I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement.
We welcome this opportunity to jointly discuss development and health together with peace and security in Africa.Mr President,
Africa is a major partner to the European Union. Through globalization our two continents’ opportunities and challenges are becoming increasingly intertwined. The European Union wants to make common cause with Africa in tackling problems and making the best of our joint opportunities.
The Joint EU–Africa Strategy agreed in 2007 is a very good basis for our increasingly deepening cooperation. The biannual meetings between the EU and AU troika on ministerial level as well as the annual meetings between the EU PSC and the AU Peace and Security Council, serve to further strengthen our ties.
Last week, the EU-AU ministerial troikas met at Addis Ababa. They addressed situations of common concern in Somalia and Sudan and expressed deep concern over the situation in Guinea. They agreed to work together on climate change in the lead up to Copenhagen.
There are reasons for optimism about Africa’s development despite many unresolved challenges and a global financial crisis. Peace, political freedom and economic growth have progressed during the last years. But Africa, like no other continent, is heavily affected by the current economic downturn. It also carries a disproportionate weight when it comes to food security and climate change.
The European Union is fully committed to supporting African countries and their people in their quest for peace, democracy, respect for human rights and sustainable development. The EU will continue to build on the positive developments in Africa of the last decade. Despite slow progress in many areas, reaching the MDGs in Africa seems possible if all of us accelerate our efforts for the final stretch leading up to 2015.
Mr President,
The AU has become an indispensable regional actor in only seven years. Through the APRM, civil society can be heard to the benefit of a broad based participation in national concerns. We look forward to further progress for the APRM.
Africa’s regional cooperation is gaining momentum. This is a positive signal, as Africa's problems can best be solved through joint efforts, by Africans themselves. Furthermore higher economic growth in order to fight poverty requires larger markets and joint development of infrastructure, as is mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report. The EU praises the assessment of AU member states through the African Peer Review Mechanism.
Africa’s voice in international trade negotiations can be strengthened through regional cooperation. African integration leaves Africa better equipped to deal with peace and security issues, economic and social questions, as well as climate change. To help enable Africa’s full political and economic participation in our globalized world is in everybody’s interest.
Climate change, food security and development are global concerns and should not be dealt with separately, as pointed out in the Secretary-General’s report. The specific nature of the concerns may differ but we share some fundamental challenges in how to address them in an effective manner.
The African-European Strategic Partnership is guided by basic principles of the unity of Africa, the interdependence between Africa and Europe, ownership and joint responsibility, respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, as well as the right to development. It is clear that the African continent is responsible for its own development. This is the core approach of NEPAD, which is now a program of the African Union. Support from the international community must be aimed at helping the African continent develop its potential on the basis of its own resources. Our aim should be to switch the emphasis from aid to cooperation and trade as soon as possible.
The promotion of democratic governance and respect for human rights are key components of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy. The aim of the partnership is to facilitate an open, broad-based dialogue and cooperation on human rights and democratic governance, including the full enjoyment of such rights by women and children. I would like to draw particular attention to the women in Africa. Africa cannot afford not to make full use of women’s potential contribution to society. Women’s rights and opportunities are fundamental for peacebuilding, economic growth, development and wellbeing.
The EU reaffirms its overall collective ODA target of providing 0,56% of GNI by next year, and 0,7% of GNI by 2015. Of the increases, we will channel at least 50% to Africa. We are also improving coherence among EU policies in the areas of resource mobilization and more effective development assistance.
Trade is a necessary prerequisite for economic growth and sustainable efforts against poverty. Together we must continue promoting a market-oriented world trading system. Access for African goods and services to international markets, including the European, needs to be improved. A successful conclusion of the Doha Round in 2010 is crucial and a top priority for the EU. Mr President,
Another challenge for us all in Africa is health. Africa faces a huge burden of potentially preventable and treatable disease which cause unnecessary deaths and untold suffering, while simultaneously blocking economic development and damaging the continent's social fabric. Experts increasingly agree that infectious diseases are the most negative factor for Africa’s development and seriously hamper efforts to reach the MDGs.
AIDS remains the leading cause of death in Africa and the unimaginable number of 300.000 African children are born with HIV each year. Another health challenge relate to Africa’s women. 19 of the 20 countries with the highest maternal mortality rate are in Africa. Last year, more than 250,000 women died of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. This is simply unacceptable.
Malaria inflicts a great toll on Africa. Every 30 seconds, a child somewhere in the world is killed by malaria. Approximately one million people are killed by malaria each year, Africa being hardest hit, with the majority of deaths in Africa. It is estimated that malaria costs Africa more than 12 billion USD in direct losses each year.
In recent years, significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria. Rwanda, Eritrea and Zambia have shown how it is possible to roll back malaria with long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets, effective artesimin-based treatment and indoor spraying with insecticide. A clear focus on effective interventions, increased funding and political determination have proven to be successful. We welcome the establishment of ALMA, the Africa Leaders Malaria Alliance, formed to ensure political championing of action on malaria.
However, significant financial gaps remain. As the world’s largest donor both in general and in the health sector in particular, the EU will continue to lead the global efforts to sustain financial commitments in response to malaria and will work through national governments, the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the UN System and other relevant organizations and mechanisms, including NGOs.
Combating HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, through strengthening of national health systems, will, in our view, be one of the most effective ways to alleviate poverty and promote equitable and sustainable economic progress. The burden of the three diseases severely affects the poorest countries. We need to further invest in the health work force and build capacity for prevention, treatment and care. And processes such as the International Health partnership will help ensure health development assistance is used as effectively as possible.
The EU is working closely with African governments to enable them to fulfil their commitment to allocate 15% of state budgets to health, in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration.
In the past decade a number of armed conflicts in Africa have ended. We have seen peaceful resolution to brutal conflicts in Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia. And, progress is being made in Burundi with elections planned for next year. A settlement of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire seems to be within reach, if the Ivorian parties live up to their commitment to holding the planned elections in November. The recent diplomatic reconciliation between DRC and its neighbours, still to be consolidated though, opens the possibility for a regional cooperation to pave the way for a long term stabilisation in the Great Lakes.
At the same time, however, armed conflicts continue in Sudan, Somalia and the Eastern DR Congo with great suffering of civilians. The EU is also seriously concerned at the increasingly violent political climate in Guinea. We are particularly concerned about the suffering of civilians in all of these conflicts.
We have also seen a disturbing resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa. This development risks to undermine the stability of the continent and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development. On a more positive note, we welcome the swift action taken by the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities, after the unconstitutional changes of government in Guinea, Madagascar and Mauritania.
Africa also continues to face other challenges to peace, post-conflict reconstruction and development: extreme poverty, weak state institutions, poor management of resources, the consequences of climate change and failure to protect human rights. Furthermore, the continent faces growing challenges related to climate change and the financial crisis. The European Union is committed to cooperate with African countries and the African Union to tackle theses challenges.
The European Union welcomes the increased role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy. Members of the European Union support and participate in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, especially in its country-specific configurations for Burundi, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau and the Central Africa Republic. The PBC can lend important support to national priorities and be an effective forum for strengthened mutual accountability. The PBC can also be effective in linking developmental, political and security aspects to peacebuilding, enhance international coordination and uphold the interest of the international community in the post-conflict phase. The diversity of the membership of the PBC has provided broad international legitimacy to the peacebuilding agenda.
Cooperation is increasing between the United Nations, the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities in efforts to resolve and prevent conflict in Africa. This is clear from the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. This is a positive development.
The European Union actively supports the African Union and the African agenda for peace and development. We are fully and unambiguously committed to stand by the African continent, as demonstrated by the adoption of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy in Lisbon in December 2007. Today the implementation of that strategy is actively pursued in all areas. This cooperation could be further facilitated by a strengthened dialogue between the European Union and Africa in the framework of the United Nations.
The support to Africa’s search for peace is one of the European Union’s priorities. Under the framework of the African Peace Facility the European Union has committed an additional €300 million for the period from 2008 to 2010. In addition the European Union currently has four missions deployed on the African continent within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy. Also, the European Union is Africa’s principal development partner.
To conclude, Mr President,
After decades of lost growth there are now signs that Africa is turning a corner. Africa is finding its place on the global arena, not least through the AU engagement in finding solutions to both African and international challenges. The EU joins the countries and people of Africa in their endeavour to realise their ambitions.
Thank you.
* Croatia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process