EL BLOG DE LA FIIAPP. Cooperación Española

Azerbaijan, which controls 9,500 ships and manages 35 million tonnes of marine traffic, is currently in full swing with the renovation of its maritime legislation system. This country has already signed 26 of the 64 treaties established by the International Maritime Organization, but that doesn’t mean its legislation is operating under the international framework. There is an intermediate step between this declaration of intent and its implementation: adaptation of the legislative system it inherited from the former Soviet Union. The European Commission (EC) has joined this effort of Azerbaijan by financing a project managed by the FIIAPP which aims to improve the country’s maritime safety and protect the marine environment. We spoke to the FIIAPP expert sent to coordinate the project on the ground, Fernando Collado. We immerse ourselves in the Azeri coasts to understand this work.

Why does Azerbaijan need to pursue this project?

The goal is to increase maritime traffic, and this makes it necessary to adapt its legislation to these standards. Here the maritime administration is very young (2006), but, despite this, it has 26 signed International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions, putting it at the level of Brazil and Argentina, and, since we’re talking about the European framework, it has more than even Austria. Azerbaijan is a country that is making a significant effort in maritime legislation. We are here to help them develop all of this legislation that they need so that all of these conventions they’ve signed are reflected in their own national legislation with tools to enable them to control emissions and spills or impose penalties, for example. With the entry of Poland, Hungary and other countries into the EU, the European Union discovered that twinning projects were a very good tool for collaboration, especially at the legislative level. What this project does is to amend the existing legislation and generate new legislation based on the criteria of the legal framework of the European Union.

Does it also have a preventive aspect for the population?

Yes. In what is the equivalent of the Spanish Official State Gazette here, we’ve already published the Ports Act, approved in June of this year, and, with respect to the Merchant Marine (marine traffic), we have this ready and we’re working on the local equivalent of Spain’s Royal Decrees, Regulations, Ministerial Orders, etc. Although, until this is published in their Official State Gazette, they will not have a powerful tool for controlling spills, polluting emissions, inappropriate conduct, etc. Moreover, if they don’t do anything else, it will remain somewhat toothless. In other words, we’re going to have all the legislation to be able to do things, but there won’t be an administrative enforcement part. We’re going to have the tools to require people to do things a certain way, but then there won’t be a way to penalize those that don’t comply. As soon as this legislation exists, this will translate into a situation where those who pollute will have to pay and will be penalized, and this will be reflected in the cleanliness of the beaches and of the water. It must be remembered that petroleum facilities and traffic are absolutely compatible with citizen enjoyment of the coasts.

How are the waters of Azerbaijan?

Curiously, there are zones that are very clean despite being in ports used exclusively for crude oil traffic, while there are other zones that are not, where you see the pollution perfectly. There is no absolute guarantee that all the beaches one might want to visit will be completely clean.

What has the Ports Act meant?

It must be remembered that here the legislation in place was from the former Soviet Union. When this country became autonomous, independent, what was left was a sort of patchwork. They had a maritime code, but this didn’t reflect all the possible situations of modern, global traffic in coordination with the entire international community. For this reason, starting in 2006, when this Maritime Administration was created, they started to enter into all these IMO conventions and to take on the commitment to place the country on the forefront at the legislative level.

Azerbaijan is a major exporter of crude oil. Does this also influence its interest in increasing its maritime traffic?

Yes, the port they’re building now, with the size of the port of Barcelona, can become an extremely important port in the area. The one they have now, comparable to Gijón’s, is very old. This initiative demonstrates Azerbaijan’s interest in modernizing and doing things within the international framework.

The Attorney General of the Republic of Guatemala and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Thelma Aldana,  opened the Second Annual EUROsociAL Programme Meeting in Antigua, Guatemala. Taking advantage of her presence, we asked her to answer our questions about the work of EUROsociAL in the country, and specifically about the cooperation between the European Union and Latin America in the eradication of violence against women.

-. What would you highlight about the cooperation between the European Union and Latin America and, specifically, that of EUROsociAL in Guatemala?

-. The support of the EU and EUROsociAL is extremely valuable for my country and for the different States of Latin America because we have weight in social cohesion and, among other issues, the fight against poverty. The joining of the forces of the different Latin American nations with the cooperation of EUROsociAL, from its methodology of best practices and knowledge transfer, helps us design public policies that address the problems in our countries.

-. At this Programme Meeting, the fight against gender violence has an important role. You, as the Attorney General of the Republic, are very familiar with the policies designed to end this social scourge. What can you tell us about this? 

-. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak publically, I remind people that Guatemala, unfortunately, is number two in the world in terms of gender violence and that, although important efforts have been made to incorporate women into the economic, political and social orders, we still have an outstanding debt to the women of our countries, especially those of Guatemala.

-. What progress is being made in Guatemala?

-. In 2008 Guatemala approved the Law Against Femicide and Other Forms of Violence Against Women. As a result of the entry into force of this Law, femicide and sexual, psychological and economic violence against women were classified as crimes. It marks a milestone in this country’s history, a before and after, because before 2008, violence against women was seen as natural, as a very minor and simple infraction that was not judged in the country’s courts. After 2008, specifically in 2010, Guatemala promoted specialized justice with a focus on gender by creating courts specialized in femicide and violence against women, as well as prosecutors’ offices for women’s issues, also specialized in criminal investigation of these crimes.

-. How is the work with the European Union to join forces in this struggle coming along?

-. We hold various meetings with Latin American countries, and we share experiences and best practices to fight for the women of our countries as a block and, of course, we count on the support of the European Union. This support in the particular case of Guatemala is handled through the coordinating agency for modernization of the justice sector, which is made up of the Judicial Body, the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Governance and the Institute for Public Criminal Defence, through a grant to each of these institutions which also includes an axis for combating violence against women.

-. How much is left to be done?

-. We have a long road ahead of us for the women of our countries to have a life free of violence and a life project that allows them to act in society as citizens, remembering that respect for the human rights of women is another face of democracy.

Jordan has barely enough natural resources to satisfy the energy needs of its nearly eight million inhabitants, factories and businesses. This is so much the case that its energy production is 96% dependent on imports, especially of crude oil and natural gas. The Jordanian government is trying to put an end to this situation by strengthening its National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and, one of the tools it has for doing this is a project financed by the European Union and managed by the FIIAPP. The Foundation staff member coordinating it on the ground, David Poza, explains Jordan’s situation and its immersion in renewable energies in this interview.

What led Jordan to request this project?

In the general framework of agreements between the European Union and Jordan, the energy sector is key. Jordan’s need to have a more efficient system for its electrical grid, to reduce its dependence on other countries and to introduce renewable energies led Jordan to request this project from the European Union.

The energy Jordan produces is 96% dependent on imports of crude oil, natural gas, electricity… Will this percentage go down with this project?

The project is going to contribute to them managing their system efficiently. The Jordanian government has a plan for the next two years that consists of introducing renewable energies and buying liquefied gas on the market in Aqaba. By doing so, they aim to reduce the cost of electricity. Jordan has a problem that is very similar to Spain’s: the electric bill doesn’t cover the full cost of the electricity. In the end, NEPCO (the power company for which we are carrying out the project, the equivalent of the Spanish Electrical Network, REE) pays what the consumer isn’t paying, adding to its debt. And, as it’s a public company, this is adding to the country’s debt. So, looking more at five-six years, they will continue introducing renewables and opt for other types of measures to continue reducing the cost of electricity; among other things, they are considering a nuclear power plant.

Another objective is to improve the strategic planning, management and efficiency of NEPCO… What are the strong points of this system?

We have to keep in mind that the Jordanian electrical system is small if we compare it, for example, to that of Spain. The peak demand in Spain is 45,000 megawatts, and in Jordan it’s 3,000. That’s 15 times lower than in Spain. With the introduction of renewable energies and improvement of their grid, they’re going to need support and to change their model. The points to be strengthened in their system involve moving from a manual system to an automatic one, which means introducing new software that will facilitate the work and training NEPCO personnel so that they know how to confront these changes.

And this consists of training, which we are providing…

This is a Twinning project. It means sharing Spain’s experience in this area with the Jordanian technicians. Spain is sharing its experience with Jordan and, at the same time, the Jordanians are getting an idea of how to solve the problems they’re going to be facing. But, no doubt, there are also training activities, and these are focused on these points I just mentioned.

What are the renewable energies that the country will be in the best position to develop considering that it is a country with limited resources…

In the case of Jordan, they have a good attitude towards solar power, especially photovoltaic, and wind power. Regarding solar power, thermoelectric is not being ruled out, but it isn’t as well suited as photovoltaic because of problems with water and gas.

What else is Spain contributing to the project?

What Spain is contributing is its experience and its know-how, as it is a leader and pioneer in the integration of renewable energies in the REE. And Spain has similarities with Jordan with respect to its electrical grid: the connections it has with other countries, that it is considered an energy island… In a way, Jordan’s problems with renewable energies are similar to the ones overcome by Spain several years ago. So, Spain is contributing the experience of how we solved problems that are similar to the ones they now have to solve.

In terms of benefits, what will be the final benefit to the country and its citizens?

It will have significant repercussions. Jordan is a country that has practically no natural resources. It’s not just a question of water, food or oil. For example, 20% of the country’s GNP is dedicated to purchasing from other countries what they need to produce energy. So this project is going to contribute to them having greater political independence from the countries in the region; it will reduce their energy spending; and they will be able to invest what they save on other things, such as social and economic issues. Lastly, there is also the reduction in the cost of electricity. Companies will be able to be more competitive and invest more in the country, and consumers will save money if the Jordanian government decides to reduce their bill.

He began his career with the FIIAPP in the 90s, when the Foundationcreated police cooperation twinning projects with Bulgaria and Slovakia. He states that this institution is a “reference partner” for the European Commission (EC) and that it helps Spain be awarded cooperation projects. In this interview, Javier Albaladejo reviews the present and future of the CNP and the FIIAPP, also of the EU and, specifically, he talks about security in Latin America and the FIIAPP-led AMERIPOL-EU projectto combat cocaine routes.

What most concerns you now about the level of security in Spain, and where are you focusing your efforts in international cooperation?

International cooperation has various aspects. The first is operational cooperation for improving one’s own security levels, thereby confronting any common crime threats we may have in the international community. Here, organized crime and jihadist terrorism are clearly the main threats. There is also another part, which is cooperation in area of technical assistance and training of other states, which is based more on the principle of solidarity and of countries helping other countries. In this, the Spanish police is also developing some very important international cooperation systems.

Where is the Spanish police now focusing its international cooperation objectives, and where is its work with the FIIAPP heading?

The joint work of the Spanish police with the FIIAPP is basically oriented towards European Union projects. Another thing is EU projects with third states. From there, we have very diverse cooperation mechanisms. We collaborate with the FIIAPP in two geographical areas: Latin America in general is a strategic target, while Africa as a continent is not so much a target, although certain countries have special importance for Spanish police cooperation. For example, there is a privileged relationship with Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Egypt, Syria, Libya…, especially in terms of monitoring the evolution of what is happening in the region, because, from the standpoint of security, this is key for us.

What is the commitment of the European Union in the fight against organized crime in Latin America?

The European Union has been working for years now on helping the countries of Latin America fight organized crime in general and, especially, in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. There are multiple forums where coordinated work is being done, and within this general framework is the EU project with AMERIPOL, which has been led by a Spanish police official. We are very satisfied with the results. In fact, we are thinking about trying to obtain funding from the EU for a second phase of the project that would enable us to involve more states in the zone in the project and expand activities beyond drug trafficking to include computer crime and organized crime.

The tremendous economic growth occurring in Latin America in recent years has not led to an increase in security…

Security actually has increased in Latin America, but you can only see this if you compare the current statistics with the previous ones. If we apply European security standards to this region of the world, there is a difference no doubt, as crime rates there are higher. But in their original context, their security is getting better and better. This is a gradual process.

Where does the focus need to be placed to keep reducing crime?

On prevention. And there, economic, sociological and cultural conditions are a fundamental factor. When a society has experienced armed conflicts, the value of other people’s right to life is really diminished from an ethical standpoint. Colloquially we tend to say that ‘life has no value’. Then there is a social context that has to be considered, and an economic context, that must allow greater development of Latin American societies. I hope that their growth in recent years translates into measures for improving the standard of living of the people who live in these societies. Crime doesn’t go down only because of the actions of the police or judges but also as a result of the creation of socio-economic conditions that allow the potential of people inclined to commit criminal acts to progressively diminish.

What do you think will be the direction of EU development cooperation policy for Latin America following the latest changes in the European Parliament?

There is a high degree of policy agreement in the European majority parties and, therefore, I don’t think there will be significant changes in these policies. In fact, I expect them to grow.

Joaquín Baumela reviews the main chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, the formulas for addressing them and the collaboration Spain offers to other countries to prepare for an event of this type.

You are working with the FIIAPP on three international cooperation projects involving CBRN. How would you characterize this experience?

It’s a novel experience. CBRN was not the subject of international cooperation until the initiative of the European Union’s excellence centres. There was something happening at the NATO level, involving armies, but never on the plane of collaboration. For the FIIAPP, it’s an excellence and market niche in the sense that, leaving aside the more developed countries, the rest are going to ask for some type of cooperation in this area.

Of the countries the FIIAPP collaborates with, which are the best prepared?

The range of countries is so broad that you find everything: countries that have a certain level of industrial development and need improvement, and others that don’t even know the meaning of the acronym, where you have to start to work from absolute zero. In this sense, the EU is committed in a positive way. It is not focusing on it solely as a security issue but also from the point of view of wastes, hospitals, the legal framework. The approach being used is versatile within the characteristics of each country.

And Ibero-America?

Theoretically it’s a more similar market. There is awareness there. Brazil, for example, has developed a protection plan in response to the soccer championship and the Olympics, in which CBRN risks have been included. There are also people who are asking for training. The thing is that there are small countries with very limited resources.

How does a country respond to a CBRN threat?

When it comes to CBRN risks, the first word is prevention and the second is equipment. But the greatest effort and investment have to be focused on prevention.

How does a country accomplish this prevention?

For example, with export controls, not only in terms of chemical, nuclear and other agents but also in terms of any elements that could serve as an indication that someone could be using them. What reason does such a person or such a country have for acquiring protection filters for example? We don’t know. So you can’t export a chemical or nuclear filter without first knowing the recipient, what it’s going to be used for, and having some control over the entire process. We have theoretical knowledge and prior experience. There have been controls of exports of machinery necessary for the manufacture of missiles, controls in the matter of centrifuges in Iraq, and there have been a series of historical events that have demonstrated that these are effective.

After an incident, what are the main steps to take to palliate its effects?

Action protocols exist for minimizing the effects and consequences, but not for eliminating the consequences. For example, in the attack in Tokyo, there could have been 30 people contaminated in the train car, but in the entire transportation system and in hospitals up to 5,000. And so, when something happens, the important thing is to contain it as much as possible to keep it from spreading.

In any scenario like this, research supports efforts to prevent and detect these events.

And that’s why technological research is the target of such heavy investment. The European Union, through R&D programmes, is paying attention and spending hundreds of millions of euros on research in this field as a whole, from detection to crisis management. The total amount for CBRN excellence centres is 46 million euros per year over the next seven years. But that’s the least of it. We could be talking about 300 or 400 million euros in projects.

All United Nations member countries are required by UN Resolution 1540 to reduce chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats by adopting effective legislative measures that prohibit and prevent the proliferation or improper use of elements that can be used to cause incidents of this type. International cooperation in prevention and mitigation of these events is a priority for the European Union. Thus it drives 40 projects and runs eight excellence centres in different regions of the world to promote structural measures to reduce the vulnerability of countries to possible CBRN situations.

David Izquierdo, diplomat and Technical Adviser of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC) on these issues explains the role Spain is playing within this framework.

What type of international cooperation in the area of CBRN is Spain pursuing?

We have two main focal points: North Africa and Ibero-America. In terms of North Africa, contacts exist with the two largest countries in this region: Morocco and Algeria. In Morocco, for example, we have held joint drills for responding to risk situations and accidents, and we are also collaborating in the preparation of a joint Action Plan for CRBN issues.

With regards to Ibero-America, the country we have traditionally had the closest relationship with is Mexico, as it is the one that has shown the greatest interest in CRBN and most developed its internal capabilities. In January we held a joint workshop in Madrid on Resolution 1540 with the participation of the United Nations and a total of 10 Ibero-American countries. Likewise, we are developing increasingly greater collaboration with other countries, notably Colombia.

More specific workshops have also taken place. One is currently being held in Madrid with Ibero-American countries on biological issues, and a few days ago we collaborated in the organization of another seminar in Ecuador on this same topic.

Another common effort from Spain and the European Union is the creation of a CRBN reference centre in Ibero-America.

This is one of our objectives and priorities. In principle, one of the criteria followed by the EU for locating the excellence centres is that of geographic proximity to Europe as well as to zones where a more palpable risk of threats exists. Central Asia and the southern borders of the European Union were the areas that awakened the greatest concern. We are in favour of the greatest possible representation of different world regions in this initiative, and we want one to be established in Ibero-America in the short or medium term. There have already been contacts with certain countries that have expressed an interest in having one of these Centres, as reflected, for example, in the Joint Declaration of the Mexico-European Union Summit held in Los Cabos in 2012. We believe that the element of geographical proximity can be important, but that the visibility of the initiative and of the EU’s efforts in this area make the opening of an Excellence Centre in Ibero-America very necessary.

How do you rate the work of the FIIAPP in the area of CRBN?

I believe the data speaks for itself. The FIIAPP is the number two institution out of all those participating in this initiative at the European level in terms of budget for CRBN cooperation. If it wasn’t working effectively, they wouldn’t have granted it the seven projects it is implementing; to which we should add how it has carried out the cooperation work with the MAEC, the monitoring work, etc. Something very important has been achieved that goes well beyond what you would expect in terms of our population, size, GNP, etc.

What does the National Plan for implementing UN Resolution 1540 consist of?

Resolution 1540, approved 10 years ago, establishes a series of obligations for States, not only in terms of actions and concrete measures but also in terms of documentation that must be submitted, reports, etc. On the one hand, it requires a report on specific actions, which Spain has submitted on three different occasions, as well as an overall Action Plan at the State level to successfully institutionalize the cooperation work of the different government ministries in this area. A lot of progress had been made in this internal cooperation process in our country, where, starting with the MAEC initiative and for the purpose of addressing our responsibilities in these areas, different working groups have been created for CRBN issues with the participation of the different institutions which play a leading role in this issue: Presidency, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior… The Action Plan will raise the status of and institutionalize the coordination between the different departments.

Is Spain prepared to confront a CRBN incident?

Spain doesn’t lag behind any of the countries in our part of the world in CBRN. Ibero-American countries, as well as our neighbours in the Maghreb, for example, have requested our assistance and collaboration. The fact that Spanish institutions are implementing EU programmes means that we are up to the challenge. Our experts are very well regarded abroad, and different organizations such as the United Nations utilize them on many occasions. I believe we are prepared to confront a threat of this type and aware that we must continue our work in this area to maintain this level and these capabilities. Likewise we must be aware that all collaboration with third countries contributes directly to the security of all of us, and therefore we must deepen our efforts along these lines.