It's a new dawn, it's a new year! Without getting too much into the usual practice of evaluating the past year and expressing wishes for the coming year, as Jacob already did, let me just point out two key issues to which I think we should focus our - liberal - attention to in the coming year.

In the first place, global environmental issues will continue to claim more and more of the international political agendas in 2007. It is of fundamental importance that the traditional ideological differences will be set aside in order to effectively respond to the challenges posed by climate change. In terms of the environmental dimension of the economic development of the world's poor countries, a 'growing first and cleaning up later' approach should be avoided. New technologies are nowadays available which lessen the conflict between growth and the environment. In general, governments should invest in the development of innovative technologies that reduce mankind's burden on our planet.

Secondly, international institutions and regimes should be restored and given a more important role in the ever-more globalizing world of 2007. The worldwide non-proliferation regime of nucleair technologies - to give only an example - has suffered enormously in the past year by the hands of North-Korea and Iran, but also by the disputable deal between the United States and India. The riskiness of a continuation, let alone a reinvigoration, of such developments for the future can hardly be overestimated. As well, as loony governments remain in power in too many countries in this world, the peaceloving, human-rights respecting and democratic powers should do all their best to ensure basic protection of the citizens of such countries, who are too often the victims of serious violations of human rights. This involves strong political and diplomatic pressures, the support of opposition movements and the legitimate use of intervention by force when a humanitarian disaster are about to take place, as a measure of last resort.

I have myself ended the last year with an amazing visit to Senegal, where I - of course among other things - spoke at a huge youth convention organized by our Senegalese Member Organization UJTL. Accompanied by Roger Albinyana I Saigi and Sidi Touré, the Presidents of LYMEC and OALY respectively, I visited both the capital Dakar and the town of Khaolak, where the convention took place. We were hosted and taken care of by my fellow Bureau Member Tafsir Thoiye and many of his collegues, of which I should specifically mention my new friend 'ABS' with whom I spend many fun and interesting hours driving through the countryside.

Though Senegal is economically speaking obviously still rather poor, it is quite a shining beacon in terms of democracy and liberalism in the West-African region and in Africa at large. This is mainly due to the influential position of the mother party of UJTL, PDS, which occupies the Presidency of the country and has a large majority in the parliament. During the visit I've had many opportunities to speak with people from both UJTL and PDS, and I believe they can be of great help for IFLRY's future work in Africa.

I have uploaded a report on my visit to Senegal here. Soon I hope to get some pictures online as well!