Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-06-08-Speech-3-156"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050608.16.3-156"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I said this morning that one of the items on the agenda for the European Council was reform of the UN, and in particular the summit in September of this year, during which we hope this reform can be introduced. As we have already discussed and emphasised, the European Union attaches very great importance to that reform. On a number of occasions we have expressed our support for the contents of the report of the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, presented on 21 March of this year, and the preparatory reports on which it was based. These reports are in line with the general approach set out in the European security strategy, and open up some promising avenues towards a stronger and more effective multilateralism.
The Union believes that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction represents the gravest and most immediate threat to international peace and stability. Universal guarantee agreements and additional protocols should now be the norm in terms of nuclear verification. Additionally, negotiations for a treaty to halt the production of fissile material should be brought rapidly to a successful conclusion. The Union also intends to take an active part in the development of binding international instruments to regulate the marking, tracing and illicit dealing in small-calibre arms and light weapons, issues we have already had the opportunity of discussing during sittings of this Parliament.
The Union reiterates its hope that adoption of the principle of the responsibility to protect can become one of the major priorities of the summit. Violations of human rights, impunity and breaches of the rule of law remain among the main factors threatening peace and security, while at the same time hindering the development process. The Union supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to adopt and apply the principle of the responsibility to protect the potential or actual victims of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other mass violations of human rights.
Finally, as regards the use of force, the Union believes that the concept and principles proposed by the Secretary-General represent a good basis on which all parties should be prepared to work. The criteria proposed are political rather than legal in nature and should reflect a broad international consensus, which should prove helpful to members of the Security Council in their deliberations which could potentially lead to the use of force.
I should like to applaud the importance accorded to human rights and the rule of law in the Secretary-General’s report. The Union supports any proposal to reinforce democracy and to place human rights at the centre of the UN's system. We insist on the need to reinforce the system of human rights, in particular by incorporating them into all the activities of the UN system, which would strengthen its capacity to react at any time to breaches of those rights.
We also support the appeal to strengthen the office of the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights and to allocate sufficient funding to reinforce his ability to discharge his mandate. The Union therefore agrees with the establishment of a permanent Council for Human Rights, as it could help to enhance the importance attached to human rights within the UN system.
Sixty years after the war and after the creation of the United Nations, the time has come to give fresh impetus to multilateralism, to reform the United Nations system, a system vital for global security, harmonious development of all nations and the consolidation of peace. I believe we have a real opportunity. The European Union must play an active part in that reform and I count on Parliament to support the Council and Commission in that endeavour.
The European Union supports the global concept of collective security recommended by the Secretary-General, recognising that threats to peace and security are not only represented by war, international conflicts, riots, organised crime, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, but also by poverty, under-development, deadly epidemics and environmental damage – in particular the issue of global warming. The European Union gives its agreement in principle to the package of measures presented by the Secretary-General, while at the same time maintaining an open mind. It intends to play a leadership role in the preparatory process for the September summit.
The Union believes that significant efforts must be made to obtain the best possible results at the summit across a wide spectrum of issues. It is crucial to maintain a balance between the Secretary-General’s three major objectives of development, security and human rights. The challenge is, therefore, to achieve a critical mass of reforms within a consistent long-term approach, while at the same time holding out the possibility of further progress later on. We in the European Union are accustomed to these step-by-step approaches, with recourse to transition periods.
As regards development, the European Union fully shares the Secretary-General’s view on the interdependence of the various areas involved. It would also emphasise unambiguously that development is an end in itself, not merely a means to achieve security. The Union is firmly committed to implementing the Millennium Declaration. It emphasises the link between achieving the Millennium goals and the implementation of the results of UN international conferences and summits in the economic, social, environmental and other spheres. I am not even going to reiterate the goals we set during the last General Affairs Council on the issue of increasing development aid up to 2015.
The Union would like a certain number of matters of vital importance for the achievement of the Millennium goals to be taken into due account in the conclusions of the summit. We also attach particular importance to joint and collective action to combat AIDS. We want to reflect jointly on the link between environmental viability, security and the elimination of poverty.
With regard to the various security-related aspects, the European Union strongly supports the idea of creating a peace consolidation committee. This is a priority for the Union, and an agreement on this issue at the September summit is vital. This proposal serves to plug a gap. During the migration from a state of war to a state of lasting peace, this peace consolidation committee could help intensify the UN-led planning activity in support of a lasting recovery, while at the same time strengthening the institutions which guarantee the rule of law and good governance. In parallel, it could play a significant role in the prevention of subsequent conflicts, which is often an important factor in cementing a lasting peace. This peace consolidation committee would be a permanent body which could assist the Security Council and Ecosoc during the various phases of the conflict.
The link with Ecosoc is particularly important in relation to development. The committee should also help to ensure that reconstruction and peace-keeping strategies are consistent.
In relation to the prevention of terrorism, the Union supports the global strategy proposed by the Secretary-General both in his report and in his Madrid speech. We need to emphasise that terrorism is unacceptable in all circumstances, irrespective of the underlying causes invoked. The Union would point out that the five pillars of the Secretary-General’s proposed approach coincide with the strategy which the Union has been developing since the 11 September 2001 attacks, and which it subsequently reaffirmed following the tragic events in Madrid.
The European Union also supports the Secretary-General’s recommendations in relation to non-proliferation and disarmament – recommendations which, in general terms, coincide with the approach in the European strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As it will only be possible to achieve results through a collective effort, the Union is ready to take initiatives in that direction, in a multilateral context, and to raise these issues during its regular contacts and political dialogue in order to convince its partners to take account of these recommendations as well."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples