Written Answers - Foreign Conflicts.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
126
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the degree to which he has contributed to attempts to bring about stability in the area of the former Yugoslavia with particular reference to Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montene gro; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13307/01]
Although we have seen historic progress in the western Balkans region in the past six months, continued international support for stability, development and reform is of vital importance. Ireland is working constantly in the fora of the EU, the UN, the OSCE and the Stability Pact for South East Europe to support this process.
Western Balkans issues are consistently a priority issue for discussion at virtually every meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. These discussions take place in the context of the comprehensive and integrated approach to the region launched at the EU-Balkans summit in Zagreb last November. The stabilisation and association process is designed to bring all the countries of the region into closer beneficial relations with each other and with the EU while helping with internal processes of institutional reform and development. A stabilisation and association agreement was signed with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, also known as FYROM, in April and one with Croatia is expected to be initialled in June.
In the case of Albania, a high level steering group has been established with a view to assessing the readiness of that country for an agreement. It is intended eventually to have agreements with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In parallel with this initiative, an integrated aid programme, the Community Action Programme for Democracy and Stabilisation, for the region has been put in place with funding of 4.65 billion for the period 2000-06. Ireland has supported this approach throughout its development and ongoing implementation and will continue to do so. I believe this constitutes the best framework for the EU to contribute to long-term stability and growth in the western Balkans.
Ireland has worked through its membership of the UN Security Council in its regular meetings on Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina to make clear that the international community will not tolerate extremist violence in the western Balkans region, and to monitor the continuing work of UNMIK, UNMIBH and the Office of the High Representative. We will continue to play an active role in this forum.
In relation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia where the situation is of particular concern at present, Ireland participated in the drafting of the UN Security Council resolution on events there adopted on 21 March. We fully support the statement of the Presidency of the EU at the weekend condemning the most recent terrorist attacks by ethnic Albanian extremists and calling for restraint by the FYROM government.
I have also joined with my EU colleagues in condemning acts of violence by extremists in Kosovo and southern Serbia. Together, we have encouraged the high representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, in the excellent work he is performing on behalf of the EU in the western Balkans.
With regard to Montenegro, I and the other EU foreign ministers have consistently underlined the need for any new constitutional arrangements to take place within the federal framework and for them to be reached through an open and democratic process. Ireland contributed seven short-term election monitors to the OSCE observation mission to Montenegro for the parliamentary elections on 22 April. Following these elections, Ireland joined its partners in calling for a resumption of dialogue between the authorities in Montenegro and in Belgrade with a view to achieving an agreed redefinition of federal arrangements that would ensure the stability of the region.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
127
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will give an assessment of the situation in regard to starvation and political stability on the African continent; the extent to which the Government has used its influence at EU and UN level to bring about a stabilisation programme to deal with the issues involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13308/01]
Starvation, and the poverty associated with it, is a root cause of instability and conflict in Africa. In January the World Food Programme, which is the food aid organisation of the UN, presented a world hunger map. This map identifies the main regions affected by hunger around the world. As many as 830 million people suffer from hunger globally and the situation in Africa is particularly bad. The WFP has identified Sudan, Angola, Guinea and Sierra Leone as countries where major food crises loom. Regional conflicts continue to span large areas of the continent causing poverty, hunger and the displacement of large numbers of refugees.
Ireland has been actively supporting the efforts of the UN and the EU to address the problems of hunger and political stability. Our approach has been based on tackling the root causes of hunger and instability as well as responding to immediate humanitarian crises. Through its membership of the UN Security Council and the European Union, Ireland has been intensively involved in efforts at the international level to respond to the crises in a number of countries throughout Africa. These efforts have achieved some important results. I welcome, in particular, the historic agreement reached last December between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the signs of progress evident in the protracted conflicts in Sierra Leone, the DRC and Somalia. I am pleased that we were able to make a valuable contribution in UN and EU deliberations on each of these situations. We will continue to ensure that the process of building peace and stability throughout Africa remains a leading priority of the international community.
In addition to efforts to resolve conflict, Ireland has also contributed, both bilaterally and through the EU, to help alleviate starvation and humanitarian crises throughout Africa. In 2000 Ireland Aid provided £2,686,000 to the WFP specifically for the relief of global hunger. In Africa funding was targeted at Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya and Mozambique to help alleviate starvation. This year Ireland Aid has maintained a high level of response to food crises. So far this year funding has been approved for WFP and FAO appeals totalling £2,100,000. In Africa funding will be directed to Angola, Burundi, the DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
These efforts to resolve conflicts and respond rapidly to food crises must be underpinned by the longer term development of the African continent. In its development policy statement, which it issued last November, the EU identified the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty as the principal aim of the Community's development policy. Africa is one of the major recipients of EU development assistance. Through its aid programme, the EU will continue to contribute to the long-term sustainable development of Africa. The reduction of poverty in Africa will help reduce conflict and will enhance political stability throughout the continent.
Food security is also an important component of the anti-poverty strategies of the EU. A major study of policy in this area has recommended a number of changes to make it more effective and responsive. Through our membership of the EU's food aid committee, Ireland has been actively participating in the Union's efforts to enhance the effectiveness of its food aid and food security policy.
An important initiative in the UN context to help improve global food security will be the follow-up to the World Food Summit which took place in Rome in 1996. The WFS adopted a key international target of reducing the number of undernourished people in the world to half their present level no later than 2015. The EU fully subscribes to this key international target and, in co-ordination with our EU partners, Ireland will play an active role in the follow-up to this summit which will take place in Rome in November. This summit provides a very important opportunity to review progress towards meeting the WFS target, and to renew global commitment at a political level to the task of eliminating hunger and to achieve sustainable food security.
As the Deputy will be aware, human security in Africa is also the major focus of Ireland's programme of bilateral development assistance.
Question No. 128 answered with Question No. 106.
