From New York to Brussels, the international community is struggling to find an appropriate reaction to the Syrian government’s use of violence against uprisings there. The first meeting of the Friends of Syria group highlighted these divisions.

NATO’s intervention in Libya was backed by UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and by the Arab League. But given the lack of political will to intervene in Syria, can the Libyan operation offer any lessons for Syria? This will be among the many defence and security issues to be debated online by international specialists in the SDA’s 2012 Security Jam from March 19-23.

A number of conclusions are being drawn from the Libyan case. First, that it turned out not to be the black-and-white scenario of the evil Colonel Kaddafi versus freedom-loving rebels. The aftermath of the conflict revealed the lack of nation-wide unity and of a functioning civil society. The ethnic and religious divides within the Arab world are more complex than is generally realised.

In any case, the Syrian government must still be seen as a legally constituted body, so intervention by the EU or NATO or even an Arab-led coalition would be unlawful as well as politically difficult. And meanwhile, Operation Unified Protector in Libya revealed NATO’s – and above all Europe’s – shortcomings in terms of capabilities. Set against that Libya showed how powerful a force public opinion can be in moving Western governments to take action.

Policymakers should therefore be looking instead for a solution through the building of a new collective security framework in the southern Mediterranean and Middle East. As well as defusing tensions, it would help promote moves towards democratic government and faster economic development. Where the EU has another major contribution to make in Syria is through its humanitarian aid and crisis management expertise.

The Security Jam 2012 follows the major online debate launched by the Brussels-based Security & Defence Agenda (SDA) in 2010 in association with NATO and the EU. That brought together more than 4,000 civilian and military specialists in security-related fields spread out in 124 countries.

To take part in this unique security brainstorm, register at www.securityjam.org.

(*) Director, Security & Defence Agenda