Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-01-19-Speech-2-093"
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"en.20100119.6.2-093"2
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"Madam President, we know the reason why Yemen is on our agenda today. We traced the Detroit bomber’s trail from the United States to Europe, to Africa and Yemen. Thus, we were reminded, once again, that our own security is at risk if we do not help countries like Yemen, who are struggling to meet multiple challenges at the same time.
Terrorism is the immediate focus but is only one of an interlinked set of challenges. There is instability in the north, fuelled by armed conflict with the Houthi rebels. There is conflict over land and water rights and longstanding tensions with the southern region, which has felt marginalised since unification in 1991. The government has so far been able to maintain overall stability but, as oil revenues have dwindled, the state is struggling to maintain control over parts of the national territory.
To this we can add piracy in the Gulf of Aden, smuggling, migration and people-trafficking from the Horn of Africa and, now, a rise in jihadist terrorism. Yemen has substantial population growth and an increasingly discontented young population. An inclusive internal political consensus on the way forward remains elusive.
Amidst all this, one thing is clear: none of us can afford a zone of near-lawlessness stretching from the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan. We would pay the price ourselves.
Over the last 18 months, the European Union has highlighted Yemen as a priority case in its counter-terrorism strategy and its comprehensive approach to state-building and development. The Council adopted extensive conclusions on Yemen in October. We are now seeking to rally all our key players around the strategy. The UK initiative to organise a high-level meeting with and on Yemen next week could, therefore, not be more timely.
A key focus of the meeting will be security. A significant package is now being prepared to help boost government efforts: training and equipment for law enforcement, a better legal framework and criminal justice system, work on anti-radicalisation and conflict prevention. This will come on top of EUR 11 million allocated, in the Commission’s development programme, to police training and juvenile justice in the last two years.
The establishment of al-Qaeda in Yemen is a symptom of deeper problems. The linkage between economic, political, social and security challenges are crucial. This is why we need a comprehensive approach. It is also vital that the Yemeni state boosts its capacity to meet the needs of people throughout the country. The EU will propose to increase by one third its development funds foreseen for the period 2011-13. Humanitarian aid from ECHO will continue in 2010. We continuously raise with the government the problems of access to the many displaced people.
No amount of aid, however, can substitute for commitment and action by the government itself. President Saleh’s stated commitment to national dialogue amongst all relevant actors has the potential to build a new national consensus, if all actors are included and their interests are taken into account. The international community should lend sustained support to this dialogue. It is the only sustainable way forward.
Last, but certainly not least, key regional players need to be engaged in the common effort to work with Yemen – chief amongst these is Saudi Arabia. The London meeting offers an invaluable chance to include the Saudis, the United States and others in a meaningful international dialogue on, and with, Yemen. I look forward to our debates."@en1
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