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John Mathiason: The Copenhagen Conference will hopefully produce a successor to the Kyoto Protocol; but then the real work begins. Independent organizations will be necessary to tackle adaptation and mitigation requirements, while ensuring, through effective monitoring, that states comply. Self-policing is not an option.
The negotiation of climate change agreements has been the major focus of inquiry to date leading up to the fifteenth Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, which should agree on the successor to the Kyoto Protocol. But, once this is agreed, what will happen next? Here the issue of managing climate change comes into play, and with it the role of the international public ...More
Dale Medearis: Following the collapse of a cap-and-trade climate bill in the US, it is evident that any substantive policies will begin at the local and state levels. Fortunately, this also happens to be the level at which the US and Germany can pursue very solid and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Until real and actionable climate and energy policies emerge at the national level in the United States, the burden of addressing sustainable climate and energy work will fall on the shoulders of local and regional authorities. The central role that local governments are likely to play, offer several positive opportunities for dealing with climate change and bridging differences in the transatlantic environmental ...More
From the Editorial Team: The current financial crisis has sent economists, politicians, and citizens alike scrambling to find solutions. In the US and Europe, expert opinion is divided on how to revamp the economy. How should the United States, the EU, the private sector, and others respond to this international situation?
The current financial crisis has not only traumatized the financial system in the United States but has sent shockwaves across the globe.Furthermore, the financial crisis has given rise to a new bout of "transatlantic sniping," according to the New York Times. German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück stated yesterday that "the financial market crisis is above all an American problem," and "the US will lose its status ...More
Thomas Speckmann: To Western democracies, the idea of war privatization is still largely associated with the reign of warlords in Africa and Afghanistan. However, privatization is also sneaking into Western warfare. This new financial aspect of war needs to be regulated on a national and global scale.
During the Yugoslav wars,
President Clinton sent private US military advisors in order to train Croatian
troops in their fight against Serbian forces, a decisive factor in a favorable
outcome for the Croatians. During the Gulf War in 1991, one-tenth of the allied
troops were made up of private support, which was chiefly used for the purpose
of replacement forces and maintaining infantry numbers. In the Iraq invasion ...More
Ralf Fuecks: There is a tendency to ignore discomfiting facts so as not to disturb good relations with Russia. This approach, which borders on Russian blackmail, is a categorical failure. Moscow needs to be integrated into the EU fold; but at the same time, the EU must be willing to evince a willingness to face the right conflict at the right time.
The war involving Georgia has changed the political landscape far beyond the Caucasus. In addition to its recognition of the separatist provinces, Russia is about to reinstate the principle of “limited sovereignty” for Georgia. The West appears helpless – the United States is far away, its forces engaged elsewhere. The European Union has concluded a partnership agreement with Georgia but the European Neighborhood ...More
Memo 8: Atlantic Community members conclude that the EU, acting in coordination with the UN, is in the best position to negotiate a peaceful solution. The US, Russia, Georgia, NATO, and others must consider their future strategies carefully.
As the international community strives to find an adequate solution to the crisis in Georgia, the members of atlantic-community.org have also proposed how to successfully mediate the conflict. Atlantic Community members conclude that the EU, acting in coordination with the UN, is in the best position to negotiate a peaceful solution. Of the numerous articles and comments posted, the following policy recommendations are those most often mentioned:1. ...More
Daniel Korski: While it is likely that transatlantic relations will improve after a new US president is elected, there are still major unsolved issues that are bound to cause disappointment on both sides. Striving for common policies on key issues like Afghanistan, Russia, and China should be a priority.
On both sides of the Atlantic, foreign policy types are busy drawing up wish-lists of what they want the other to do once a new US president is elected. More troops for Nato's Afghan mission, says Barack Obama. No, retorts John McCain, support for sanctions against Iran is more important. Progress on Kyoto, say some Europeans. Others want the US and Europe to concentrate on reforming institutions like the UN, World Bank and the IMF.
Whilst it's ...More
Atlantik-Brücke’s Young Leaders: The Atlantic partners must jointly address the economic slowdown, competition over scarce resources and energy dependence. Moreover, the transatlantic relationship faces an immediate, critical test in Afghanistan. Success there is needed as a demonstration of our ability to effectively address common security threats.
Sixty-four Americans and Germans from top academic,
corporate, foundation, government, military and media organizations met from
August 24-29 2008 in Hamburg, Germany for the 35th anniversary of the
Atlantik-Bruecke's Young Leaders conference "Beyond Transatlantic Evergreens:
How Can Young Leaders Influence the Future." Participants suggested that events such as the
upcoming US Presidential election and 60th anniversary of ...More
Oreste Foppiani: Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi is changing Mediterranean politics, bringing new importance to Italy’s role in the EU as well as its role in the world. This could bring great changes to the plans of the European Armed Forces and global security issues.
The leader of the Italian government, Mr. Berlusconi, is commanding
his administration much differently than in his previous terms in office. In
fact, the 2008 cabinet has been acclaimed not only by President Bush, but also
by President Sarkozy, who inaugurated a new axis Paris-Rome withi
n his highly
publicized Union pour la Méditerrannée (UPM). In fact, thanks to the Franco-Italian military engagement in ...More
Leonie Holthaus: The US cannot guarantee the security of the Arab Gulf states any longer. Therefore, these countries have started diplomatic initiatives themselves to enhance the regional security situation. The EU would be well advised to enlarge its cooperation with the GCC states, so that it not only includes economic but also security issues.
One side-effect of the Bush administration's Middle East policy that has not received much attention is the declining popularity of the United States among the Arab Gulf states. For decades the US has been the key external actor and security guarantor to the population-poor but oil-rich monarchies. However, there are still various unresolved threats in the Middle East such as the instability of Lebanon and the Iranian ...More
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