Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
435 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to ensure that all future discussions on overseas development aid and security at the OECD and at the Council of Ministers are informed by the human security concept to which the Government is committed by its membership of the Human Security Network. [34138/04]
View answerIreland, together with Austria, Canada, Chile, Greece, Jordan, Mali, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Slovenia and Thailand, is a member of the Human Security Network. South Africa is an observer. The network is an informal group of like-minded countries from all regions of the world, which maintains dialogue on questions of human security. It was established in the context of the consultations which led to the Ottawa Convention outlawing the use of anti-personnel mines.
The network pursues a broad agenda and has strong links to civil society and academia. It aims to bring to international attention new and emerging issues by applying a human security perspective to them. Issues of particular current interest are children in armed conflict, HIV-AIDS, control of small arms and violence against women. Established priorities of the network include support for universal adherence to the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines and the International Criminal Court.
The following principles emerged from the first ministerial meeting of the network in Lysøen, Norway on 20 May 1999. A commitment to human rights and humanitarian law is the foundation for building human security. Human security is advanced in every country by protecting and promoting human rights, the rule of law, democratic governance and structures, a culture of peace and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The international organisations created by states to build a just and peaceful world order, above all the United Nations in its role to maintain international peace and security as stated in the charter, must serve the security needs of people. Promoting sustainable human development, through the alleviation of absolute poverty, providing basic social services for all and pursuing the goals of people-centred development, is necessary for building human security. Innovative international approaches will be needed to address the sources of insecurity, remedy the symptoms and prevent the recurrence of threats, which affect the daily lives of millions of people.
Ireland will continue to support these principles during all relevant discussions on overseas development assistance and security at the OECD and at the Council of Ministers of the EU.
436 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position advocated by Ireland in the high level OECD meeting in December 2004 regarding peace, security and development; his position on the DAC April 2003 discussion paper, A Development Co-operation Lens on Terrorism Prevention; his views on whether it is wrong to finance security and counter terrorism measures from already stretched overseas development aid budget lines; his further views on whether the inclusion of military expenditure in overseas development aid will create a distorted picture by inflating formal overseas development aid levels without strengthening poverty reduction activities in developing countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34139/04]
View answerThe question of overseas development assistance, ODA, eligibility regarding conflict prevention, peace building and security-related activities was on the agenda of the senior level meeting of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, DAC, in Paris, on 8 and 9 December 2004, and was discussed at some length.
The chair concluded at the end of the discussion that no consensus existed on proposals to broaden the coverage of the existing DAC directives in the areas of peacekeeping and on reform and non-military training of military forces. The chair also indicated that he would not now be putting this matter forward for discussion by Ministers at the OECD DAC high-level meeting in 2005, though the broad issue of security and development will continue to be a matter for discussion at the DAC.
Ireland's approach at the senior level meeting with regard to this aspect of ODA eligibility was that the proposals in respect of security system reform, civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and conflict resolution could be endorsed, while the proposals relating to small arms and light weapons, reform and non-military training of military forces and peacekeeping could not be accepted, as the arguments in favour of maintaining the current position outweighed the risks involved in approving such proposals. These risks included diverting the focus of ODA away from poverty reduction and from meeting the Monterrey commitments.
The OECD DAC reference document, A Development Co-operation Lens on Terrorism Prevention: Key Entry Points for Action, was endorsed by the DAC high level meeting in 2003 and complements the DAC Guidelines Helping Conflict Prevention of 2001. I welcome this document, which will act as a reference point for development co-operation actors in this field.
The DAC reference document draws on donor responses to international terrorism. It is intended to guide the international community and governments in their efforts to address linkages between terrorism and development and suggests how donor programmes might be designed or adjusted. It begins with a policy statement in which DAC Ministers and heads of agencies underline key issues, orientations and entry points for action. While the causes of international terrorism are complex, there are connections with development arenas, actors and issues. Consequently the international community, aid organisations, governments, the European Union, the United Nations system and the OECD have embarked on a series of reflections on how best to support global efforts to combat terrorism.
Ireland's development co-operation programme has a very strong focus on poverty reduction in the poorest developing countries. This will remain our approach.
437 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made since the January 2004 Council conclusions by which the Irish Presidency obtained a commitment from the EU to develop clear and objective criteria for the allocation of EU aid. [34140/04]
View answerOn 26 January 2004, following the fourth annual policy debate on the effectiveness of the European Union's external action at the General Affairs and External Relations Council, the Council adopted conclusions inviting the Commission, in the light of experience and best international practice, to present proposals on extending the use of standard, objective and transparent resource allocation criteria, based on need and performance, to all EC external assistance.
Subsequently, on 22 October 2004, former Commissioners Nielson and Patten wrote to EU Ministers for foreign affairs and development co-operation indicating that, following extensive preparatory work by the Commission, they were transmitting ideas for a common approach for future resource allocation, which should apply to all developing and transition countries to be covered by the future development co-operation and economic co-operation instrument. The Commissioners also indicated that they wished to leave it to the incoming Commission to develop appropriate allocation approaches for the countries to be covered by other relevant instruments. I understand that detailed work on allocation criteria by the Commission is ongoing. Ireland regards this work as a priority and will continue to call for the earliest possible submission of the Commission's proposals.
438 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to ensure that poverty eradication remains the overarching goal of EU development assistance in the period 2007 to 2013. [34141/04]
View answerPoverty eradication remains the overarching objective of Ireland's development co-operation policy. In this regard, EU development co-operation Ministers from seven member states, including Ireland, stressed the importance of poverty eradication being included specifically in the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe in a joint submission to the Convention on the Future of Europe. As a result, Article III-316 of the treaty provides that "Union development policy shall have as its primary objective the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty."
439 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the European Commission proposals on EU development spending in the Financial Perspectives 2007-2013 risk undermining the terms of the proposed EU constitutional treaty which recognises development co-operation as a policy area in its own right and defines poverty eradication as the overarching objective of EU development policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34142/04]
View answer440 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the current European Commission proposals on EU development spending in the Financial Perspectives 2007-2013 (details supplied). [34143/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 439 and 440 together.
Development co-operation is included in the Commission's proposals on external relations in the Financial Perspectives 2007-2013. It is the Commission's intention to increase expenditure on external relations in support of the EU's role as a global partner and to simplify structures for the delivery of policy objectives in this area.
The Commission has proposed that €95 billion should be allocated to external relations for the period of the future financial framework. The financial reference amount indicated by the Commission which is proposed for the development co-operation and economic co-operation, DCEC, instrument is approximately €44.2 billion for the period to 2013. This expenditure would be delivered through a streamlined structure in which six instruments would replace the range of existing instruments, including 91 budget lines in the present external relations policy areas. Four new instruments would be created including a DCEC instrument. Approximately 46% of the proposed total expenditure would be committed to this instrument. The development co-operation and economic cooperation instrument will have the aim of supporting development co-operation, economic, financial, scientific and technological co-operation with partner countries and regions and helping developing countries to achieve the millennium development goals.
The other new instruments proposed are: an instrument for pre-accession; a European neighbourhood and partnership, ENPI, instrument; and an instrument for stability. All these instruments contain elements of development co-operation expenditure. The existing instruments for humanitarian aid and macro-financial assistance would remain unchanged. Simplification of the number of instruments will provide for enhanced coherence in the Union's external action and Ireland welcomes this.
Negotiations on the financial perspectives have been under way since February 2004 and will continue under the Luxembourg Presidency. No final decisions have been taken with regard to either the overall budget level for the financial perspectives or its components. The member states and the European Parliament will retain their right to exercise oversight with regard to expenditure in this area.
Ireland is concerned to ensure that the Union is adequately resourced to advance its objectives in supporting the least developed countries, deepening relations with its neighbours, promoting stability and responding to short-term crises. In view of the importance of development co-operation assistance for the Union's external relations priorities, we have a particular concern that there should be no dilution of the Union's commitment to poverty reduction. We believe that the overarching objective of the new development co-operation and economic co-operation instrument should be the reduction of poverty, contributing to the achievement of the millennium development goals. These objectives will continue to inform Ireland's approach to discussion on the development co-operation aspects of the negotiations on the Financial Perspectives.
