European Leadership Network
European Leadership Network (ELN) is a pan-European think-tank focusing on European foreign, defence and security issues based in London, United Kingdom.[1] The ELN's Director is Sir Adam Thomson,[2] former UK Permanent Representative to NATO.
History and Organisation
The ELN was founded as part of a project by the Nuclear Security Project in an effort to "help create the political space for dialogue, education and action on the vision and steps toward a world without nuclear weapons.".[3] At the end of 2013 the ELN broadened its focus and remit of work to address a much wider range of foreign and security policy challenges facing Europe.
The ELN is currently chaired by former UK Defence Secretary Des Browne and is directed by co-founder Dr Ian Kearns.[4] In March 2015, Lord Browne and former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, both won the prestigious Nunn-Lugar Award for Promoting Nuclear Security, in part for their work with the European Leadership Network.[5]
The ELN specialises on security issues.[6]
On 27 March 2015 the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced that it was funding the European Leadership Network for 24 months, as part of its philanthropic efforts.[7]
Activities
The ELN operates through a network of former European political, military, and diplomatic leaders and supports this network with in-house research and events.[8] The network itself contains members not just from the EU but also Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Albania, Norway, and Serbia.[9] Such a scope has as its basis a conception of a Greater Europe similar to that of the OSCE.
In 2014 the European Leadership Network has expanded to tackle broader European and global security issues, including the Ebola crisis,[10] near-misses between Russian and Western militaries,[11] and the expanding Russo-Chinese relationship[12]
A report published by the European Leadership Network in 2015, title Dangerous Brinkmanship: closer military encounters between Russia and the West in 2015[13] generated considerable attention around the world.[14][15][16][17] At the 2015 Munich Security Conference in February 2015, conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger, also a member of the European Leadership Network, publicly questioned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the findings of the ELN report.[citation needed] In May 2015, 68 members of the European Leadership Members signed a global statement in support of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ahead of its Review Conference in New York.[18] The statement was also signed by senior figures from Latin America, the United States and Asia-Pacific.
The European Leadership Network administers the Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (TLG)[19]
Partners
Supporters
- Carnegie Corporation of New York
- Nuclear Threat Initiative[8][20]
- Ploughshares Fund[8][21]
- Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT)[8][22]
- Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation (PPCF)[8]
- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation[8]
References
- ^ "Dereliction of Duty". The Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/sir-adam-thomson-kcmg_4243.html
- ^ "Leadership Networks - About - Nuclear Security Project". nuclearsecurityproject.org. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Trident is no longer key to Britain's security". Telegraph.co.uk. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ http://carnegie.org/news/press-releases/story/news-action/single/view/lord-desmond-browne-and-ambassador-igor-ivanov-honored-with-nunn-lugar-award-for-promoting-nuclear-s/
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/world/europe/russia-tests-distant-waters-resurfacing-cold-war-fears.html
- ^ "Carnegie Corporation of New York: CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK BOARD APPROVES 24 GRANTS TOTALING $15,831,400". carnegie.org. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f White October Ltd. "About". europeanleadershipnetwork.org. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ White October Ltd. "Network Participants". europeanleadershipnetwork.org. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/ebola-virus-pandemic-should-be-treated-the-same-way-as-threat-posed-by-nuclear-weapons-security-officials-say-9771219.html
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/world/europe/report-outlines-tense-episodes-between-russia-and-west-with-echoes-of-cold-war.html
- ^ "Guest post: Russia and China – Friends or 'frenemies'?". Financial Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/dangerous-brinkmanship-close-military-encounters-between-russia-and-the-west-in-2014_2101.html
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/world/europe/report-outlines-tense-episodes-between-russia-and-west-with-echoes-of-cold-war.html?_r=0
- ^ "Nato-Russia incidents came close to conflict, says think-tank". Financial Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Russia's 'close military encounters' with Europe documented". BBC News. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Russian military aircraft posing threat by turning off communication devices". South China Morning Post. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ http://www.nti.org/newsroom/news/more-100-current-and-former-senior-leaders-issue-urgent-call-successful-2015-npt-review-conference-outline-key-steps-progress/
- ^ "About". Top Level Group. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Partner Organizations". NTI: Nuclear Threat Initiative. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "European Leadership Network Visits Washington". ploughshares.org. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust - Database of funded projects". jrct.org.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2015.