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In May 2011, GPF is organizing a conference in Brussels on "A European Seat in the UN Security Council." As many new powers are pushing for Security Council reform based on an increase in permanent or non-permanent seats for themselves, GPF wants to explore the alternative path of regional seats. The conference will look at how the transition to a EU seat might be accomplished and will address the potential obstacles, such as the "democratic deficit" of the EU. GPF is also working to challenge common wisdom and raise the profile of overlooked issues at the UN.
These include:
- The link between illegal fishing off the coast of Somalia and piracy: GPF believes that the situation of Somali fishermen is highly relevant - and too often ignored - in debates on how to curb piracy and prevent conflict.
- The promotion of non-violent peacekeeping : GPF is encouraging the UN and the NGO community to consider non-violent alternatives to "robust" peacekeeping missions. Organizations such as Nonviolent Peaceforce have been successfully developing and implementing unarmed civilian peacekeeping in conflict zones, notably Guatemala, Sudan and Sri Lanka.
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