From 15 to 18 November 2018, the Transnational Institute (TNI) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) jointly organised the 10th Asian Informal Drug Policy Dialogue (IDPD). It was organised in collaboration with the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) of Myanmar and held at Inle Lake, Southern Shan State, Myanmar.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a mega regional trade deal involving sixteen nations from Asia-Pacific. RCEP will impact the lives of billions of people, from the quality of the food they eat to the energy they consume and the affordability of life-saving medicines. Yet, RCEP negotiations are being conducted almost completely in secret, with limited to no meaningful public participation. Most elected officials have, at best, limited access to the negotiating texts, which remain out of reach for civil society.

ΣΎΝΟΨΗ

Η δεινή κατάσταση των 66 εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων που έχουν εκτοπιστεί αναγκαστικά φαίνεται να ενοχλεί τη συνείδηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) μόνο όταν κάποια τραγωδία στα σύνορα της Ευρώπης βρεθεί στο επίκεντρο των μέσων ενημέρωσης. Μόνο ένα ευρωπαϊκό κράτος - η Γερμανία - συγκαταλέγεται στις δέκα χώρες που δέχονται τους περισσότερους πρόσφυγες παγκοσμίως. Έτσι, η τεράστια πλειοψηφία των αναγκαστικά εκτοπισμένων ανθρώπων καταλήγει να φιλοξενείται από μερικά από τα φτωχότερα κράτη του κόσμου. Οι άνθρωποι αυτοί παύουν να είναι «αόρατοι» μόνο όταν κάποιες κοινότητες στα σύνορα, όπως το Καλαί, η Λαμπεντούζα και η Λέσβος, εμφανίζονται στις ειδήσεις ενώ απελπισμένοι άνθρωποι που εγκαταλείπουν τη βία καταλήγουν να πεθαίνουν, να κρατούνται, ή να παγιδεύονται.

In December 2017, the Transnational Institute (TNI) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), in collaboration with the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage (MFLF), jointly organised the 9th Asian Informal Drug Policy Dialogue (IDPD) in Chiang Rai, Thailand. 

Samenvatting

Het lot van de 66 miljoen gedwongen ontheemden ter wereld schijnt alleen het geweten van de Europese Unie te beroeren wanneer de media hun schijnwerpers richten op een tragedie aan de Europese grenzen. Slechts één Europees land – Duitsland – staat in de top tien van landen wereldwijd die vluchtelingen ontvangen, terwijl de overgrote meerderheid van de gedwongen ontheemden opgevangen wordt in enkele van ‘s werelds armste landen. De onzichtbaarheid wordt daarom alleen doorbroken wanneer grensgemeenschappen zoals Calias, Lampedusa en Lesvos in het nieuws komen te staan, wanneer wanhopige mensen die op de vlucht zijn voor geweld uiteindelijk de dood vinden, worden gedetineerd of klem zitten in moeilijke omstandigheden.

Sintesi

Il dramma dei 66 milioni di sfollati forzati nel mondo sembra turbare la coscienza dell’Unione europea solo quando i riflettori dei media portano alla luce una tragedia alle sue frontiere. Solo un Paese dell’UE – la Germania – sta nella top ten dei Paesi che ospita gli sfollati, che per lo più sono ospitati da Paesi tra i più poveri del mondo.

Résumé du rapport

La situation désespérée des 66 millions de personnes déplacées dans le monde ne semble troubler la conscience européenne que lorsqu’un drame a lieu à ses frontières et se retrouve sous le feu des projecteurs médiatiques. Un seul État européen – l’Allemagne – se place dans les dix premiers pays au monde en termes d’accueil des réfugiés : la grande majorité des personnes contraintes de migrer est accueillie par des États se classant parmi les plus pauvres au monde. Les migrations ne deviennent visibles aux yeux de l’Union européenne (UE) que lorsque les médias s’intéressent aux communautés frontalières de Calais, Lampedusa ou Lesbos et exposent le sort de personnes désespérées, fuyant la violence et qui finissent par mourir, être mises en détention ou se retrouver bloquées.

Zusammenfassung

Die Notlage der 66 Millionen vertriebenen Menschen in der Welt scheint das Gewissen der Europäischen Union nur dann zu beunruhigen, wenn die Aufmerksamkeit der Medien auf Tragödien an den Grenzen Europas gerichtet ist. Nur ein europäisches Land - Deutschland – findet sich unter den Top-Ten-Nationen, die Flüchtlinge aus den ärmsten Ländern der Welt aufnehmen. Das Flüchtlingselend wird nur dann sichtbar, wenn Orte an den Außengrenzen der Union - wie Calais, Lampedusa, Lesbos - in den Nachrichten auftauchen, wenn verzweifelte Menschen, die vor Gewalt flüchten, getötet oder inhaftiert werden.

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