Bilbao, May 4th 2012

PRESS NOTE
INTERNATIONAL VERIFICATION COMMISSION (IVC)

The International Verification Commission (IVC) has held a series of meetings in Bilbao on May 3rd and 4th 2012 to gather information on the state of the ceasefire and the end of violence in the Basque Country, and to monitor developments in these two areas.

On May 3rd 2012 the IVC bilaterally reconvened with representatives of political and social actors in the Basque society (list of interlocutors below*). Among others, the Commission met with the Basque Interior Minister Rodolfo Ares, and the Basque Government’s Commissioner for Memory and Coexistence, Jesús Loza. On May 4th the IVC held a plenary meeting with most of the same political and social actors.

The IVC is grateful to all of them for their assistance in the carrying out of its work. The Commission appreciates the numerous messages received highlighting the Basque society’s support for its work.

During these meetings, and since the last official visit of the IVC on January 25th and 26th 2012, the Commission has verified that ETA continues to honor its commitment to the end of violence.

On its third official visit, the IVC appreciates that steps are being taken to consolidate the peace in the Basque Country. To continue in this direction, the IVC encourages all the political and social actors in the Basque society, and all the other major stakeholders, to maintain a fluid dialogue.

The IVC has taken note of the Spanish Government’s new plan for the reintegration of prisoners. This is a first step, and one that we hope will have continuity in the same direction.
Through direct contacts with ETA, the IVC has received a message from the organisation stating that it is ready to engage into dialogue on a series of practical issues relevant for consolidating the process.

The IVC wishes to further develop the positive working relationships it has established in the Basque Country. The Commission will continue to work with determination and impartiality with the aim of contributing to this historic opportunity for a lasting peace in the Basque Country.

On May 3rd 2012 the IVC met with the following political and social actors from Basque society:

• Rodolfo Ares (Interior Minister, Basque Government)
• Jesús Loza (Commissioner for Memory and Coexistence, Basque Government)
• Iñigo Urkullu (PNV)
• José Antonio Pastor (PSE-EE)
• Rufi Etxeberria and Urko Ayarza (Izquierda Abertzale)
• Nuria Lopez de Guerenu (Confebask)
• Xabier Anza (ELA)
• Patxi Aguirezabala (ELA)
• Ainhoa Etxainde (LAB)
• Jon Etxeberria (LAB)
• Raúl Arza (UGT)
• Emilia Málaga (UGT)
• Loli Garcia (Comisiones Obreras)
• Juan María Uriarte (Catholic Church)

The following members of the IVC took part:

• Ronnie Kasrils, former Minister of Intelligence and Deputy Defence Minister of South Africa
• Chris MacCabe, former Political Director of the Northern Ireland Office of the United Kingdom and former Head of the Prison Service in Northern Ireland
• Ram Manikkalingam, Director of Dialogue Advisory Group and Professor at Amsterdam University, and former Adviser to the President of Sri Lanka for negotiations with the Tamil Tigers
• Satish Nambiar, former Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Indian Armed Forces and former Commander and Head of Mission of the UN Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia in 1992 and 1993
• Fleur Ravensbergen, Coordinator of the IVC, Assistant Director of Dialogue Advisory Group

26th of January 2012

International Verification Commission’s (IVC) report

The IVC was created on the 28th of September 2011. The full IVC has reconvened for the second time in Bilbao on the 25th and the 26th of January 2012. In the intervening period, individual members of the IVC have visited the Basque Country to ascertain and monitor the situation.

During that past few days the IVC met with the following relevant political and social agents from Basque society –political parties (PSE-EE, PNV, abertzale left political parties), trade unions (UGT, CCOO, ELA, LAB), business associations (Confebask), representatives of the Church and relevant authorities of the Basque country. At these meeting the IVC has been informed that all assassinations, bombings, attacks, threats and extortion have ceased since the ETA declared a ceasefire on the 8th of January 2011 and a definitive end of violence on the 20th of October of 2011.

The IVC considers that ETA’s ceasefire and the end of violence is part of an irreversible process and that ETA has no intention of committing or organizing acts of terrorism or violence in the future.

However, ETA remains a clandestine and armed organisation. As such, it continues to commit illegal acts such as the falsifying of documents and the maintenance of arms caches. Although these acts are illegal they are not necessarily related to the preparation of violent acts.

The IVC has informed ETA that the continued possession of arms and explosives, especially if it involves the carrying of personal weapons, can give rise to potentially dangerous situations.

The IVC has been informed of issues that we do not consider are directly related to the ceasefire. For example, there have been isolated incidents of kale borroka disorder, which have been rejected by all political parties in the Basque Country. The IVC also takes note of fundraising taking place for prisoner’s families. In this sensitive period it is imperative that everyone acts with restraint and responsibility.

Through direct contacts, the IVC has received assurances that ETA is committed to both of its declarations: the ceasefire of January 2011 and the definitive end of armed violence in October of the same year.

The IVC has established positive working relationships in the Basque country that it wishes to continue extending. The IVC will continue to carry out its work in a determined and impartial manner with the objective to contribute to this historic opportunity for a lasting peace in the Basque country.

Note: The IVC is composed of the following members:

• Ronnie Kasrils is the former Minister of Inteligence and former Deputy Minister of Defence of South Africa.  
• Chris Maccabe is a former political director of the British Government’s Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and former head of prisons in Northern Ireland.
• Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar, is a Former Indian Deputy Chief of the Army Staff. Served as the first Force Commander and Head of Mission of the United Nations Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia in 1992/1993
• Ray Kendall is a former British law enforcement officer, formerly President of the European Union Anti Fraud Office and Honorary Secretary General of Interpol.
• Ram Manikkalingam is the Director of the Dialogue Advisory Group and was the Senior Advisor to the previous President of Sri Lanka in negotiations with the tamil tigers.
• Fleur Ravensabergen is the IVC’s Coordinator and the Deputy Director of the Dialogue Advisory Group

28 of September 2011

PRESENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL VERIFICATION COMISSION (IVC)

This press note announces the presentation of the International Verification Commission for the ceasefire in the Basque Country (IVC).

Important advances towards peace in the Basque Country have been made in the past years. We are today at a new and more hopeful stage. Among the many factors that have contributed to getting to this stage, it is worth highlighting the strong and clear demand that Basque society has made for violence to end definitively.

A credible and irreversible ceasefire is a fundamental step in this process. Because of this, different elements in Basque society have expressed the necessity to create a mechanism that will verify the “permanent, general and verifiable” ceasefire announced by ETA on the 10th of January 2011.

The IVC’s creation responds to the request made by different elements of Basque society to members of the Commission to create a mechanism to verify the ceasefire.

Individuals of significant International experience in peace processes and security issues will form the Commission. The objective of the Commission is to contribute to the verification of ETA’s ceasefire through a serious and rigorous process. The Commission will work closely with all possible elements of Basque society.

Over the past two days, members of the commission have met with representatives of political parties, business associations, trade unions and the Church in the Basque Country to discuss the beginning of the Commission’s work.

The IVC will hold regular meetings with all the possible elements of Basque society to exchange reports, ideas and projects that can help consolidate the credible and irreversible ceasefire that the Basque country demands.

The members of the IVC are:

• Ronnie Kasrils (South Africa)
• Ray Kendall (United Kingdom)
• Chris Maccabe (United Kingdom)
• Ram Manikkalingam (Sri Lanka)
• Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar (India)

The Coordinator of the IVC will be Fleur Ravensbergen.