Kashmir-EU Week 2018
The Kashmir-EU Week took place in the European Parliament from the 5 – 16 Nov 2018. The event was hosted by Wajid Khan MEP and Dr Sajjad Karim MEP and organised by the Kashmir Council-EU. This year the Kashmir Council-EU was able to draw on the support of the Kashmir Global Council represented by its Chairman Farooq Siddiqi. For the third year in succession, the Conference was attended by H.E. Raja Farooq Muhammad Haider Khan, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister delivered the keynote address on the conditions for lasting peace in Kashmir. Other highlights of the conference programme included a survey of the current situation on the ground presented most vividly by the noted human rights activist and Chairman of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, Khurram Parvez, and an exhibition of striking images of the ongoing struggle for a peaceful resolution in Jammu and Kashmir taken by the Belgian photographer Cedric Gerbehaye.
The first-ever publication of the report on the situation of human rights in Kashmir by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the 14 June 2018 marked a landmark initiative.
The Conference was well attended with important interventions by several MEPs and stimulating contributions by various invited experts. An important innovation on the programme for this year’s Kashmir-EU Week was the scheduling of some events to take place during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg. The extension of the Conference to include Strasbourg was a great success. In fact, feedback, both formal and informal, indicates a high level of satisfaction with both the content and the organisation of this year’s Conference.
The Conference programme ended with the preparation of a draft Final Statement to be presented to the European Parliament. This Statement contains recommendations regarding the possible role of the European Parliament in launching a sustainable peace process. The full text of the statement is available on our website via the following link: 2018 Kashmir-EU.
The photos from the event are now available in the gallery or by clicking here.