Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:100 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the EU will agree on a common approach to UN reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18627/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 2 June 2005
Ceisteanna (112)
Freagraí scríofa
The European Union is a strong advocate of the UN Secretary General's reform agenda and has placed its weight behind efforts to secure agreement at the September summit on a positive and balanced package of measures that would restore momentum to the achievement of the millennium development goals, MDGs, and enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations.
Support for effective multi-lateralism with the United Nations at its centre is a key element of the European security strategy. The European Union and the United Nations are in close consultation on developing their cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security.
In the discussions taking place in New York on the four clusters of proposals contained in the Secretary General's, In Larger Freedom, report, the EU has voiced support for most of the key recommendations. These include, inter alia, measures to ensure the attainment of the millennium development goals, the establishment of a peacebuilding commission to assist states emerging from conflict to make the transition to peaceful development, and reform of the UN’s human rights machinery. Many of the recommendations in the Secretary General’s, In Larger Freedom, report are drawn from the report of the Secretary General’s high-level panel on threats, challenges and change, which itself reflected key elements of the EU’s contribution to the work of the panel, drafted and agreed during Ireland’s EU presidency.
The European Union, both at the United Nations in New York and in multilateral fora, has engaged in an active policy of outreach with other major regional groups, in support of the Secretary General's, In Larger Freedom, agenda. Within the past week, the EU has discussed UN reform and the preparation of the September summit with its Latin American partners at the EU-Rio group meeting and its Mediterranean partners at the seventh Euro-Mediterranean Ministers' meeting. I was present at both meetings, which I addressed in my capacity of envoy of the UN Secretary General.
The European Union and its member states have a major role to play in ensuring that the developed world plays its part in the achievement of the millennium development goals. EU Development Ministers agreed on 24 May to new official development assistance or ODA volume targets, which, inter alia, commit the pre-accession 15 members of the EU to reaching the target of allocating 0.7% of gross national income to ODA by 2015, and the ten member states that acceded in 2004 to reaching 0.33% by that date. They also agreed to an interim target of 0.56% by 2010 for the European Union as a whole. This agreement will ensure that the EU fulfils its side of the bargain struck at the Monterrey conference on financing for development in 2002, when the developed countries committed themselves to increase funding and the developing countries committed themselves to good governance and respect for human rights.
The European Union presidency intends to reach formal agreement by way of a declaration at the European Council later this month on the broad range of EU support for the Secretary General's reform agenda and the preparation of the summit. The European Commission has been actively engaged in the development of a coherent policy on cluster one, or development aid, issues and has made a number of useful proposals for EU action in support of a number of areas on the September agenda, including human rights, peace building, environment, sanctions, small arms and the institutional strengthening of the UN.
One aspect of reform where the European Union does not have a Common Position is that of reform of the Security Council, where, as the House will be aware, sharply diverging positions among partners have prevented the emergence of a shared EU position. The EU, accordingly, does not pronounce collectively on this issue. However, this has not impaired the capacity of the EU to address actively the broad range of UN reform measures currently under discussion. It should not be allowed to overshadow other very important elements of the reform agenda, or prevent actions by the EU in support of the summit outcome.
Question No. 101 answered with QuestionNo. 8.
Question No. 102 answered with QuestionNo. 27.