|
Humanitarian aid
Virtually every week, images of natural
or man-made disasters fill our television screens and newspaper
front-pages. The European Union is at the centre of a network whose role
is to alleviate the human suffering caused by these disasters. EU
humanitarian aid is unconditional; the aim is to get help to victims as
quickly as possible irrespective of race, religion or the political
convictions of their government.
The EU is active in all trouble spots
including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territories, and several
parts of Africa. Its relief work is global, often taking place in
“forgotten” crisis areas ignored by the cameras of the world media. These
have included the northern Caucasus (especially Chechnya), Tajikistan in
central Asia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Central America.
The Union also draws on its experience
to help people prepare for possible disasters in high-risk countries and
regions prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods or drought.
The EU channels its relief funding
through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). Since it was set up in 1992,
ECHO has confronted serious crises in more than 100 countries around the
world, getting essential equipment and emergency supplies to the victims
as quickly as possible. From its budget of more than €500 million a year,
ECHO also funds medical teams, mine-clearance experts, transport and
logistical support.
ECHO does not have the resources to do
all this work itself. It therefore works closely with humanitarian
partners – non-governmental organisations, UN specialised agencies and the
Red Cross/Red Crescent movement – to deliver food and equipment, provide
rescue teams, set up emergency field hospitals and install temporary
communications systems.
Acting together in the world
Humanitarian aid is just one area where
the EU works closely with international organisations such as the UN, the
WTO, Nato, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
the Council of Europe and regional organisations in Africa, America, Asia
and the Pacific.
The European Union believes in seeking
multilateral solutions to global problems. It therefore attaches great
importance to effective multilateralism, with a strong United Nations at
its heart. The UN, with its universal mandate and legitimacy, is uniquely
placed to respond to our common challenges.
EU member states strongly endorse the
millennium development goals adopted by the United Nations in September
2000:
-
to eradicate extreme poverty and
hunger
-
to achieve universal primary
education
-
to promote gender equality and
empower women
-
to reduce child mortality
-
to improve national healthcare
-
to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases
-
to ensure environmental
sustainability
-
to develop a global partnership on
development.
The EU as an organisation seeks to
support these goals by focusing on six priority areas where it can use its
special expertise. They are:
-
trade and development
-
regional cooperation
-
poverty-reduction policies to support
health and education
-
transport infrastructure
-
food security and sustainable rural
development
-
institutional capacity-building, good
governance and the rule of law.
|
