister Gabriel at the 72nd session of UN General Assembly in New York

Mr President,
Ladies and gentlemen,

We seem to be confronted with a phase of political hurricanes and earthquakes. And the tone of the confrontations seems to get harsher, more intransigent and belligerent from day to day and from speech to speech.

As responsible politicians, it is vital that we ask ourselves:

How we can bring about a change in direction? A change of direction which will bring about more peace, more stability, less hunger and poverty and better prospects for everyone in the world.

How do we ensure that globalisation finally delivers justice for all, not riches to the few?

One answer as to how we achieve this change in direction can be found in a report to the United Nations Secretary-General. It states:

We must not limit ourselves to the “traditional questions of peace and war,”

but must also work towards overcoming “world hunger, mass misery and alarming disparities between the living conditions of rich and poor.”

I find this analysis very apt.

However, the bitter thing about this quote is that it does not come from a current report to the UN Secretary-General. This apt analysis of the global situation can be found in a report commissioned for the United Nations almost forty years ago to the day.

It was in the report of the International North-South Commission, which began its work forty years ago in 1977. The Chairman of the Commission was the former German Chancellor Willy Brandt.

Essentially, humanity is still faced with more or less the same structural difficulties today – but it seems to have become rather more difficult to change the world for the better.

Looking around the world today, it seems that a world view which puts one's own national interests first and is no longer engaged in a balancing of interests between the nations and countries of this world is gaining ever more ground. National egoism is worthless as a regulatory principle for our world!

For this world view describes the world as an arena, a kind of battleground, in which everyone is fighting against everyone else and in which everyone has to assert their own interests, either alone or in alliances of convenience.

In this world view, the law of the strongest prevails, not the strength of international law.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am convinced that we have to resolutely rise against this world view. We need more international cooperation and less national egoism, not the other way round.

Some forty years ago, the North-South Commission recognised that global problems cannot be resolved through confrontation but only through often arduous efforts to identify common interests.

Ultimately, no country, no nation will gain if it only strives to assert its own interests. For if everyone were to do that, confrontations and conflicts would increase and prosperity would decrease.

The motto “Our country first” not only leads to more national confrontations and less prosperity. In the end, there will only be losers.

Our historical experience as Germans is very different: only after we learned following two terrible world wars to see our former enemies as neighbours and partners with whom we want to shoulder responsibility for a peaceful coexistence, only since then, do our own citizens in Germany have a better life.

We have learned that it was not “Germany first” that made our country strong and prosperous. Rather, it was only “European and international responsibility first” that gave us Germans peace and prosperity.

In international cooperation, no-one loses sovereignty. Rather we all gain new sovereignty which we no longer have as nation-states on our own in today’s world.

That is why the European Union today provides the framework for our German policies. The road was often stony and arduous. For nothing is more difficult than turning former enemies into friends.

Often the road is not popular and one needs considerable political courage. However, this courage has finally created peace in Europe after centuries of war. And it has transformed us – the former enemies – into new and lasting friends.

It is precisely due to this experience in Germany and Europe, that we are calling for strong and functioning joint institutions, first and foremost the United Nations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

How urgently essential it is that we work together to create a safer world is demonstrated by the current irresponsible actions of North Korea, which pose a serious threat to world peace.

We have to send a clear message: the international community will not accept North Korea’s nuclear provocations.

Germany welcomes the sanctions adopted by the Security Council and is calling for their swift implementation at European level. What is more we want Europe to go beyond that.

At the same time, we have to make use of all diplomatic means at our disposal, first of all to defuse the situation and subsequently to find a point of departure for long-term solutions.

The settlement of this international crisis is so important because otherwise others will be encouraged to copy North Korea. If a country manages to build up a nuclear arsenal while the international community stands by and watches helplessly, then other political leaders will follow this example.

This will result in completely new nuclear trouble spots in the world, and our children and grandchildren will grow up in a very dangerous world. That is why North Korea acquiring nuclear weapons is neither a bilateral nor a regional problem. Rather it is a global challenge which we have to master together.

It cannot be that striving to build up a nuclear arsenal leads to success on the international stage.

It is therefore more important than ever that the international architecture for arms control and disarmament does not crumble. Existing treaties and agreements must not be called into question.

That applies in particular to the agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.

The agreement is a way out of the impasse of a nuclear confrontation which would jeopardise regional security and have an impact far beyond the region.

But only if all obligations are rigorously adhered to and the agreed transparency is created, can the urgently needed confidence grow.

Germany will work within the E3+3 framework to ensure that the agreement is strictly implemented and that it is upheld.

This is not only about Iran. This is about the credibility of the international community.

For which state would refrain from developing its own nuclear programme if it turns out that negotiated agreements do not endure and confidence in agreements with the international community are not worth the paper they are written on?

Ladies and gentlemen,

What the world needs most urgently is new trust. Especially with regard to the implementation of the ban on the proliferation of nuclear weapons, we have a request for the United States, Russia and China. These countries will be instrumental in ensuring that the ban on the proliferation of nuclear weapons, as well as arms control and disarmament are implemented. To this end, the trust among them must be restored.

Mr President,

Speeches by Presidents of the United States are always important and interesting. It is always worthwhile listening to them or even reading them. I found a quote in one of these speeches which I especially liked.

In this speech, the American President called for “general and complete disarmament”.

Every year, he said, billions of dollars were spent on weapons that are “acquired for the purpose of making sure we never need to use them”. This, he went on to say, was certainly not “the most efficient means of assuring peace”.

The speech was given by John F. Kennedy in 1963.

You can see, everything we need for a safer future has already been thought, written and said.

I believe we should focus today on the bold visions of the North-South Commission and that of John F. Kennedy and have the courage to put forward new offers on disarmament, arms control and confidence-building.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One of our tasks is to resolve emerging crises early on.

One recent example of this is the escalation of violence against the Rohingyas and the flows of refugees in the region. We have to act as quickly as possible here – in the form of both political and humanitarian support – in order to alleviate the suffering and end the conflict. Germany will again increase its aid for the Rohingyas via the International Red Cross.

Germany is committed to providing political and humanitarian support, as well as to practical peace building, in many crisis regions around the world.

Military engagement under the auspices of the United Nations is also sometimes necessary. However, we have to make sure that we do not create an imbalance.

The report of the North-South Commission included an impressive finding: the military expenditure of only half a day would have sufficed to finance the whole malaria eradication programme at that time.

These days, I suspect that not even half a day would be necessary.

We currently spend just under 1.7 trillion US dollars each year on arms around the world. In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations, i.e. to eradicate extreme poverty in the world by 2030, we would need only 10 percent of that.

We Germans have therefore tripled our funding for civilian peacekeeping measures during the last few years.

Ladies and gentlemen,

However, progress has also been made. For example, in Iraq. We have to quickly consolidate the successes which have been achieved there in the fight against the so-called Islamic State by initiating reconstruction and stabilisation measures in the liberated cities and regions.

Germany has therefore decided to make available an additional 250 million euros for the reconstruction of Mosul. For we cannot abandon the victims of the IS thugs. What is more, we have to make it possible for them to return home!

It is also important to strengthen a democratic and inclusive Iraqi state – and to ensure that the actions of an individual region do not leave it exposed to a renewed threat of destabilisation. We can only ask the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq not to trigger any new conflicts. For new conflicts are the very last thing that this country needs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We also have to make progress in the Ukraine conflict.

The Minsk agreements provide a clear road map for peace, in the elaboration of which Germany played a key role.

It is based on the principles of the peaceful settlement of disputes and the inviolability of borders.

If proposals are now put forward on deploying a UN peace mission, then I think we should pursue this idea resolutely. Certainly there is not yet sufficient consensus on what this peace mission should look like. However, it is worth the effort to try this idea out and we ask the UN Secretary-General to press for this proposal to be realised.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The North-South Commission pointed out that focusing solely on questions of war and peace is not enough.

Rather, these issues are inextricably linked to the fair distribution of resources, to economic and social development and to respect for universal human rights.

Only a world in which solidarity prevails will ultimately bring us security and stability.

Agenda 2030 shows that the international community has identified this as a “common interest”.

If we want to realise major ambitions such as peace, security and justice, we need strong joint institutions, particularly the United Nations.

The founders of the United Nations were not naive – they had experienced the horrors of the first half of the 20th century.

For that very reason, they bequeathed to us the UN Charter with its timeless principles and maxims.

Yet, ladies and gentlemen,

Although the principles of the United Nations are not outdated, the world organisation has to adapt to the challenges of our time.

For that very reason, they bequeathed to us the UN Charter with its timeless principles and maxims. He has set the right priorities.

How well the reform of the United Nations succeeds is largely up to us, the member states.

We have to work together to give the United Nations more clout and more efficiency.

In my view, the reform efforts should not focus primarily on cutbacks.

On the contrary, the United Nations will probably need more funding. We have to provide the United Nations with the means it needs to fulfil its mandate.

At present, however, the figures tell a different story:

The World Food Programme receives less than 50% of the funding needed to combat the world’s hunger crises today.

The World Development Programme receives a mere 15% of its contributions as voluntary, non tied payments today, in 2011 it was still 50%. And things do not look any better with respect to other UN aid programmes.

It cannot be that those in positions of responsibility at the United Nations spend more time distributing begging letters to find the necessary funding than in organising effective assistance.

We have to change course here. We have to grant the United Nations the right level of funding as well as more freedom. In return, we need more efficiency and transparency with regard to how the funding is used.

Germany, at any rate, intends to maintain its financial support for the United Nations.

As the fourth biggest provider of assessed contributions and far beyond that, for example as one of the biggest donors of humanitarian assistance around the world, we want to continue making a substantial input.

I believe that we as member states should now adopt a further reform project which is long overdue:

The composition of the Security Council should reflect the realities of today’s world.

For today, more states than at the time of the establishment of the United Nations over 70 years ago are shouldering responsibility for peace and security – and are prepared to live up to this responsibility in the United Nations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Germany is ready and willing to shoulder additional responsibility.

That is why my country is seeking a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2019-2020 term.

We do so with a clear compass – peace and security, global justice and human rights are indivisibly linked.

We intend to work in partnership with all members of the United Nations – in Africa, Asia, America and Europe.

For we can only resolve the global problems if we reach a fair and peaceful balance of interests among all nations.

Yes, this is an arduous process. However, we have to muster up the courage to go down this path.

For, as Willy Brandt, who headed the North-South Commission after leaving office as Chancellor, once said:

We firmly believe “that problems created by men can also be solved by men”.

Let us work on this together!

Thank you very much!

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2017/170921_Rede_BM_Generalversammlung_VN_NY.html?nn=479796

Steve's story

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDuIN61yHw

Friday, September 22, 2017

360° AlpspitzKICK

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwX8tJcJDjg

360° Zeche Zollverein

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnEe5-OJQqU

360° Burg Cochem

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjOCQpB2zRk

360° Dresdner Frauenkirche

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I2ZZLyiya8

Voyager écoresponsable en Allemagne

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NKIJ0C7_nc

A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson on the case of Vietnamese citizen Trinh Xuan Thanh

A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (22 September) in response to new developments in the case of Vietnamese citizen Trinh Xuan Thanh, who was abducted from Berlin:

Zitat

Immediately after the case came to light, we made it clear that the abduction on German territory was completely unacceptable. There is clear evidence for this abduction, which will be made available to the public in due course. The Federal Public Prosecutor General took over the investigation on 10 August. This investigation has not yet been concluded.

The abduction involves a blatant violation of German and international law. Under no circumstances will we tolerate this.

In declaring the head of intelligence at the Vietnamese Embassy persona non grata, we have already taken the first clear steps. We have conveyed our demands unambiguously to the Vietnamese Government several times and made clear that we reserve the right to take further measures.

To date, the Vietnamese Government has not complied with our demands that it make an apology and provide an assurance that the law will not be violated again in this way in the future. Nor has Viet Nam pledged to hold the responsible parties to account.

We have made demands regarding Trinh Xuan Thanh, including that his trial be conducted in accordance with the rule of law and open to international observers.

As Viet Nam has not met any of our demands in any way or recognised the violation of the law and the breach of trust as such so far, we are obliged to take further steps. We therefore informed the Vietnamese side in a meeting with the Vietnamese Ambassador at the Federal Foreign Office yesterday that the strategic partnership with Viet Nam is being temporarily suspended. We have also declared a further employee of the Vietnamese Embassy persona non grata. He now has four weeks to leave Germany with his family.

We expect Viet Nam to meet our demands.

The Vietnamese side knows how it can restore bilateral relations and rectify the violation of the law and breach of trust.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170922-Vietnam.html?nn=479796

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Policy paper: Immigration Rules archive: 1 May 2017 to 9 August 2017

This version of the Immigration Rules has been replaced by the current Immigration Rules.

from
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-rules-archive-1-may-2017-to-9-august-2017

Using VR to untangle genes

Immigration Rules archive: 1 May 2017 to 9 August 2017, an archived document.

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtNFY6kTlGg

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after the EU3+3 Foreign Ministers meeting with Iran

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement after the EU3+3 (China, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, United States of America and the European Union) Foreign Ministers meeting with Iran in New York:

Zitat

It is in our utmost interest not to jeopardise the nuclear agreement with Iran and certainly not to end it now or in the future.

In the past two years, we have seen that the agreement is working and that it has prevented a dangerous nuclear proliferation in the region because everyone, including the Iranians, has adhered to the obligations arising from it and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitoring mechanisms are effective.

The Americans are right: Iran is still not playing a constructive role in the Middle East, be it in Yemen or Lebanon. We agree that we must discuss and address this, but not by means of a working regional nuclear arms control agreement.

I firmly believe that neither the volatile and tense situation in the region nor Iran’s conduct would improve if the nuclear agreement is no longer observed.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170921_BM_E3%2B3_Iran_Treffen.html?nn=479796

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Supporting Postdocs at Cambridge

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FxFDE47WcM

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees welcomes new students

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC7eGNKYT7M

Statement by Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel prior to his departure for the 72nd UN General Assembly in New York

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement in Berlin this evening (19 September) prior to his departure for New York:

Zitat

We are travelling to New York today with certain expectations. The international community is meeting this week at the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations. Once again, the General Assembly is taking place at a time of crises and conflicts, the enormous challenge of eradicating poverty and hunger, and a nascent East-West conflict.

When – as in New York this week – political decision-makers from all over the world convene, this is always an opportunity to strive for solutions and to make progress in talks and meetings.

The German Foreign Minister must be there, even during the election campaign.

We certainly need the United Nations to play a greater role – not a smaller one. In this era of crises and conflicts, the values of the Charter of the United Nations and cooperation between its members under the auspices of the United Nations are perhaps more important than ever.

Beyond the crisis with North Korea, the wars, conflicts and humanitarian disasters in eastern Ukraine and Syria, on Qatar, on the Iranian nuclear programme, and in Myanmar, Yemen and elsewhere, this is our key message at a time in which confrontation is taking the place of willingness to work together, rearmament has supplanted arms control and transparency, and our world has certainly not become a more peaceful place since the last General Assembly of the United Nations.

I firmly believe that it falls to Germany in particular to promote détente, political dialogue, diplomatic solutions, solidarity, cooperation and peaceful exchange, both between East and West and North and South!To this end, the world needs a United Nations that fosters the values of the Charter, can respond rapidly and effectively, and receives the resources needed for its work from the member states.That is what is needed now and it can only be achieved if we work together!

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170919_BM_Abreise_72_Vollversammlung_VN.html?nn=479796

Joint press statement by Foreign Minister Gabriel and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Grütters: fellows nominated for the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles

At a special meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House association, whose members include representatives of the Federal Foreign Office and the office of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, has nominated the first group of fellows for the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles:

Prof. Jutta Allmendinger, Prof. Heinrich Detering, Mr Burghart Klaußner, Prof. Yiannos Manoli and Dr Sylke Tempel will live and work in Los Angeles in the coming year.

Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement on this in Berlin today (19 September):

Zitat

In a conflict-ridden world, it is more important than ever for us to create and protect spheres outside the realm of politics that facilitate exchange and understanding. The United States is our most important partner outside Europe and is indispensable for resolving many problems around the world. This is why we are seeking to enter a dialogue on many levels and working to expand our hubs for access to culture and education on the other side of the Atlantic, especially with a view to the Year of Germany in the United States scheduled to take place in 2018. In difficult times when some things separate us across the Atlantic, cultural exchange is paramount for open societies and for our common transatlantic foundation of values.

Monika Grütters, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, stated the following:

Zitat

In times of challenging transatlantic relations, the purchase of the Thomas Mann House is a stroke of good fortune and also a great obligation. While in exile in the last century, Thomas Mann raised his voice for freedom and for democratic and open societies as one of the most important writers and intellectuals of his age. With this residency programme, we intend to offer a platform for discussions and discourse that is able to counter increasing confrontation and polarisation. Culture and the media have an indispensable role to play in this regard. Where intellectual discourse is neglected and critical journalism is unwelcome, it will fall to outstanding individuals to do all that they can to stand up for the freedom of the arts and the press, as well as for social cohesion.

The Federal Foreign Office purchased the Thomas Mann House, which is currently undergoing renovation work, in November 2016. The residency programme is funded by the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. It aims to give outstanding individuals from all fields of German society, particularly from the realms of culture, academia, business, politics and the media, the opportunity to address the major questions of our time and to enter into a dialogue and network with individuals and institutions in the US.

The fellows nominated today will inaugurate the Thomas Mann House in the coming year.

Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House are responsible for the residency programme. The association has operated the artists’ residence Villa Aurora since 1995. Villa Aurora was the exile residence of Marta and Lion Feuchtwanger in Pacific Palisades and offers a well-established infrastructure in Los Angeles.

The Federal Government sets great store by the dialogue with the US. This applies not only to the political dialogue with the Administration, but also and especially to the dialogue among societies conducted by intellectuals, artists, academics and journalists. It is the Federal Government’s aim to make Germany’s voice even more clearly heard in the US with regard to the key issues of our time.

The Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media would like to thank the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung, the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation and the Robert Bosch Stiftung for their generous support.

Further information about the Thomas Mann House and about the fellowships is available on the website of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House:

external link, opens in new windowwww.vatmh.org

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170919-BM-KuStM-Thomas_Mann_House.html?nn=479796

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

The Germany Travel Show - Episode 3/16 - Hamburg

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD6rskj0kAY

Guidance: Asylum claims in detention

This tells staff how to manage individuals in detention who have claimed asylum and processing individuals into detention following an asylum claim.

from
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-claims-in-detention

Foreign Minister Gabriel expresses support for an initiative for persecuted artists

The directors of renowned theatres, museums and film institutions from all over Germany have called on the German Government to set up a programme for persecuted artists.

Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement on this in Berlin today (18 September):

Zitat

I welcome the call for a programme to protect persecuted artists and would be pleased if this important initiative met with widespread support.

From our own history, we are all too familiar with attacks on the freedom of science and the arts. This makes it all the more important that we do everything we can today to protect and extend academic and artistic freedom where it is at risk of being lost, using our cultural relations and education policy to do so. In the Philipp Schwartz Initiative for persecuted academics we have already created a successful blueprint for supporting people who have had to flee from conflicts or who are threatened for defending fundamental rights.

We need to set up a similar programme for persecuted artists in the next legislative term. It is particularly important that we do not only help those who stand up for the freedom of culture and the arts once they have arrived in Germany, but rather that we already provide support where they are prevented from playing their part in society.

We cannot allow societies in other places to lose the creativity of artists, intellectuals and pioneers because governments are not willing or able to protect and foster people in their creativity. I will endeavour to ensure that a programme of this type be established and implemented as soon as possible. To this end, I am inviting the signatories of the call to a meeting in early October to discuss the next steps.

Background Information:

Marion Ackermann (Director General of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections), Amelie Deuflhard (Director of Kampnagel Internationale Kulturfabrik GmbH), Dieter Kosslick (Director of the Berlin International Film Festival), Shermin Langhoff (Director of the Maxim Gorki Theater), Matthias Lilienthal (Director of the Münchner Kammerspiele), Joachim Lux (Director of the Thalia Theater), Thomas Ostermeier (Artistic Director/ Resident Director of the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz), Wolfgang Tillmans (artist), Annemie Vanackere (Director of HAU Hebbel am Ufer), Stefan Weber (Director of the Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamon Museum ) and Peter Weibel (artist, curator and art and media expert, ZKM Karlsruhe) called on the next German Government today to set up a programme for persecuted artists.

The Federal Foreign Office has been running the Philipp Schwartz Initiative in cooperation with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation since 2015. This initiative enables persecuted academics to continue their work at German research institutes for two years.

Find out more:

Cultural relations and education policy

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170918-BM_Kuenstler.html?nn=479796

Monday, September 18, 2017

Autonomous vision-based over height vehicle detection system

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMMpmUaXhRM

The Language Problem Language Problem: Building consensus on Developmental Language Disorder

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbP2DakcbIk

Guidance: Pre-entry health assessments guidance for UK refugees

It includes details on technical instructions (TI) that guide healthcare professionals when clinical assessments for refugees are carried out.

from
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-entry-health-assessments-guidance-for-uk-refugees

Friday, September 15, 2017

Statement by Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on North Korea’s latest missile test

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (15 September) on North Korea’s latest missile test:

Zitat

North Korea is continuing to directly threaten the security of its neighbours and of international shipping and aviation through its reckless missile and nuclear tests. I condemn its latest launch of a ballistic missile over Japanese territory in the strongest possible terms.

Not only do North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests violate the applicable UN Security Council resolutions in the gravest way, the country’s irresponsible and illegal conduct is also aggravating tensions on the Korean peninsula. Once again, the regime in Pyongyang is demonstrating that it poses a serious threat to world peace.

We need to stand up resolutely and unambiguously to this threat as the international community and to increase the pressure on the regime in North Korea together. The German Government thus urges the rapid implementation of the most recent UN Security Council resolution and welcomes the convening of an emergency session of the Security Council this afternoon.

I urgently call on North Korea to comply with all applicable UN Security Council resolutions and to immediately cease all activities relating to its illegal missile and nuclear programme without exception.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170915-BM_Nordkorea_Raketentest.html?nn=479796

Statement by Human Rights Commissioner Kofler on the arrest of human rights lawyer Hegazy in Egypt

Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (14 September) on the arrest of human rights lawyer Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy by the Egyptian authorities:

Zitat

I am very concerned about the disappearance and subsequent arrest of human rights lawyer Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy by the Egyptian authorities. At the time of his arrest, Mr Hegazy was travelling to Geneva, where he was to report, at the invitation of a United Nations committee, on forced disappearances in Egypt.

The arbitrary arrests of people by organs of the state, without information being provided on their fate or location, deprives those detained of the protection of the law. It is not acceptable that the Egyptian authorities prevent people who campaign for others’ human rights to be upheld from doing their work by causing them to disappear, carrying out arbitrary arrests, imposing travel bans, freezing bank accounts, blocking websites, intimidating them or using other forms of repression.

Respect for human rights and a free civil society are basic prerequisites for social harmony and lasting stability, and also the best defence against radicalisation and extremism.

I call on the Egyptian authorities to release Mr Hegazy and to create conditions in Egypt in which human rights defenders and other members of civil society can do their work unhindered – work that is important for the Country.

Background:

Lawyer Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy is a co-founder of the Association of the Families of the Disappeared in Egypt. His own son vanished in 2013 and has never been seen again. Mr Hegazy also worked on the case of the murdered Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni.

Mr Hegazy disappeared from Cairo Airport on 10 September 2017 when he was on his way to Geneva, where he was to report on enforced disappearances at the invitation of the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances. Only two days later was it revealed that he had been arrested by the Egyptian authorities and was being interrogated. He is accused of managing an illegal group, spreading false news and cooperating with foreign organisations. He is being held in Scorpion, the high-security wing of Tora prison.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170914_Kofler_Aegypten.html?nn=479796

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Human Rights Commissioner Kofler on the sentencing of Akhtem Chiygoz

Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (13 September) on the sentencing of Akhtem Chiygoz, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis, the executive representative body of the Crimean Tartar people.

Zitat

I am outraged by the so-called “Supreme Court” of annexed Crimea’s sentencing of Akhtem Chiygoz, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, to several years of imprisonment. This conviction constitutes a further curtailment of the rights of the Crimean Tatars on the peninsula following its annexation by Russia.

Akhtem Chiygoz was a strong proponent of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is unacceptable for people to be locked up and convicted for expressing their political opinions. This violates all rule-of-law principles, in particular the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – which Russia, too, has ratified.

The rights of the Tatars in Crimea must be restored without delay and international human rights standards respected in full. The International Court of Justice has expressly called on Russia to do so.

Background Information:

Since the Russian Federation’s illegal annexation of Crimea, anyone on the peninsula who opposes the annexation has been subjected to systematic harassment. The Crimean Tatars have been prime targets. Persecution has focused above all on the Mejlis, the executive representative body of the Crimean Tatars. On 26 April 2016, in response to an application filed by the “Prosecutor-General of Crimea”, the “Supreme Court of Crimea” classified the Mejlis an extremist organisation and outlawed its activities.

Akhtem Chiygoz is Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis. He was arrested in January 2015 for participating in a rally in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine in front of the Supreme Council building of Crimea on 26 February 2014. Since his arrest, he has been in pretrial detention in Simferopol, Crimea. He was accused of organising mass riots and inciting unrest. He was not present in person at his trial proceedings, but participated only via a video teleconference link. On 11 September 2017, the “Supreme Court of Crimea” sentenced him to eight years in prison.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170913-MRHH_Krim.html?nn=479796

Interview with Eve Bennett | Revision with Eve

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM5mp_ptjuM

A Big Zero: Research uncovers the date of the Bakhshali manuscript

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV_gXGTuWxY

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Press release: Hull people smuggler jailed

Arnoldes Jocys, 19, pleaded guilty yesterday (12 September) at the start of his scheduled four day trial at Hull Crown Court and was sentenced immediately to 27 months’ imprisonment. He had been charged with facilitating a breach of the UK’s immigration laws.

Jocys had been stopped by Border Force officers at the Port of Hull on the morning of 16 May. He had arrived on an overnight ferry from Rotterdam and was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van.

When questioned by officers, Jocys said he was delivery driver and that he was carrying a mixed load of vodka, beer, cigarettes, furniture and barbecues.

Mark Robinson, Border Force Assistant Director with the Humber Command, said:

Jocys was nervous when he was being spoken to and when the rear of the van was searched it became obvious why. As officers unloaded the contents, they found, hiding behind a sofa, two Chinese men. The cargo area had been filled floor to ceiling with goods. It was clear the Chinese men could not have found their way into the vehicle without assistance.

Jocys, of no fixed UK address, was arrested and the case was passed to Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) Team. In interview, the two Chinese men said they had been placed into the van in Belgium, although they could not say by whom. They were returned to Belgium later the same day (16 May).

Subsequent forensic examination found that the rear and side doors of the van had been fitted with a new locking system which meant they could only be opened with a key from the outside.

Mike Reed, CFI Inspector, said:

This evidence supported the prosecution case that the two illegal migrants could not have got into the rear of the van without Jocys’ knowledge.

This was a shameless attempt to bypass the UK’s immigration controls that was prevented thanks to the expertise of my colleagues in Border Force. With the evidence they provided, alongside our own investigations, we have been able to bring a would-be people smuggler to justice.

I hope that this case sends a clear message to anyone else tempted to get involved in criminality of this type – you will be caught and brought before the courts.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

from
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hull-people-smuggler-jailed

Press release: Hull people smuggler jailed

Jocys had been stopped by Border Force officers at the Port of Hull on the morning of 16 May. He had arrived on an overnight ferry from Rotterdam and was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van.

When questioned by officers, Jocys said he was delivery driver and that he was carrying a mixed load of vodka, beer, cigarettes, furniture and barbecues.

Mark Robinson, Border Force Assistant Director with the Humber Command, said:

Jocys was nervous when he was being spoken to and when the rear of the van was searched it became obvious why. As officers unloaded the contents, they found, hiding behind a sofa, two Chinese men. The cargo area had been filled floor to ceiling with goods. It was clear the Chinese men could not have found their way into the vehicle without assistance.

Subsequent forensic examination found that the rear and side doors of the van had been fitted with a new locking system which meant they could only be opened with a key from the outside.

Mike Reed, CFI Inspector, said:

This evidence supported the prosecution case that the two illegal migrants could not have got into the rear of the van without Jocys’ knowledge.

This was a shameless attempt to bypass the UK’s immigration controls that was prevented thanks to the expertise of my colleagues in Border Force. With the evidence they provided, alongside our own investigations, we have been able to bring a would-be people smuggler to justice.

I hope that this case sends a clear message to anyone else tempted to get involved in criminality of this type – you will be caught and brought before the courts.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

from
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hull-people-smuggler-jailed

Hotline "Working & Living in Germany" (in German)

A Lithuanian man who attempted to smuggle two Chinese nationals into the UK at the Port of Hull has been jailed for more than two years.

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nrg2Q3LoB4

Statement by Foreign Minister Gabriel on the speech by European Commission President Juncker

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (13 September) after the speech by the President of the European Commission, Jean‑Claude Juncker:

Zitat

I welcome the passionate and pioneering speech by Jean‑Claude Juncker.

It expresses precisely what the Commission’s role in the process of European integration should be – always looking ahead, being a pioneer of the European idea and never giving up in the search for ideas and suggestions on how we can foster our shared Europe, make it more resilient to crises and enhance it as a player with a global role.

Now is the time to set the course for a good future for Europe. There are many good suggestions on developing the European Union further. In Emmanuel Macron, a dedicated reformer is leading France. We have overcome the acute crises in Europe. Jean‑Claude Juncker’s inspiring ideas give us a great deal of input for further discussions and debates. In Germany, too, we need a new Federal Government that wants to develop Europe further with courage and confidence.

Jean‑Claude Juncker has indicated the right path for the cohesion of our continent – more integration, more solidarity, more freedom, more justice, more democracy and more rule of law. We absolutely cannot allow the European Union to be split into East and West, North and South, and rich and poor. We all fare better with the European Union. Only together are we strong and able to assert our values and interests in the world.

Europe is a community with a shared destiny and values.

The EU will only be a strong player internationally with a voice that is heard in the world if we succeed in strengthening its internal cohesion once again. That is a task for us all, including us Germans. We, too, must be willing to compromise, to think of Europe as a whole and to invest even more in the common European project.

Find out more:

Europe

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170913-BM_Rede_Juncker.html?nn=479796

Speech by Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel at the opening of the conference Making Conventional Arms Control Fit for the 21st Century

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me open with words spoken by a man concerned about peace.

A peace researcher, if you will.

He says: “I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living.”

Every year, he explains, billions of dollars are spent on weapons that are “acquired for the purpose of making sure we never need to use them”. This, he concludes, is certainly not “the most efficient means of assuring peace”.

This peace researcher then proposes the exact opposite. He demands, and I quote, “general and complete disarmament”.

Who is this peace researcher?

He’s an American. But it must be said that this is a quote from a speech delivered in 1963 – by the man who at the time was President of the United States. These words were spoken by John F. Kennedy.

Just imagine if today we had a US President who would make this same statement and work toward this goal.

By the way, John F. Kennedy delivered this speech at a time when confrontation between the former Soviet Union and the United States was heating up, not cooling down.

In that political climate, an American President spoke about a “strategy of peace”. In the middle of the Cold War, the American President spoke about peace as the “necessary rational end of rational men”.

Willy Brandt, who at the time of Kennedy’s speech was mayor of West Berlin, seized on the ideas of John F. Kennedy and developed a peace policy for Germany – the foundation of which remains in place to this day.

Of course, Brandt said, Germany must ensure “military protection”. He was firmly anchored in the Western Alliance. Nevertheless, the balance of terror, Brandt insisted, must “take a second seat to the attempt to solve problems peacefully without any illusions”. That, he said, is the right strategy for peace.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Why am I referring to Kennedy and Brandt?

One reason to remember Brandt is that, forty years ago, almost to the day, he became Chairman of the Brandt Commission on the North-South Divide, which looked at ways that the world’s poor and wealthy could live together better. Incidentally, the Commission also predicted there would be refugee flows and dealt with the issues of armament and arms control.

The most important reason is, however, that these two people, along with many others – at a time when hardly anyone believed in de-escalation or in a world with fewer weapons, and when things were moving in the opposite direction – focused their political efforts on the idea of disarmament and arms control.

Willy Brandt clearly finalised his policy of détente in 1968, the same year that Warsaw Pact forces marched into Prague. It was one of the darkest hours of the Cold War.

The lesson we must learn from this is that our assessment of the current situation must not prevent us from seeing what is actually needed for people to live together in peace.

If we want to seize on the ideas of Kennedy and Brandt and use them in our present-day situation, I think the first step must be to do a stocktaking – as Brandt put it, “without any illusions”.

When taking a level-headed look at the security situation, I believe we will come to a rather depressing conclusion:

We are currently straying from the path we originally embarked on at the end of the Cold War.

Instead of peaceful coexistence, we run the risk of entering a new arms race – one that is set to take place not only between Russia and NATO, but on a global scale. Wherever you look, there’s talk of rearmament: in China, in India, in the Pacific, in America, in parts of Africa and in Europe.

We’re moving toward what looks like a huge new arms race.

Proven disarmament mechanisms are coming under strain, and trust is being lost that is needed for cooperation.

What we are currently witnessing in North Korea shows how dangerous the world could become for our children – and for us as well, in a few years, when countries begin to acquire nuclear weapons.

If North Korea actually attains the objectives it’s pursuing with its aggressive nuclear programme, this will get other countries thinking. That could be especially, but not only, true in the region, which is why no one should be more interested than China in preventing nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Other countries will begin to think about whether their own regime may be better defended and regional conflicts better managed, or bent to their will, if they acquire nuclear weapons.

If this were to happen, the world would become a more dangerous place than it ever was during the difficult times of the East-West confrontation.

I think this is why the idea that is so firmly rooted in international political strategy, namely that we need a balance of terror, merely reflects the situation during the second half of the 20th century – and can’t be applied to what we may face during the first half of the 21st century.

How, I ask, would the so-called balance of terror work if nuclear weapons were to spread to many countries in the world – and who would such a balance be between?

That is why seasoned politicians like Henry Kissinger, who truly cannot be considered one of the world’s peaceniks, is so decisively campaigning for an end to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Not only that – he says that Global Zero is the right objective. He argues that, if we want to prevent many small countries from acquiring these arms, then the major powers that possess them today must actually begin to disarm. Otherwise their actions would no longer be credible.

However, we must also work to ensure that consensus on current disarmament and arms control treaties, especially in the nuclear domain, is not further undermined – because according to Kissinger the world is moving in the wrong direction.

Right now, we are in danger of losing historic achievements.

I recently hosted members of the so-called Deep Cuts Commission. These are scientists from Russia, the United States and Germany who for many years have been dealing with the issue of nuclear disarmament.

They point to cracks in a crucial building block of our global security architecture:

Russia is expanding its non-strategic nuclear arsenal in Europe and is suspected of violating the INF Treaty that was concluded between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Treaty bans an entire category of weapons, namely intermediate-range land-based missiles. It’s a cornerstone of European security, something we still benefit from today. In Germany, two years before German reunification, before the fall of the Iron Curtain, the agreements that were reached between Gorbachev and Reagan brought us a peace dividend. To this very day, we benefit from the ban on land-based intermediate-range nuclear missiles. It is precisely this treaty that is under threat. Because NATO and the United States, too, are these days considering whether they should shelve it.

Let me give you two examples that illustrate how much strain conventional arms control mechanisms are under today.

First, in Europe, we’ve lost the progress we’ve made on controlling conventional weapons.

Beginning in 1990, tens of thousands of tanks and other heavy weapon systems were destroyed under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, the so-called CFE Treaty. Moreover, a verifiable limit was placed on the future number of these weapon systems.

All States Parties made a commitment to declare their military assets and also agreed to permit inspections.

Later, however, we failed to obtain ratification of an adapted CFE Treaty, and Russia suspended implementation of the Treaty in 2007.

Second, the state of confidence-building measures, for example those regarding military exercises in border regions, is not good:

Next week, a major exercise will be held in Russia and in Belarus. It may be one of the largest since the end of the Cold War.

Why can large exercises like this one not be notified in line with the current rules? That way, they could be comprehensively monitored, transparency would be maintained, and possible fears wouldn’t even arise in the first place.

Yes, Western countries also conduct exercises. However, NATO and Allied countries adhere strictly to the Vienna Document and comply with their respective commitments in both letter and spirit, through timely notification and by inviting outside observers.

Ladies and gentlemen,

What can we do, given this state of affairs? The entire world is talking about rearmament. Nuclear treaties are under strain. This applies to New START as well as to the recently concluded nuclear deal with Iran. To further complicate the situation, the agreed mechanisms for conventional arms control are not working, even though these instruments were designed with difficult times in mind. They were created for when there’s a lack of mutual trust. When one invites the other side as an observer precisely for this reason, and when one visits the other side to keep an eye on what they’re doing. When one builds a measure of confidence in times of mistrust, if not through disarmament, then at least through arms control mechanisms.

So what do we do?

I believe that, first of all, we must speak out in favour of charting a new course, one that doesn’t simply follow the current mainstream.

For this, we need those with political responsibility to change how they think and act. Most importantly, we need a debate on this issue.

Kennedy and Brandt and those who followed in their footsteps had the unenviable task of guiding us through the Cold War, under the constant threat of nuclear escalation.

But I do envy one thing that they and their successors had: a broad public debate on disarmament.

Looking around, I don’t see this international debate. I see people talking only about rearmament. When I take the floor at a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers and say that we should actually be discussing disarmament and arms control, as well, I almost feel like I’m rocking the boat. My general impression right now is that Ministers are not guided by the political principle that we need both – deterrence as well as efforts toward arms control and disarmament – and that both should be equally important for determining political action. This holds true not only for NATO, but also for many countries, including Russia, China and India.

The fact that the public was keeping a critical eye on, and often drove, government policy, is at least one reason why good results were achieved in this truly important policy area.

I’ll give you an example.

In 1986, Reagan and Gorbachev met for a summit in Reykjavik.

There was only one item on the agenda: disarmament.

More than 3,000 journalists from the US had travelled to the meeting, to report live on the American evening news about the outcome of disarmament negotiations in this small white house in Iceland between the leaders of the world’s two superpowers.

These days, it’s hard to imagine what that was like.

Here in Germany, we’ve had far more controversial public debates. Everyone who experienced the debate – and demonstrations – surrounding the NATO Double-Track Decision knows what I’m talking about!

I think that today, as well, we need an intensive and much more critical public debate on the issue of disarmament. It is, after all, again a matter of war and peace.

Today, we can be grateful for one thing: we currently have a greater and more broad public debate about foreign policy than we did a few years ago.

But I do think that the discussion, which should be focussing on both disarmament and arms control, is lopsided.

Right now, we’re only discussing military protection against threats. That’s important, no doubt.

But we are talking far too little about opportunities for confidence-building measures, disarmament initiatives, joint arms control efforts and building trust.

I have the impression that we sometimes pursue an orthodox policy of rearmament without giving thought to what will secure a peaceful international order in the long term.

Of course, these days we also need security vis-à-vis one another. But that alone is not a permanent solution. We must get back to a multilateral system that guarantees security through cooperation, as a basis for maintaining permanent peace.

Ladies and gentlemen,

“General and complete disarmament” like Kennedy envisioned will not be attained overnight – that should be clear to everyone.

Yet that is precisely why I am convinced that we must take many small concrete steps in a determined effort to reach this goal. And our fist step should be to promote the instruments of arms control and confidence-building measures.

This includes doing everything we can to prevent the undermining of treaties that have proven their worth.

We must do everything within our power to maintain and jointly develop them – and, if necessary, to dare to embark on a new path, for example, toward conventional arms control.

This means, on the one hand, making sure that existing arms control and disarmament mechanisms, such as the Treaty on Open Skies, the Vienna Document and the Chemical Weapons Convention are maintained, also by pressing for their faithful implementation.

On the other hand, it means taking the initiative to create new arms control and disarmament mechanisms, wherever necessary. This includes establishing rules for unregulated domains, for example, autonomous weapons.

So what we need is an architecture for arms control and disarmament that has been made fit for the 21st century – not geopolitical strategies from the 20th century.

Of course, in the difficult current situation, and considering that not only European security is under threat, we cannot simply say “give peace a chance”.

We must always pursue the peaceful resolution of conflicts. However, like Willy Brandt said, we must do so from a militarily protected position.

We therefore absolutely say that, yes, we must maintain our defences, for the protection of our European friends, our partners in NATO.

But we also want to make offers to pursue arms control and disarmament – particularly in Europe.

For this, it is important to include all European countries, in much the way this is already happening in the OSCE.

That is why we used our OSCE Chairmanship in 2016 to intensively campaign for a modernisation of the Vienna Document, and we continue to pursue this goal.

We also are worried about the fact that, since suspension of implementation of the CFE Treaty, Russia and NATO are no longer having to comply with any strict arms control rules. That bears risks and dangers!

It is why Frank-Walter Steinmeier, my predecessor as Foreign Minister and our country’s current Federal President, has proposed that we embark on new paths toward conventional arms control.

We intend to take up again and pursue this initiative. We will be pressing for a joint effort to revisit the methods and aims of conventional arms control in Europe, and to achieve concrete results in this sphere.

New momentum is needed in the nuclear domain, as well. Of course, one priority must be to contain North Korea.

But we must think beyond this, as well. Because they possess more than 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, Russia and the United States still have a special responsibility to reduce their nuclear arsenals and thereby begin a new era of détente.

Incidentally, throughout Europe and in this country, we are talking a lot about the current crisis in Ukraine. It was triggered by what we view as Russia’s illegal operation in Crimea, and this of course means we are now more or less in a phase marked by confrontation.

Nevertheless, we have argued that our efforts at this point should focus on achieving a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

Yesterday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin made a proposal that Germany has been asking him to make for quite some time, because we know that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission is unarmed and its monitors are constantly in danger when out on patrol and performing inspections, also at night. We know that ceasefire violations are occurring on both sides. So we said: Let’s think about whether we could get a United Nations peacekeeping mission deployed there. Its mission would be not to replace, but rather to accompany and protect. It would be a parallel institution to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, for the purpose of monitoring the ceasefire.

So far, Russia has always said that it will go along with this only if negotiations on a political process begin at the same time. Ukraine has said, and I think it’s a justified demand, that as long as there is no ceasefire, there can be no talks about elections in eastern Ukraine. We think this makes sense and have pointed out to Russia: “In Syria, you say there must first be a ceasefire, followed by peace negotiations in Geneva – why shouldn’t it be the same for eastern Ukraine?”

Yesterday, the Russian President announced his proposal and declared that he has instructed his Foreign Minister to draw up initial ideas on how such a UN peacekeeping mission could be employed in eastern Ukraine.

Now we all know this gives rise to what seems like a thousand questions, including: What should Blue Helmets do? What will they be responsible for? What are the various interests of the parties to the conflict? We know that.

Yet it would be remiss not to welcome this public announcement by the Russian President. It marks a true departure from his previous position. We should welcome the proposal and say we’re happy that this initiative is now moving forward. So now let’s talk about the various ideas that are on the table. Let’s focus on beginning dynamic negotiations with the aim of getting some results – results that will truly help all sides, Ukraine and Russia, as well as the Donbass, to actually achieve a lasting ceasefire.

I also think that, subsequently, Europe should make an offer, namely by volunteering to assist reconstruction efforts in eastern Ukraine. I can still remember the depressing images from last winter, when for example the water supply was cut off and waste water treatment was interrupted. I think this is an area where we can help.

But before we get to that point, there will be many weeks and possibly also months of negotiations about the proposal. It would not be wise for us to turn down this proposal out of hand, by alleging there must be a malign plan behind what Russia is saying, so we don’t even want to talk to them about it. I think that would be the wrong thing to do.

We must take a proactive approach, by looking at how the proposal can be implemented, and how, as a next step, we can gradually and truly de-escalate the situation.

My fear is that currently the United States is focussed on new sanctions against Russia, and that this could intensify the nationalistic rhetoric of election campaigns in Russia. That, in turn, would generate momentum away from, rather than toward, détente. If there is a voice that has a vested interest in the opposite development, then I think it’s the voice of Europe, and of Germany.

Ladies and gentlemen,

it has long been clear that our arms control mechanisms, even if they were still functioning properly, are somewhat outdated and eroded. They’ve fallen behind developments in technology and logistics, for example regarding the current deployability of troops and military assets.

Twenty years ago, no one would have imagined how rapidly troops can be assembled and heavy military equipment deployed over long distances.

We want arms control agreements in place that create transparency, trust and, ultimately, equilibrium – but at low levels, not leaving us armed to the teeth like during the Cold War.

We Germans must remain a force for peace, and we must work hard to prevent an arms race. However, to this end, we must also look at our own country’s policies.

As I mentioned earlier, after his Chancellorship Willy Brandt served as Chairman of an international board, the Brandt Commission on the North-South Divide.

The Brandt Commission’s final report included a very impressive finding: The military expenditure of only half a day would suffice to finance the whole malaria eradication programme of the World Health Organization.

I think this is food for thought.

These days, I suspect this funding could be secured with not even half a day’s, but maybe only half an hour’s, military expenditure.

I am sure the money we spend today on the military and military equipment could be used for much more than funding health programmes.

If we want to stop the spread of war, civil war, fundamentalism, Islamism and migration flows, this will ultimately not be possible without fighting hunger and poverty, as well as hardship and suffering, or without building hope and prospects for the future in the affected countries.

In Germany, too, there is currently a debate that’s not in any way tied to military policy aims, but is rather simply campaigning for certain military spending targets.

If these were implemented, it would lead to a doubling of our country’s military budget. According to the targets that the United States President would like us to meet, our country would spend 70 billion euros on military equipment.

The entire Federal Budget amounts to only 300 billion euros. Even France – which is a nuclear power, after all – spends “only” 40 billion on its military equipment.

What we actually need is much more money to spend on the fight against hunger, poverty and lagging development, as well as to fund education and research.

That is why we are proposing that, for every euro Germany spends on better equipment for the Bundeswehr – and it certainly does need equipment, that’s different from rearmament – at least an additional 1.5 euros be invested in crisis prevention, stabilisation and economic cooperation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This is also about how we – the countries of the world – approach these challenges. It’s about joint action and a collaborative effort. Indeed, it’s about charting a new course, in line with the policies of peace researchers such as Kennedy and Brandt, and others after them.

The first step is to build confidence. This will only happen if we revitalise our arms control mechanisms. It’s the first step toward disarmament and détente.

Thank you very much.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2017/170906-BM_Conventional_Arms_Control.html?nn=479796

The Laboratory with Leaves (part 13): Walls

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqxopsgLFQo

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Bundesregierung entsendet Krisenunterstützungsteam in Hurricane-Region

A spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement today (12 September):

Zitat

During the past few days, Hurricane Irma has raged across the Caribbean and the south-eastern United States. It is now making its way inland, to the north-west. It has caused tremendous damage, especially on some Caribbean islands. Up to 200,000 German citizens are currently in Florida, and others are in the Caribbean islands. The German Government is making every possible effort to get an overview of the situation of German citizens in those areas. Our Government is ready to provide emergency assistance to people in the region and to help them repair the damage.

We have taken the following steps to enable quick reaction with a minimum of red tape:

A regional crisis centre has been set up in Atlanta to coordinate assistance. The number of staff at the Consulate General in Atlanta has been increased.

Requests for assistance can be made to the German Embassy in Washington, DC, by calling +1-202-298-4000.

A crisis support team arrived in the United States early on 12 September. The team has 31 members and is comprised of civilian and military staff from the Federal Foreign Office, the German Bundeswehr, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief and the Crisis Intervention Team.

German citizens have been affected in the Caribbean, as well. Some of these are on Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. They will be evacuated over the next two days. At the same time, a Bundeswehr A400M cargo plane has taken off for Curaçao, where it will deliver aid supplies.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170912-HurricaneIrma.html?nn=479796

The Germany Travel Show - Episode 2/16 - Kiel

Bundesregierung entsendet Krisenunterstützungsteam in Hurricane-Region

A spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement today (12 September):

Zitat

During the past few days, Hurricane Irma has raged across the Caribbean and the south-eastern United States. It is now making its way inland, to the north-west. It has caused tremendous damage, especially on some Caribbean islands. Up to 200,000 German citizens are currently in Florida, and others are in the Caribbean islands. The German Government is making every possible effort to get an overview of the situation of German citizens in those areas. Our Government is ready to provide emergency assistance to people in the region and to help them repair the damage.

We have taken the following steps to enable quick reaction with a minimum of red tape:

A regional crisis centre has been set up in Atlanta to coordinate assistance. The number of staff at the Consulate General in Atlanta has been increased.

Requests for assistance can be made to the German Embassy in Washington, DC, by calling +1-202-298-4000.

A crisis support team arrived in the United States early on 12 September. The team has 31 members and is comprised of civilian and military staff from the Federal Foreign Office, the German Bundeswehr, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief and the Crisis Intervention Team.

German citizens have been affected in the Caribbean, as well. Some of these are on Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. They will be evacuated over the next two days. At the same time, a Bundeswehr A400M cargo plane has taken off for Curaçao, where it will deliver aid supplies.

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FJ7hw-1oI

The Germany Travel Show - Episode 1/16 - Frankfurt

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ksfN_MXwE

Foreign Minister Gabriel: foreign policy should make greater use of religions’ peacemaking potential

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement in Berlin today (9 September) on the occasion of the Paths of Peace meeting hosted by the Catholic lay organisation, Community of Sant’Egidio, in Münster and Osnabrück:

Zitat

Religions have enormous potential to foster peace in societies. They have a profound knowledge of guilt, forgiveness and reconciliation, as well as the capacity to bring about equity and justice in societies. In view of the many conflicts around the world, we would like to make greater use of this peacemaking potential than we have done so far. The Community of Sant’Egidio is an important partner for us as regards promoting de-escalation and understanding worldwide via religion.

Background information:

High‑level religious officials and politicians from all over the world are meeting in Münster and Osnabrück from 10 to 12 September at the Paths of Peace convention hosted by the Catholic lay organisation, Community of Sant’Egidio. The Federal Foreign Office supports this organisation’s global endeavours to foster peace, particularly in the fields of mediation and reconciliation processes.

In its Responsibility of the Religions for Peace initiative, the Federal Foreign Office is conducting a close and organised dialogue with representatives of different faiths from a large number of countries and regions. The aim is to discuss the various religions’ potential to foster peace in society in their regions and to link this potential more closely with German foreign policy. The long‑term goal is to work with different faiths and faith‑based organisations with shared interests such as peace and stability as strategic partners in a sustainable network. Endeavours in this field form part of Germany’s cultural relations and education policy. The first event was a conference in Berlin from 21 to 23 May attended by over 100 representatives of religions from 53 countries.

Further information:

Responsibility of the religions for peace

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170909_Sant%27Egidio.html?nn=479796

The Top 10 Universities for Employability 2018

from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiGLhez8E6c

Monday, September 11, 2017

Welcome to Cambridge!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5F2cGHZUQ0

Human Rights Commissioner on the arrest of the Palestinian human rights defender Issa Amro

Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (8 September) on the arrest of the Palestinian human rights activist Issa Amro:

Zitat

I am very concerned about the arrest of Issa Amro by the Palestinian security services. It is generally assumed that he was arrested because of comments he made on social media criticising the Government.

The right to freedom of opinion is anchored in the Palestinian Basic Law. What is more, by signing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2014, President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority entered into an obligation to protect this right.

To date, no solid legal grounds have been put forward which could justify the arrest. Mr Amro should therefore be released from prison immediately.

Background information:

Issa Amro, who is recognised by the European Union and the United Nations as a human rights defender and is founder and coordinator of Youth Against Settlements, was arrested by Palestinian security forces on 4 September 2017. He may have been arrested in reaction to a comment he posted on Facebook criticising the arrest of a radio journalist. Among other things, he is accused of posing a threat to public order. Mr Amro began a hunger strike on 5 September 2017 in protest against his detention.

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http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170908_Kofler_Amro.html?nn=479796

Statement by Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on the situation in Myanmar

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (8 September) on the situation in Rakhine State in Myanmar:

Zitat

I am very concerned about the most recent outbreak of fighting in Rakhine State in Myanmar which was triggered by attacks on military and police posts and has prompted another large wave of people to flee to Bangladesh.

I call upon all sides to work towards de‑escalation and protect the civilian population.

The priority must now be to alleviate the suffering of the people affected. The Myanmar Government therefore needs to allow aid agencies and humanitarian organisations unrestricted access to the affected areas. I welcome the fact that the Myanmar Government, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have agreed that the ICRC will be responsible for ensuring the provision of humanitarian assistance in the next two weeks. Over the past few days we actively lobbied the Myanmar Government on this issue.

The high number of refugees, well over 200,000 according to the information we have, is putting great pressure on the neighbouring country of Bangladesh. We expressly welcome the generosity shown by Bangladesh in taking in and providing care for the refugees. Germany, too, is involved in humanitarian assistance for those affected in Bangladesh through the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

The renewed crisis in Rakhine shows how important it is to improve the situation in the state in the long term. To this end, the Federal Government supports the recently published recommendations by the Rakhine Advisory Commission headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which provide a good starting point.

I appeal to Aung San Suu Kyi and the Government of Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission immediately and thoroughly. Germany and the EU are willing to support Myanmar in this endeavour.

Background information:

According to Myanmar Government reports, there were attacks on police and army posts in northern Rakhine in the morning of 25 August, for which the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has claimed responsibility. Since then, the violence has escalated. On 27 August, the offices of all international (aid) organisations in northern Rakhine were closed and their staff evacuated with the assistance of the Myanmar army. Independent observers were not permitted to enter the area of operations. Only on 6 September did the Myanmar Government allow access to a group of 21 journalists.

The country is seeing another wave of civilians fleeing their homes. The number of refugees registered in Bangladesh is now well over 160,000.

Armed conflicts previously broke out in Rakhine as recently as October 2016, in the course of which the Myanmar army was accused of massive human rights violations. The UN Human Rights Council has decided to set up an international commission of inquiry into the incidents, but the Myanmar Government has refused to cooperate.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170908-BM_Myanmar.html?nn=479796

Food and Beer-lovers guide to Nuremberg

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbYT6DeRNQ

The Good Food Guide to Munich

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMeTpEP6L0o

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Germany Travel Show - Episode 1/16 - Frankfurt

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM5Xh1zPR3I

Human Rights Commissioner on the suspension of websites in Egypt

Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (8 September) on the suspension of independent media and human rights websites in Egypt:

Zitat

I am profoundly concerned by the fact that online access to more and more websites of independent media outlets and human rights organisations is being blocked in Egypt. One of the latest organisations to suffer this fate is Human Rights Watch. This move deprives the organisations affected of a key communication channel and is obviously designed to silence them. The internet sites have been blocked without any due process. This is a particularly severe form of censorship and a grievous violation of freedom of opinion and media freedom. It is one of a series of repressive measures adopted against the independent media, human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Egypt.

Free and unimpeded access to information for all is a key prerequisite for a functioning state and for the long-term viability of any society. Respect for human rights is a basic prerequisite for social harmony and lasting stability, and also the best defence against radicalisation and extremism.

I call on Egypt to create conditions in which the independent media and human rights representatives can do their work unhindered – work that is important for the country.

Background information:

Access in Egypt to numerous independent Egyptian and foreign media websites has been blocked since May 2017. Since August 2017, human rights organisations’ websites have also been suspended. Yesterday access to the site of Human Rights Watch was blocked, two days after it published a report criticising torture in Egypt. The sites were all blocked without any legal procedures being followed, and without any official announcement. The organisations affected thus had no opportunity to present a legal defence. According to NGOs, the number of websites to which access has been blocked in this way has now reached 424.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170908_MRHH_Internet_EGY.html?nn=479796

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Guidance: Exchange rate policy

It includes details on:

setting the Home Office exchange rate
who to contact
countries where the HOERP applies

from
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exchange-rate-policy

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Introduction to support services

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C1Wd1N7GQg

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Foreign Minister Gabriel to open international conference on the future of conventional arms control

On Wednesday, 6 September, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel will open the conference Making Conventional Arms Control Fit for the 21st Century.

In view of increasing armament worldwide and growing concern about security in Europe, Foreign Minister Gabriel is calling for a new start in conventional arms control.

At the conference, policymakers and academics will discuss how international arms control architecture can be maintained and furthered. Patricia Flor, Federal Government Commissioner for Disarmament and Arms Control, and Adam Thomson, Director of the European Leadership Network, will join Foreign Minister Gabriel in opening the event.

Find out more

Conventional arms control

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http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170905-BM_Konferenz_konventionelle_Ruestungskontrolle.html?nn=479796

Monday, September 4, 2017

Top 10 University Essentials YOU NEED

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG_wFT2hMrg

World’s biggest X-ray goes into operation in Germany

Scientists in Germany say the world’s largest X-ray laser is now in operation and will help them capture images of structures and processes at an atomic level.

The DESY research center near Hamburg said the laser that went online Friday flashes 27,000 pulses per second, resulting in a luminance a billion times higher than the best conventional X-ray sources.

Scientists hope the European XFEL project will open up new areas of research.

DESY says it will enable researchers “to decipher the molecular composition of viruses and cells, take three-dimensional images of the nanoworld, film chemical reactions and study processes occurring deep inside planets.”

Institutions from Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and other countries are involved in the project.

Researchers are preparing their first experiments for mid-September. /The Associated Press

The post World’s biggest X-ray goes into operation in Germany appeared first on Study in Germany for Free.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/StudyingGermany/~3/9vf79GRAogo/

Statement by Foreign Minister Gabriel on North Korea’s nuclear test

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (3 September):

Zitat

Following confirmation also from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), we must assume that North Korea conducted a sixth nuclear test last night. This news is a source of great concern.

If it turns out to be true, this act would constitute a further blatant violation of international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions. On behalf of the Federal Government, I condemn North Korea’s behaviour in the strongest possible terms.

Through its actions, North Korea is deliberately adding fuel to the already very tense situation on the Korean peninsula. Once again, the regime is demonstrating that it poses a serious threat to world peace. This threat affects us all. We now therefore need to work together to find a considered but clear response.

We will discuss this response with our partners in the EU. I am sure that the UN Security Council, too, will demonstrate great unity once again in taking the necessary measures.

This critical situation highlights the importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the International Monitoring System on which it is based. Its worldwide network of monitoring stations was the first to register and report the unusually high seismic activity.

I urgently call upon North Korea to comply with all applicable UN Security Council resolutions and to immediately cease all activities relating to its illegal missile and nuclear programme, without exception.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170903_BM_Atomtest_Nordkorea.html?nn=479796

40 Years of the Brandt Commission: its legacy and our duty. Speech by Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel at the conference #Brandt2030

-- check against delivery --

Ms Brundtland,
Ms Malcorra,
Mr Steiner,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, we want to step away from the often-hectic pace of the daily lives currently led by all of us who deal with international issues in politics or civil society. In view of the trajectory of international politics, I believe the Brandt Commission has a very special role to play. Reading the Commission’s reports makes one wonder what we’ve been doing for the past 40 years; for these reports deal with paths out of poverty, with halting arms races, with environmental degradation, population growth, fair global trade and steps away from development aid towards a true partnership between the countries of the North and those of the South.

Of course, we know that over the past 40 years, the lives of many hundreds of millions of people around the world have improved. The question, however, is whether this development is due to intelligent international policies, or whether in fact it stems from economic development in many of these countries ‑ development which at times took place not due to, but in spite of, prudent policies. In any case, the questions asked and recommendations made in the past sound equally relevant today. But don’t worry, I’m not here to lament missed opportunities. Rather, we are here to jointly uncover the treasure-trove of accurate analyses and visionary proposals that the women and men of the Brandt Commission jointly compiled and provided us with.

As it happens, Willy Brandt himself realised that the Commission’s work would have to be dusted off again in the future. To quote his prediction from 1980, “everything written in our report will one day be taken back out of the drawer that it is stored in”, clearly, he knew the international community well. I would thus like to invite you to join me in reopening the drawer, looking in and putting the ideas and proposals to use in addressing the challenges of our time.

That is in fact quite literally what we did at the Federal Foreign Office – we sought out an old copy of the concluding report. Doing so, we learnt that, in Germany at least, it is only possible to obtain second-hand copies of the report. One of the first commitments I am making here today is thus to ensure that a new edition will be printed following this conference, perhaps with additional comments. In an age of internet and email, intelligent content should not be confined to second-hand bookshops.

Ladies and gentlemen, even a glance at the title of the first 1971 concluding report – ensuring survival – the mutual interests of industry and developing countries ‑ is enough to make you prick up your ears. As is often the case, the crucial part is the sub-heading; the Brandt Commission called for no less than a paradigm shift towards mutual interests and a world order based on shared responsibility. That may seem somewhat strange today, yet we live at a time when it feels, at least, as if clashes of interest are on the rise once again.

Personally, I fear that at the moment a world view we thought we had overcome is once again taking hold. A few weeks ago, the New York Times published an article that came from Donald Trump’s security advisors. The article noted that it is always said that in the world, treaties and agreements had to be concluded in order for political cooperation to take place on a basis of secure treaties.

The authors considered this to be a false perception. According to them, the world is in fact an amphitheatre, an arena, in which everyone is fighting and seeking alliances – with different counterparts at different times. Behind this lies the view that the force of the law is outweighed by the law of force. There are some politicians, including here in Europe, who go even further and say that only he who shows himself to be stronger has the right to assert himself. In Europe, at the beginning of the last century we had the disastrous, social-Darwinist tradition of linking nations’ right to survival to their ability to assert themselves through war. We thought that we had overcome this terrible notion and yet it is emerging in international politics once again. It embodies the opposite of everything that the members of the Brandt Commission envisioned 40 years ago and, in fact, the opposite of everything the United Nations is working towards today. I believe that, all individual matters aside, it is important to stand in the way of this ideology of Social Darwinism that is taking hold in global politics and to say: this is not how we view things, we continue to believe that the force of the law outweighs the rule of force in international politics.

Naturally, the world looked different 40 years ago, however in the eyes of those who experienced that era, it looked no less troubled than the world of today. Nevertheless, the Brandt Commission had the courage to call for a truly global balance of interests in a world all-too divided between East and West, North and South. The Commission called for what we now call global governance, be it in the United Nations, G20, in climate negotiations or multinational disarmament regimes. The logic guiding the Commission at the time remains correct today, perhaps even more so. In the words of Willy Brandt “the globalisation of fears and demands, of war and chaos, of self-destruction, requires a form of international public policy which reaches beyond the horizon of church towers and national borders”. But let’s be honest: particularly we in the so-called North, have not taken the concept of shared responsibility for a global governance seriously enough, despite the fact that a form of turbo-charged globalisation has been taking place since the end of the Cold War.

I would like to make one thing clear: we have benefitted from this globalisation, we in the North, and others in the South, too, although in truth not all. And we in the North have set nearly all the rules. That is exactly what we are paying the price for today, for the perception of globalisation changed some time ago; here in Europe and in the United States at least. But we only really realised that when the Brexit referendum in Europe and the election of Donald Trump gave a voice to those who said: “things are not going to continue as they have so far”.

In other parts of the world, globalisation is still associated with promise. But sadly, the reality is often different, because for many, the dream of prosperity and mobility remains just that, a dream. And more often, it becomes a nightmare. The hope of participation in the global economy cannot be allowed to end – a thousand times over – in a refugee camp somewhere such as on the Libyan coast. If you go to such a refugee camp, then you will literally witness how hope of participation turns into frustration and resignation, and indeed you will see a breeding-ground for violence and the willingness to at least seek happiness in the Beyond, given the impossibility of achieving it in this world.

That makes it clear that the manner in which participation is currently organised will not work in the long run. To use the words of the Brandt Commission: this model is not fit for the future, neither for the North, nor for the South. So, if we take a critical look in the mirror, the question that arises is: given all of this, where are we at in terms of our commitment to common interest, to our shared responsibility? Of course, the international community has made significant progress over the past 40 years, just think of the United Nations 2030 Agenda or the Paris climate accord, which for a long time we thought would be impossible to achieve. This progress must be consolidated, brought to life and, unfortunately, defended against those who challenge it due to short-sighted national interests.

But although the recommendations of the Brandt Commission were ahead of its time in light of the ongoing East-West confrontation and neoliberal shifts of its era, we still face the huge challenge of making the world a truly fairer place. For only if we manage to do this will we make it a safer and better place for the generations of our children and grandchildren to live in in the long run. A commitment to global justice is thus the key to peaceful coexistence in the 21st century. I believe that this must become an African century, in which we no longer view our African neighbours as remote participants in globalisation but rather see them as what they are, namely our direct neighbours, with whom we need to co-operate on an equal footing, rather than looking down on the continent as a hub of crises and provider of oil and gas.

We thus need the political courage to act in a manner that corresponds to our long-term interests; even when such policies may only be seen to bear fruit later on. A commitment to global justice naturally also entails a moral responsibility, for instance in taking the Charter of the United Nations or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights seriously. However, this is not only about morals; it is about our own interests. That is something the Brandt Commission recognised, hence the sub-heading speaks of the “mutual interests” and not “mutual morals”, that we find around the world.

Allow me to demonstrate why the fight for global justice must be a priority for us all, in service of our own best interests, through three examples.

Firstly, if we don’t manage to ensure sufficient justice and participation in prosperity and security for our societies, then we risk losing our citizens’ trust in our democratic system and values. That would give the populists who have long offered their apparently simple solutions an easy ride.

The second example relates to Africa: we are feeling the injustice of the utterly hopeless situation of many people, above all young people, directly, in the form of flight and migration. And this lays the foundations for instability, insecurity and violence. The best migration policy is thus one focused on justice rather than constructing detention centres. The Brandt Commission already had this in mind, and since then we have certainly made progress, for the map of poverty in the world has changed for the better – just think of the rapid rise of Asia in recent years. However, we are still far from global justice. Rather, poverty is not a temporary situation of need but a bitter and permanent state for too many of the world’s people, including, but not only, in Africa.

Thirdly, if rising powers such as India and China are calling, on good grounds, for more participation in the institutions of international organisations, then these states are seeking fair and just involvement in making decisions that will shape our future. I can fully understand that for as it currently stands the world order, including in the United Nations, reflects the second half of the past century rather than the present or future of the 21st century. Yet anyone who calls for participation must be aware of the responsibility that it entails, and must actively assume it, for example through financial support for the United Nations. It’s a disgrace that the United Nations only has an unbelievably low percentage of basic funding, and that the Secretary General and his team must travel the world with a collections box to raise the absolute minimum needed to combat hunger, thirst and numerous other natural disasters. In the next few years we must at least manage to introduce a better and institutionalised funding system for the United Nations.

And finally, to respond to protectionism and scepticism towards globalisation, we must act to promote fairer global trade and a better regulatory framework for globalisation. My first priority – for as long as we are incapable of reaching fully global consensus within the WTO – is to conclude fairer trade agreements that acknowledge and tackle the dark side of globalisation that US Nobel laureate, the economist Joseph Stiglitz, warned us of 15 years ago. And by the way, when everyone is constantly calculating the economic progress to be achieved through free trade agreements – and this is a popular endeavour in Germany; entire universities are busy calculating national economic values to the last decimal point – then why do we find it so hard to develop an instrument to pass on part of the profits of this free trade to those who live in poverty that prevents them from participating in it? We should first and foremost put them in a position to take part in the progress achieved through international trade; I at any rate think that belongs on the agenda for international trade policy.

Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t want to pre-empt the talks of this conference. But allow me, if you will, to conclude with a few thoughts that build on the recommendations of the Brandt Commission and that I think we should adopt as a matter of urgency if we really are serious about making the world a fairer place.

The report issued by Willy Brandt’s commission contains a remarkable calculation: the military spending of only half a day would have been enough to fund the World Health Organization’s entire malaria campaign at the time. That really makes you think. I suspect that nowadays one wouldn’t even need half a day’s expenditure. I didn’t check the figures for current defence spending but I’m sure that it would be possible to fund much more than health programmes with the money we currently spend on the military and weapons.

Our country is currently in the midst of a debate in which simple figures for the defence budget are being tossed around with no connection made with the aims of defence policy. Donald Trump and many others in this country want us to spend 70 billion euros on defence, something which would lead to a doubling of the defence budget in Germany. Our entire budget only totals 300 billion and even France – a nuclear power at that – spends “only” 40 billion on arms.

Every German soldier we meet who has returned from a military posting abroad tells us: “Yes, sometimes we do need soldiers to fight terror and conflicts. But,” ‑ this is what soldiers tell us – “don’t you believe for a second that peace and stability can be secured through military means”. What we need far more is more money to combat hunger, poverty and underdevelopment, as well as to advance education and research.

My proposal is thus that for every euro that Germany spends on arms, at least 1.5 euros must be invested in crisis prevention, stabilisation and economic cooperation. But at the moment the plans are moving in the opposite direction, even though we have long known that stability and development can offer people far more prospects than military expenditure.

Ladies and gentlemen, there’s another reason why we urgently need to recast international debate about global governance in the fields of defence spending and policy. What we are currently seeing in North Korea shows us what a dangerous world we could find ourselves living in in a few years if individual states start to equip themselves with nuclear capabilities. If North Korea manages to do this, it will have consequences on South Korea, Japan, and all of Southeast Asia. And once that occurs, other parts of the world will start to wonder whether procuring nuclear weapons wouldn’t be a good means of safeguarding and defending their own governments. Then we would certainly live in a more dangerous world than that of the time when East and West stood as two blocks.

And I believe that the idea anchored in the strategies of international politics to date, that we need a balance of terror, only really reflects the situation of the latter half of the 20th century and not that of the threats we face in the first half of the 21st century. And if the two sides, Russia and NATO, set a good example and put arms control and nuclear disarmament back on the agenda, rather than the opposite, then we would perhaps have set stronger forces in motion to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in many countries of the world, which could lead us into a very insecure world and as it happens far greater spending, meaning we could invest that money in the areas where it would be of better use.

That is why, ladies and gentlemen, we can but call on those in positions of responsibility in NATO, Moscow, Washington and on ourselves, to refrain from simply giving up on existing arms control treaties, but to return to the idea of arms control, of disarmament and to contribute to efforts to prevent agreements that we have concluded, such as with Iran, from coming under renewed threat. We must help revert the trend and move back to global disarmament.

Ladies and gentlemen, the words of Willy Brandt offer an excellent conclusion to a speech about the Commission’s report. He writes, and I quote: “Shaping our shared future is too great a task to be left to governments and experts alone”. When he wrote this, he directed his call above all to young people, to get involved and to speak up. That is his call to the next generation; and it is a call that still applies today.

I am thus particularly pleased that at this conference we are welcoming a host of young people from all over the world. I look forward to talking to you and above all to the proposals that we shall formulate today. There are good reasons not to leave the reports of the Brandt Commission or the Brundtland Commission to antique book stores, but to see them as a mission to once again dedicate all our efforts to the topics they address.

Thank you very much for listening.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2017/170831-BM-Brandt-Kommission.html?nn=479796