Brussels, 27/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - Both the United States and Europe are determined to enhance development cooperation and to work with all the countries of the world in an effort to reach an ambitious agreement on the UN post-2015 development programme. This is one of the goals stated by the EU-US Summit in Brussels on Wednesday 26 March.
Tackling hunger and developing sustainable development. This programme will be embodied in a single challenge containing clear measurable goals applicable to all countries and will seek to address the closely linked challenges of eradication of poverty and sustainable development, including climate change, said the two parties. It will mean redoubling efforts to reach the Millennium Goals which have not yet been reached and investing in health, food safety, nutrition and education. It will also involve making progress in the area of sustainable management of natural resources, sustainable energy and water management and sustainable growth; promoting peaceful and safe societies, guaranteeing responsible governance, the rule of law, gender equality, increased involvement of women and persons with disabilities, human rights for everyone; and reinvigorating the global partnership for development. The joint declaration adopted by the summit stipulates the need for a joint commitment to urgently liberate humanity from poverty and hunger.
Partnerships for humanitarian aid. The EU and US alone provide more than 60% of humanitarian aid in the world and are committed to pursuing their coordination in an effort to strengthen the complementarity of their interventions and maximise their impact on assisting millions of victims of humanitarian crises, particularly in Syria, the Sudan and Southern Sudan, DRC, Myanmar/Burma, the Central African Republic and everywhere where armed groups are preventing humanitarian access.
Security and development. The two parties agreed to further deepen their dialogue on these two closely interconnected challenges. Addressing the press, Herman Van Rompuy highlighted their shared determination to work “to stop violence and anarchy in the Central African Republic. The US and Europe will continue their work to fight terrorism in the Sahel”. (AN)