Vol. 544 No. 5
82 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts he has made at international level through the UN and EU to positively influence the situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29396/01]
The Government remains concerned at the situation in Zimbabwe. With our European Union partners, we have consistently called upon the Government of Zimbabwe to put an end to the violence and intimidation and to ensure full respect for democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law.
92 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action he has taken at UN or EU level to influence the situation in Afghanistan, with particular reference to the alleviation of starvation and recognition of human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29424/01]
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains of major and immediate concern to the Government. We continue to call on the relevant countries and the international donor community to work together so that we can achieve this key objective. In his contacts with President Bush, the Taoiseach has highlighted the humanitarian dimension of the crisis. I have also been pursuing these concerns, including in my meetings with other Foreign Ministers and with senior UN representatives at both the UN Security Council and the 56th Session of the UN General Assembly. In these latest contacts, we are emphasising that there must be a visible and effective strategy for meeting the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people over the coming period.
93 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assessment of the situation regarding 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. [29425/01]
I remain very concerned about the situation in Africa in relation to starvation and political stability. They remain major obstacles to the development of the continent. Last January, the World Food Programme presented a world hunger map which illustrated the scale of the problem of global hunger, now estimated as affecting 830 million people worldwide. The problem is particularly acute in Africa, with up to 16 million people affected by hunger in the greater Horn of Africa alone. Working in close co-operation with UN and EU partners, Ireland Aid has been to the forefront of international efforts to respond to humanitarian crises in Africa including Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda and the Great Lakes region, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola and Sierra Leone. In 2000, Ireland Aid provided over £8.5 million– 10.8 million – to fund emergency relief and rehabilitation programmes for the affected regions of the continent. Emergency funding to the continent last year represented almost 70% of the total emergency assistance budget.
We have also actively supported efforts to improve the international community's ability to respond to humanitarian crises in Africa. At EU level, Ireland has participated in a major evaluation intended to improve the effectiveness of EC food aid and food security policy. This study recommended a number of changes to EU policy in this area to make it more effective and responsive. These included a refocusing of efforts towards strategic and sectoral issues, the introduction of country strategy papers to assist in streamlining rules and procedures and closer co-ordination of efforts with NGOs and recipient governments. In September 2000, the European Commission presented a communication on the evaluation and future orientation of food aid policy and food aid management, which will give effect to the recommendations of the evaluation with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of EC food aid.
In September 2000, the UN Millennium Summit endorsed the goal of reducing by half by 2015 the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. The Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the plan of action, adopted at the World Food Summit, WFS, in 1996 set out the way towards the achievement of the goal. Food security requires an enabling political, social and economic environment, designed to create the best conditions for the reduction of poverty and a durable peace based on the full and equal participation of women and men.
The Government is dealing with the inter-related issues of starvation and political stability in Africa through an unprecedented increase in the volume of overseas development assistance in line with Ireland's commitment to reaching the UN target of spending 0.7% of GNP on ODA by 2007; using our current membership of the UN Security Council to work towards resolving conflicts in Africa which are inhibiting food security and increasing the numbers of people suffering from hunger; participating in UN peacekeeping operations in regions of conflict, such as the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea – UNMEE; and providing funding for the key UN organisations – World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisations, International Fund for Agricultural Development – involved in helping the starving and in promoting food security.
