Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-316"
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"en.20050706.28.3-316"2
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".
Mr President, I should like to thank Mrs Ferrero-Waldner for her remarks and commitment. I particularly welcome the British Minister of State for Europe, Mr Douglas Alexander. It is very nice to see him here.
I have been involved in action against the scourge of anti-personnel landmines for some 10 years now. It is a pity that we still have to raise this subject. As the Minister has mentioned, many of the poorest parts of the world are still afflicted by these weapons. It is estimated that there are still about 15 000 mine victims every year and millions of mines are still stockpiled. The fact is the armed forces of afflicted countries are not involved enough in mine clearance. Too much is left to NGOs and the international community and there is a danger that the political campaign that supports mine action will head off in other directions instead of concentrating on what really matters: making safe those areas where the suspected presence of mines is a bar to normal life and economic development and assistance to mine victims.
It is most important that the landmine problem is, to all intents, overcome by 2010, in just five years’ time, and does not become one of those problems that never go away. This requires accelerated commitment of political will and of resources by the international community and the affected countries.
The Commission is to be congratulated for the size, quality and continuity of its contribution, but it needs to attach even higher priority to this problem and we need to ensure the right multiannual commitment of funds and ensure that money is well spent.
It is also important that we remain sharply focused, taking account of the requirements of our own professional and responsible armed forces. Some seem to forget that it is not the western democracies that are the problem. For the most part, they are part of the solution. I refer to our own governments – the British and other European governments, and also that of the United States, which is among the world’s largest contributors to mine action.
The PPE-DE Group is putting forward its own resolution and is not able to support the resolution by the other political groups, which emphasise widening the campaign to include anti-tank mines and other categories of munitions.
This week attention is focused on Africa at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles and here in the European institutions. Let us remember that many African countries are amongst the most afflicted by landmines and their presence is a major barrier to the rapid development that needs to take place across the continent if the people of Africa are to escape from poverty. Let us renew our commitment to overcome the awful impact of anti-personnel landmines."@en1
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