Defending human rights and promoting democracy
By Jos Boonstra (19/12/2008)
This Activity Brief presents the conclusions of the roundtable on Euro-Atlantic approaches towards Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the field of democracy and human rights, held in Madrid on Friday 12 December. The meeting was organised by FRIDE and CEPS, with the support of the Human Rights Office of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and brought together a group of 25 researchers, academics, human rights activists, NGO representatives and Spanish policy-makers.
Publishing groups: EUCAM Project
The financial crisis and EU foreign policy
By Richard Youngs (14/11/2008)
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| G.Cerles/AFP/Getty Images |
Energy challenges in the Middle East and North Africa
By Edward Burke, Ana Echagüe, Richard Youngs (10/11/2008)
In 2020 the European Union will be more dependent on oil and gas from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and will also face tougher International competition for access to the region’s supplies.
Naamani/AFP/Getty Images
Russia and Central Asia: from disinterest to eager leadership
By Jos Boonstra (22/10/2008)
This document looks at the return of ‘the great game’ in Central Asia and how it seeks to use its cultural, linguistic and economic ties to boost its influence in the area now that it is back.
D.Astakhov/AFP/Getty Images
Publishing groups: EUCAM Project
The EU Strategy for Central Asia: year one
By Jos Boonstra, Neil Melvin (14/10/2008)
In 2007, the Council of the European Union adopted “The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership”. The Strategy sets a high bar for achievement, identifying a broad range of priorities for the future relationship between the EU and states in Central Asia.
D.Faget/AFP/Getty Images
Publishing groups: EUCAM Project
How serious is the EU about supporting democracy and human rights in its neighbourhood?
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| BRANISLAV PULJEVIC/AFP/Getty Images |
Four working papers assess EU democracy policies in:
- Lebanon by Julia Choucair Vizoso
- Jordan by Ana Echagüe
- Azerbaijan by Jos Boonstra
- Morocco by Kristina Kausch
More on the project
Freedom of association in the Middle East and North Africa
With the rise of transnational terrorism, recent years have witnessed freedom of association in many countries being suppressed in the name of national security. Recognising the fundamental significance of the civil society for the dynamics of democratisation, the Club de Madrid embarked on a project aimed at strengthening dialogue on freedom of association across the Middle East and North Africa region. FRIDE contributes to this project with a series of country reports, which identify outstanding challenges and civil society’s ideas on how to resolve them. The first three of them are already available:
Photo of FotoLibre.net
- Planting an olive tree: the state of reform in Jordan
- Morocco: negotiating change with the Makhzen
- Bahrain: reaching a threshold
More on the project "Freedom of asociation in the Middle East and North Africa"
Development, security and energy: improving coherence
By Amelia Hadfield, Richard Youngs (02/10/2008)
The ethos of EU development policy is changing. Incorporating both political and security goals, EU development co-operation has taken on a more holistic identity.
Hybrid regimes or regimes in transition?
By Leonardo Morlino (30/09/2008)
In recent times, growing interest in democratisation and the development of associated research has aroused considerable interest in the more specific theme of the spread of hybrid or ‘transitional’ regimes.
D. Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
The politics of energy
By Jos Boonstra, Edward Burke, Richard Youngs (12/09/2008)
In this working paper, the authors Jos Boonstra, Edward Burke and Richard Youngs evaluate the complex relationship between energy and democracy by looking at the examples of Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Corbis
China: democratising one-party rule?
By Shaun Breslin (11/09/2008)
A more consultative form of politics is emerging in China. Questioning the one-party state is still not deemed legitimate and the demand for democratic change is hard to gauge.
Frederic Brown/AFP/Getty Images
The driving force behind the ushering in of a more open form of politics is the Chinese Communist Party's 'National Project'.
Europe and the Middle East: In the Shadow of September 11
