Brussels, 02/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted a communication to Parliament and Council on the guidelines that it recommends to give substance to the Union's commitment to increase its cooperation with the United Nations for development aid and humanitarian aid. It aims to increase effectiveness in their respective intervention. The document, entitled "Building an effective partnership with the United Nations in development and humanitarian affairs", sets out three fundamental principles which, the Commission believes, should guide future cooperation between the two institutions. We give these principles below, as presented by Commissioner Poul Nielson to the European Parliament's plenary session on Wednesday in Brussels:
- a selective policy: The Community will seek to strengthen its cooperation with the United Nations agencies working in fields in which the Community has added value and, because of this, which are identified as priority areas in the Union's new development policy.
- predictability: By clearly identifying the priority fields for long term cooperation, the EU and the United Nations will be able to enjoy a more predictable flow of financial contributions.
An active presence: The Union should explore new opportunities to effectively take part in the work of the decision-making bodies of the main United Nations agencies.
In order to reach these targets, an appropriate administrative environment should be set in place. This, says Poul Nielson, requires: a) the conclusion of negotiations on the clause on verification to ensure that Community inspectors have satisfactory access to information on the use of resources allocated; b) the re-negotiation of the EU/UN 1999 framework agreement, mainly to place emphasis on co-financing operations; c) approval from Council on the Commission's proposal concerning the financial regulation.
"Through this communication, we address a clear message to the United Nations affirming the Commission's determination to intensify its cooperation according to Community priorities. In other terms, the Commission proposes to amend provisions that govern EU/UN cooperation. It also proposes to finance the programme of UN agencies, duly selected, in the context of United Nations reform. I trust that we shall be able to count on the flexibility of UN negotiators", said the Commissioner before adding: "We should also improve our own effectiveness, and the impact of our humanitarian policy. We cannot sign a blank cheque over to the UN". The Commission expects the latter will improve its internal coordination in the context of its reform process and urges for respect of the principles of transparency and responsibility towards the European taxpayers.
The communication is the result of many contacts between the Commission and the United Nations (mainly between Presidents Prodi and Koffi Annan in October 2000, then in Geneva this year, and between Commissioner Nielson and all the United Nations Agencies) - contacts that culminated in January with the "constructive visit in New York when the Commission took the floor".
Action financed by the Union and carried out by the United Nations amount to EUR 53 billion annually, stressed the Commissioner, who noted with regret that, so far, neither of the parties has been able to enjoy the full advantages of interventions because of the "war of accountants", which constitutes the main obstacle.
On the basis of this communication, the Commission will tackle in a later document the more general question of relations between the Community and the United Nations, mainly covering cooperation between the two institutions regarding conflict prevention and crisis management.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, for his part, welcomed this communication saying that the European Union has in many ways been a major contributor to the work of the United Nations, mainly in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid. He said he was very pleased that the Commission is now seeking to strengthen this cooperation still further. Together, he said, "we can do a great deal to help create a better and more peaceful world".