Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-22-Speech-3-143"
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"en.20060322.13.3-143"2
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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I think we can all agree that the European Union is based on values and that it is very involved in promoting those values throughout the world. This includes concrete contributions to peace, sustainable development, respect for human rights and the development and strengthening of democracy throughout the world.
Firstly, the European Union is responding to a specific request from the United Nations. On this matter we have confidence in the assessment of the Secretary General, Kofi Annan. You are no doubt aware of the fact that the Council has, in the past, made considerable efforts to support the United Nations, and that, as part of the ESDP, the United Nations presence in the region has been strengthened. I am sure you will agree with me that the European Union, being committed to multilateralism, is duty-bound to make an effective contribution here, as the Member States also wish.
Secondly, both the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo and both of its vice-presidents are in favour of such a supporting action. The Supreme Defence Council has also specifically called for this mission, and this has also been included in a related press release. This shows us that it is in the interests of the Democratic Republic of Congo to have credible additional deterrents available, in order to prevent a military option. I would particularly like to emphasise that fact: this is a mission that should act to prevent the use of force, and we hope that the presence of this deterrent should prevent the actual deployment of military resources. This deterrent effect is worthwhile, even if, in the estimation of the Congolese authorities, the forces provided would not need to be deployed. But they should be available. We see no reason to question the Congolese assessment.
Thirdly, the DRC is the largest and most highly populated country in the region. Not least for that reason, the European Union is, as you know, more closely involved in the process of transition to democracy in Congo than in any other African country. The European Union has, in the past, already used its extensive range of tools to bring an end to the conflict and to make progress in the peace process. We in the European Union have contributed EUR 700 million to projects to support the transition, EUR 200 million of which went to supporting the elections alone. I have already mentioned the police mission. As you are aware, we sent a military mission back in 2003 to prevent an escalation of the conflict in the East of the country, which was threatening the final negotiations in the peace process and thus the establishment of the transitional government. In the opinion of the Member States, it is now sensible and necessary to secure this earlier investment in peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to ensure that the peaceful democratic development continues.
Fourthly, the political and military parameters of the mission must – as in the case of earlier missions, including those in the Democratic Republic of Congo – be established and laid down in cooperation between the competent Council configurations and the operational headquarters.
The European Union has a very broad array of instruments for taking action in these areas. These include a trade and development policy, diplomatic initiatives as part of the common foreign and security policy, and civilian and military crisis management operations under the European Security and Defence Policy.
The implementation of these diverse resources can be particularly well demonstrated in our Africa policy. Today's debate on the European Union's involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a particularly good example. However, we must also not forget about other activities in this connection, such as the action to support the African Union's AMIS II peacekeeping forces in Darfur.
The comprehensive Africa strategy adopted by the European Council at the end of last year, the 'Common Position concerning conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa' and the 'ESDP Action Plan supporting peace and security in Africa' provide the European Union with clear guidance: the commitment made in these documents to peace and security as an absolute necessity for the development of Africa logically leads to a commitment to help resolve the conflicts in Africa by strengthening African crisis management capabilities, including with funds from the 'Peace Facility for Africa' and by means of appropriate operations as part of the European security and defence policy.
The European Union's involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo reflects the comprehensive nature of these European ambitions: the main basis for relations between the European Union and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and thus also for EU assistance to stabilise the country, is formed in the first instance by the Cotonou Agreement and the funds available from the European Development Fund in this connection. The funds from the peace facility that I have already briefly mentioned, which are not directly connected with the Cotonou Agreement, are also worth some attention here. Some of this money is being used to fund initiatives that make a very direct contribution to improving the security situation in Congo, for example by creating humane living spaces for soldiers and their families or by providing modern equipment.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, it has also become clear that the European security and defence policy can, with relatively meagre resources, make an important contribution to stabilising the country, by means of assistance in reforming its security sector in both the civilian and military sectors. I would point to the civilian ESDP mission, EUPOL Kinshasa, which has recently been extended to the end of this year. It provides training and advice to the 'Integrated Police Unit', and thus helps to ensure that policing in the capital city Kinshasa is not only efficient but also compatible with the basic concepts of a modern state under the rule of law.
The military ESDP mission, EUSEC Congo, in turn supports the Congolese military authorities in pushing forward the necessary reforms and modernisation of the armed forces.
I am sure I do not need to tell you that the work of the EU Special Representative for the African Great Lakes Region, Aldo Ajello, is extremely important for the stabilisation of the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I would now like to emphasise a few points specifically about the mission in Congo. First of all, there are four central points that characterise the Council's position regarding an operation to support the United Nations' mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC)."@en1
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