Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-03-Speech-3-007"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20030903.1.3-007"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
".
Mr President, developments in Cuba have taken a very negative turn with the large-scale arrest of dissidents in March 2003 and the execution of three people convicted of hijacking a ferry at the beginning of April 2003.
According to a recent statement from Havana, it seems that in future the Cuban Government will only accept aid from the Commission and the EU Member States that is channelled through UN agencies, NGOs, foundations, solidarity movements, autonomous regions and local governments. Furthermore, the Cuban Government will apparently refuse to negotiate directly with the Member States and the Commission on development cooperation themes, programmes and projects and will only agree to deal with NGOs on such issues. However, as the Commission has worked mainly with NGOs and independent technical assistance teams in the past anyway – and with good results – there is no reason to believe that the same cannot continue in the future. The only thing we need to ensure is that the visibility of Community operations is maintained and also that monitoring of such operations by EU bodies can continue.
Finally, I was informed that the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights is not currently funding projects in Cuba.
I will try to deal as directly as possible with the seven questions raised by Mr Brok.
The Commission is monitoring the growth of internal opposition. I met a group of the most well-known Cuban dissidents during my visit to Havana in March 2003. The recent EU decision to invite dissidents to national day festivities, as the Commission did on 9 May 2003, recognises the role of the internal opposition. I must also add that regular meetings with opposition groups in Cuba have taken place at the initiative of Member States in Havana.
The Member States and the Commission have established a Human Rights Working Group in Havana to follow human rights issues in Cuba, including the matter of political prisoners. The Commission is regularly informed of detention conditions through this working group and through bilateral contacts with family members of those imprisoned, as well as with local human rights groups. The European Union has repeatedly called for an immediate release of all political prisoners and has appealed to the Cuban authorities that, in the meantime, the prisoners do not suffer unduly and are not exposed to inhumane treatment.
Repression in Cuba has received a prompt, firm and sustained reaction from the Union. Last July it re-evaluated the common position on Cuba, six months ahead of schedule. This re-evaluation reaffirmed that constructive engagement remains the basis of EU policy towards Cuba. The EU intends to continue its dialogue with Havana to promote political, economic and civil rights reforms and is willing to provide aid whenever possible via non-governmental organisations in order to promote democratisation and improve living standards for ordinary Cubans. I believe that the common position is the best policy instrument we now have for Cuba. It is a coherent policy document and should, therefore, be maintained in its present form. Based on it, political dialogue with the government and the opposition needs to be strengthened, as well as the promotion of human rights, pluralist democracy and an open economic system.
The Commission regrets the decision of the Cuban Government to withdraw its application for accession to the Cotonou Agreement. Cuba is the only Caribbean, and practically the only developing, country in the world with which the Commission has not been able to sign a cooperation agreement. Membership of the Cotonou Agreement would have provided the right framework to develop a structured dialogue with the Cuban authorities and to improve the delivery of aid to that country.
The Commission is positive about the operation of our new delegation in Havana. Our presence in Cuba is more important today than ever. The main tasks of the delegation are not only to assist with the implementation of aid programmes and projects, but also to promote a political dialogue with the Cuban authorities and civil society, to monitor human rights issues and to protect the interests of the Member States in terms of trade and investments.
As a result of the events that have taken place recently, the Commission Delegation in Havana will have to focus its attention in the future more on monitoring the human rights situation in Cuba, on trying to promote a political dialogue and on looking after the trade interests of the EU Member States. This is a heavy and difficult agenda to pursue, but it is essential if we wish to promote political and economic changes in Cuba.
The latest evaluation of the common position encourages the strengthening of EU development cooperation in Cuba in areas that promote the transition to pluralist democracy and respect for human rights, that improve the living standards of the population of Cuba and promote sustainable economic growth. The common position states that funding should only be channelled through governmental institutions if it directly benefits the population or if it promotes a meaningful contribution towards economic reform and a more open economy in Cuba. Commission projects have been undertaken in this context."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples