kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the commission will therefore participate in a proactive manner in the consultation process that the wto director general is leading regarding the next steps in the multilateral negotiating agenda.
third particular attention should be put on addressing the legitimate needs of the least developed countries.
the commission's approach to these consultations will be guided by three basic principles first the wto needs to have an ambitious negotiating agenda that contributes to the recovery and rebalancing of the global economy;
second wto members must not throw out the baby with the bathwater but build on what is already on the table;
for the commission this state of affairs is deeply disappointing.
the commission fully shares this view and considers that the eu has a strong interest in a process of multilateral trade liberalisation which advances and remains relevant.
the eu's position has been somewhere between the two extremes asking the emerging countries to make ambitious commitments while recognising that a certain degree of flexibility is still justified.
allow me first to briefly recall the present state of the doha development agenda negotiations within the world trade organisation. as you know the negotiations were revitalised in early two thousand and eleven following strong political guidance by the leaders of the g.
all institutions see eye to eye on this.
wto members then tried to agree on a narrower set of results by year end. the idea was that this interim package would address particularly the specific needs of the least developed countries complemented with other components such as an agreement on trade facilitation.
mr lamy then suggested that the membership shift its focus to preparing discussions at the december wto ministerial conference regarding regular wto work as well as the negotiating agenda beyond.
parliament's own library briefing states that the focus of the doha round was to be on development. for most developing countries the critical aspect of the doha round is agriculture.
in that book there is a passage where the red queen tells alice the rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday but never jam today'.
it is just not going to happen.
this crop grown in the developed world can never be fully competitive without subsidy with sugar cane.
i must further point out that a disproportionate amount of the cap goes on subsidising the growing of sugar beet.
it is the continuance of the cap in its present form which sabotages a proper result from the doha round. what then are the prospects for meaningful reform? the answer is that there are too many politicians here in the european parliament who oppose the reform of the cap.
around three quarters of the population of most developing countries reside in rural areas and in consequence a majority depend on the agricultural sector.
it erodes the fair operation of the market in food generates export dumping and damages the ability of farmers in the developing world to earn a living.
it needs to be concluded as swiftly as possible with a package for the less developed countries. we need to concentrate on multilateral agreements because every single bilateral or plurilateral agreement tends to
put trade into smaller regional or subregional blocks and this undermines the multilateral direction which this parliament believes is the right way to go.
it needs to be revised around the principles of democracy and bearing in mind that the wto has never taken a single vote on anything as it is all done by consensus it needs to have transparency and accountability.
our group believes that the wholesale enthusiasm for free trade has ultimately not delivered the promised benefits.
the anti dumping policies so beloved by the commission can themselves be barriers to free trade where they are cynically used to protect inefficient domestic producers from foreign competitors at the expense of the general public.
all parties especially the houthi movement who are now in control must return to genuine dialogue and inclusive negotiations.
outside power must stop fuelling violence by equipping and funding armed groups.
this must change.
they must take clear responsibility for their actions rejecting violence and oppression as political tools. only a broad political consensus can provide a sustainable solution to the current crisis and security is an essential prerequisite for the success of the transition.
the process initiated in two thousand and eleven led to an inclusive consultative process resulting in remarkable and unprecedented recommendations.
the eu has no other option but to stay engaged in support of yemen and its transition.
we have put forward a number of ideas with this.
it is this failure of corruption and failure to provide basic services that has so disenfranchised and disengaged the people of yemen and we must continue to engage in state building.
thirdly if we do not yemen will continue even more to become a breeding ground for radicalisation and terrorism against each other and indeed against us.
secondly it is the right thing to do.
if we do not i do not see anybody else stepping up to the plate in any serious way to state build.
the fact is that despite our fairly recent efforts as a european union yemen is not a functioning state.
today we are looking at what increasingly threatens to be another failed state and the lessons of yemen are twofold. first we must make the right diplomatic responses now to do all we can to avoid the country sliding down even further.
saying that they have nightmares about the sound of drone attacks the same stories my own mother told me about the v two bombs from the second world war and i wonder whether the existing efforts are truly countering terrorism or are instead in danger of fuelling it.
this is a country where we all need to have some humility.
to conclude an agreement with the imf in particular as regards lowering the fiscal burden represented by fuel subsidies.
we consider that the so called constitutional declaration unilaterally issued by the houthis last friday has no legitimacy.
terrorist organisations like al qaeda in the arabian peninsula increasingly represent a direct threat to european citizens.
there is no other way out of the current crisis than genuine dialogue and an inclusive political process and we hope that the announcement of the resumption of broad consultations between yemeni parties under the auspices of the un on monday will bear fruit.
it is essential that all parties safeguard humanitarian principles and ensure humanitarian access on the ground.
when we look back four years ago yemen initiated a remarkable transition process with people taking to the streets calling for dignity social justice and their legitimate political and socio economic rights.
but current developments should not be seen in isolation.
they are partly the result of initial flaws in the design of the transition which largely kept traditional power structures untouched.
we condemn such terrorist attacks in the strongest terms and reiterate our firm commitment and enduring support to the efforts of the yemeni authorities and of the international community to tackle terrorist violence in yemen and the broader region.
the severe humanitarian crisis may further deepen if political stability is not restored.
decisive actions are needed to improve fiscal sustainability and fight corruption in the public administration in support of those most in need.
this constitution should meet the legitimate aspirations of the yemeni people reflect the ndc outcomes and preserve the unity and territorial integrity of yemen to which the eu is strongly attached.
we now call on all political forces in particular the houthis to take clear responsibility for their actions starting by unequivocally rejecting violence and coercion as political tools.
council initiative the outcomes of the national dialogue conference and the peace and national partnership agreement should remain the reference points for the yemeni transition.
the attacks on officials and the restriction on the movements of president hadi prime minister bahah and a number of other ministers are clearly unacceptable.
ever since the eu has stood by yemen and its people fully supporting its demands for democratic legitimacy accountable and participatory public institutions and a better life for all.
inaction and lack of resolve on the part of the executive and traditional political parties and enduring attempts to undermine the transition process by spoilers chiefly led by ex president saleh have also been key factors in leading yemen to the current impasse.
we also call on all regional actors to contribute positively to this process.
any long term solution should address the underlying causes of instability which are deeply rooted in local historical and socio economic power structure.
it is in our own interest to stand by the aspirations of the yemeni people for a stable and accountable state preserving the territorial integrity of the country.
while undergoing dramatic developments in its political transition and facing security threats yemen also urgently needs to tackle its economic situation. the government of prime minister bahah had presented a solid programme in this regard and a number of courageous steps had been taken
it is only time that prevented me from mentioning the gcc. i think it is important that along with the national dialogue we also include the gcc so i think the more players that are involved the greater the possibility that we could find some kind of possible solution.
and aqap is making fast progress on a technological front.
therefore when the eu heads of state or government discuss counter terrorism tomorrow they need to include measures that increase coordination of intelligence amongst us with respect to yemeni al qaeda and have a plan for concrete action to support un sponsored national dialogue and support building a stronger state.
it is also important that we do not just get a dialogue with a single interlocutor at the cost of inclusiveness.
i certainly do support independence for scotland because i can speak on behalf of the people of scotland in this chamber and a substantial proportion of scotland.
i think it is dangerous to say that that logic applies to every place in every circumstance and international law is really quite clear that we deal with these matters on their merits according to the reality on the ground.
i myself am fairly relaxed about constitutional change but that must be managed by the international community peacefully and democratically achieved and with the support of precisely those organisations like the european union which must engage in state building because the problem that we have in yemen is rooted in the fact that the people of yemen see nothing in sana'a or indeed any other capital that they are looking to to actually support them.
today the american embassy officially closed in sana'a. the british embassy has followed suit and a few hours ago the french embassy also announced that it would close for security reasons.
it is a well known fact that yemen has been a hotbed of insurgency and terrorist training for many years but now events are coming to a crescendo.
yemen is truly revealed to be not only a failed state but a failed state with no one to turn to except perhaps iran saudi arabia or al qaeda depending on which partisan group wins the ongoing power battle.
the european union must stand ready to take up even greater responsibilities in the yemen crisis.
a closed embassy always leaves a vacuum in its place a vacuum for the european union and we must do what we can to fill it.
i believe it vital to support their democratic aspirations for self determination to help secure a safe sovereign area in this crucially important strategic point.
what the region needs now more than ever just like across the gulf of aden in somaliland is a beacon of hope to show what proud moderates and globally engaged people can achieve.
malian ownership and international support are both crucial.
there are twenty one member states participating and the number is rising.
secondly on the development side the european decision to resume gradual aid development cooperation is carrying its first results. it is important that the country's normal economic life resume as swiftly as possible and that displaced people feel free and safe to return to their homes.
it is equally important to ensure respect for human rights. deployment of human rights observers is crucial to preventing abuses or documenting them.
all perpetrators of human rights violations must be held responsible for their actions.
in this context it is important that we follow up carefully on commitments made by the government of mali including those related to the elections and a national inclusive dialogue.
it needs a real effort to rebuild trust in the political system.
preparations for the international high level conference in support of mali in mid may two thousand and thirteen in brussels are ongoing. the malian government is committed to preparing a national strategy for early recovery which will constitute a basis for its appeal to the international solidarity.
i must pay tribute first of all to the efforts and sacrifices of one member state france in driving the terrorists out of the cities and regions of the north taking the battle to their retreats in the northern mountains.
thanks to these efforts the people of northern mali have been liberated from control by the terrorists but we must not underestimate the threat that remains.
this is an illustration of what a comprehensive approach is all about and how we turned it into concrete actions.
but the situation is now very different.
united nations human rights experts are already in the field and we are also working with the african union to provide monitors to afisma forces.
it is encouraging that mali has withdrawn five of its troops from timbuktu following accusations of human rights abuses.
in the same spirit a european union special representative for the sahel is to be nominated in the coming days.
we have also immediately deployed in the field an inter service mission to support our delegation in bamako.
on an inclusive basis.
their role will be vital in re establishing a stable and viable future for the region.
on the political track the high representative hosted a meeting in brussels of the international follow up and support group on five february.
this has required great effort on the part of the member states but there has been a real collective will to act.
secondly the holding of presidential elections by end of july two thousand and thirteen to re establish a legitimate national government following the coup d'tat a year ago which interrupted the elections planned for april last year.
talent is wasted wisdom is lost and economic opportunities are missed when a society refuses to break with inequality whether in north africa europe or indeed the sahel.
on behalf of the high representative i would like to stress two key elements.
we will host two important meetings in the near future to support mali.
this is why we accelerated the planned launch of the eu training mission to eighteen february.
we will provide assistance to the electoral process and as you know we are examining the possibility of an electoral observation mission.
the government of mali will present its two thousand and thirteen fourteen national action plan as a basis for our collective action to help restore the economy and government services.
there are still challenges in re equipping the malian forces but we are working on it.
it is in our interests to do so as instability in the sahel can threaten our own citizens.
eur two hundred and fifty million is available under the edf for state building contract budget support and specific projects in the field of small irrigation and key infrastructure.
that is the principle underlying the eu's strategy for security and development in the sahel which remains as relevant as ever.
it will take time for the malian forces to be ready.
so we will continue to help the people of mali in their efforts to re establish their sovereignty democracy and prosperity.
finally on the development and stabilisation track european union development ministers have agreed to gradually resume european union aid to mali.
the high representative is conscious that solving mali's problems in development and food resilience as much as in the struggle against terrorism and political exclusion requires an approach that encompasses the whole sahel region.
this has made it possible to identify european union activities in the field of stabilisation and development but also to start implementing them.
the european union has pledged to support its implementation.
an additional eur twenty million of fast disbursing assistance is available from the instrument for stability to support the restoration of public authorities and services in post conflict areas for reconciliation activities and for the first phase of the electoral process.
on the security side our long term objective is to enable the malian security services and armed forces to protect their own citizens.
legislative elections will follow later.
secondly in mid may the european union and france will convene in brussels a high level international conference on development in mali to bring together the key donors to coordinate our support for the reconstruction of the country.
firstly the establishment of the national commission for dialogue and reconciliation on six march which should bring together all the different political forces in the country including from the north to discuss how to rebuild the country's political structures
the malian government presented its roadmap for the transition back to democratic and constitutional rule.
the force commander is there and the first counselling actions have already taken place. if things go according to plan training of forces should begin in april.
it is essential that the political structure is free of military influence and inspires the trust of all communities.
women's rights and gender balance must be an integral part of everything we do.
the discussions on such an option are presently going on in new york where the united nations secretary general should report to the security council before the end of this month.
with this training mission we aim to help the re structuring of the armed forces to ensure their effectiveness and we plan to make sure that human rights is part of the training of the malian troops.
this must be taken seriously.
the european union will remain heavily engaged and fully committed to mali and the region.
i want to explain the progress made since then the european union's role in it the challenges that remain and what we are doing to support mali and the region in overcoming them so that the people of mali can live in peace and security and return to the path of development.
since the extraordinary foreign affairs council in january we have convened two crisis platforms with all eu services involved in order to produce a comprehensive overview of our activities covering the european union training mission
i pay tribute also to all those who have provided support to that effort whether european african or american in particular the armed forces of chad who have made a significant sacrifice.
this requires security forces to remain present and active to head off potential terrorist attacks in the future.
i was only concerned about the length of time it took for the ambulance and the emergency medics to come from the local hospital.
the convergence of chronic political instability and ethnic resentment still remains and will become an easy target for foreign terrorists seeking to exploit the situation for their own perverted ends.
we are now witnessing the start of a wearingly familiar insurgency of guerrilla warfare and islamist suicide bombers previously unthinkable in what was apparently a stable democratic country.
it goes without saying that once the french and the ecowas troops withdraw they must be replaced by a full un peacekeeping mandate which is prepared to stay the course in the country for the foreseeable future. there must also be a just political settlement and process of national reconciliation and nation building which respects mali's territorial integrity but which acknowledges the tuareg people's past legitimate grievances and incorporates them into the national systems of decision making and sharing the resources of the country.
human rights in mali will be at the centre of my upcoming report on the sahel and i greatly hope that the european union with its stabilisation and development skills and the eu training mission to the armed forces of mali can work with the malians to rebuild their beautiful country and offer its citizens a peaceful prosperous future.
because the reality is that the european forces are now engaged in training an army that human rights watch has documented as being guilty of torture summary executions and enforced disappearances in particular targeting the tuareg people and other ethnic minorities.
the french defence minister gave the game away when he used the term total reconquest of mali' when describing the french goals.
i think they wish to secure control of this strategic region and its rich resources particularly oil gold and uranium.
military intervention and military training will not solve the problems of the malian people.
it will only lead to further hardship and further spreading of the conflict. the tunisian revolution which overthrew a french backed dictatorship showed the way forward.
of course as i always say as a mother of the neighbourhood policy i would love to have more.
i can only tell you that unfortunately i do not have more funds available.
clearly more resources improve our leverage that is true.
i was very pleased to read mr szymaski's comments and to see that he considers that the enpi regulation is adequate and valid for the purpose of cooperation with our neighbouring countries.
the preliminary findings of our review point exactly in the same direction.
sector and budget support operations are used to promote the agreed reform agenda. the different enpi regional approaches and dimensions are supported through specific regional programmes.
in a way they have been transmission belts for the political and economic reforms that we seek to encourage through the enpi.
i think that is really true.
thirdly i see that the report calls for more resources.
all of this clearly shows that the two thousand and six agreement on the enpi regulation gave us a tool which allows us to deliver and produce tangible results.
let me also say that the report firstly underlines the need to further develop consultations with civil society and local authorities which is what we are already doing.
as you know these topics are already at the forefront of our cooperation with partner countries and political reforms and good governance are at the very heart of the enp.
finally let me say that i am very pleased to see that the report welcomes the recent commission proposal on the eastern partnership which we consider has a very important multilateral dimension together with the union for the mediterranean and the black sea.
in the first two years we had to come back to the budgetary authority several times asking for sufficient supplementary funds for instance for palestine and georgia.
we ask the commission to prepare a detailed overview of all joint operational programmes approved for the current financial period with an assessment of how the principles of transparency efficiency and partnership have been respected.
on the other.
and in beijing sexual rights were decided and determined it is about sexuality free from violence and discrimination.
mr president i would like to say as a gay man standing here that i feel absolutely positive about myself and other sexual minorities. i find staggering the number of men who have spoken tonight against the rights of women the right of a woman to have full human rights and to decide what to do with her body and the rights of young people old people men and women to decide to explore their sexuality and to get information through education
about such life threatening chances.