MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the earthquake in Haiti
3.2.2010
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Goerens, Louis Michel, Marielle De Sarnez, Frédérique Ries on behalf of the ALDE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0072/2010
B7‑0076/2010
European Parliament resolution on the earthquake in Haiti
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the declaration adopted on 25 January 2010 in Montreal by the ‘Friends of Haiti’,
– having regard to its debate of 20 January 2010 on the earthquake in Haiti,
– having regard to the conclusions of the extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 18 January 2010,
– having regard to Article 214(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), providing for the creation of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps in order to establish a framework for joint contributions to humanitarian aid,
– having regard to Article 214(7) TFEU, under which the Union must ensure that its humanitarian aid operations are coordinated and consistent with those of international organisations and bodies, in particular those forming part of the United Nations system,
– having regard to the proposals by Michel Barnier, in his report of 9 May 2006 drawn up at the behest of the European Union, on a European civil protection force: ‘europe aid’,
– having regard to the conclusions of the Göteborg European Council of 15 and 16 June 2001 on the establishment of civil protection capabilities with a view to crisis management,
– having regard to the joint Council and Commission declaration of 29 September 2003 on use of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism in crisis management as envisaged under Title V of the Treaty on European Union,
– having regard to the elements of the EU-FAST initiative proposed by a number of Member States,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti on 12 January 2010, causing at least 150 000 deaths and leaving 200 000 people injured, and whereas more than 3 million people have been directly affected by the disaster,
B. whereas the Lisbon Treaty has conferred new responsibilities on the European Union and there is obvious added value in a coordinated European response to disasters,
C. whereas the first international conference on the reconstruction of Haiti will be held in March 2010 in New York and there is a need to plan the transition from emergency aid to long-term investment with emphasis on Haiti's considerable structural needs, given that it is one of the poorest countries on the planet and will have to be rebuilt on solid foundations of good governance and respect for human rights,
D. whereas the international community has set itself three strategic objectives: to strengthen democratic governance in Haiti; to develop the economy with a view to reducing poverty; and to re-establish the legal and security systems and the rule of law,
E. whereas the World Bank has offered to manage a single Haiti Reconstruction Fund,
F. whereas, on Monday 25 January 2010, the European Union decided to send 300-350 military police to Haiti to support the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH),
G. whereas the European Union is the main provider of aid to Haiti,
H. whereas the Haitian people have the right to remain in charge of their future and Haiti’s sovereignty must be respected,
1. Expresses its sincere condolences to, and its sympathy and solidarity with, the Haitian people, all the other nations affected and the staff of the international organisations affected, including the United Nations and the Commission, in the wake of this tragedy;
2. Invites the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to take practical steps to ensure that civil-protection and humanitarian efforts are integrated and effective, and stresses the need to prioritise implementation of an ‘EU-FAST’ mechanism enabling the Union to bring together the resources necessary for providing initial emergency humanitarian aid within 24 hours of a disaster;
3. Emphasises that a European rapid response mechanism should:
• be exclusively civilian and/or humanitarian
• exist on a permanent basis
• be capable of being mobilised at any time and as rapidly as possible
• operate under the banner of the EU
• observe international humanitarian law
• be open to cooperation with other bodies involved in humanitarian action
• be prepared to cooperate with the UN system
• be open to contributions from third countries
• respect the voluntary nature of the Member States’ participation in the intended arrangements
• endeavour on an ongoing basis to keep up the standard of the human and material resources available for mobilisation at any time
• be based on the principle of burden sharing;
4. Asks the Commission and the Council to encourage the Member States to keep them informed of the capacity they are likely to be able to deploy at extremely short notice as part of a civil protection force;
5. Invites the Commission, to that end, to keep an updated list of capacity requirements for emergency civil protection and humanitarian aid initiatives;
6. Invites the Commission to determine the form that such initiatives would take, so that the contributions offered by the Member States can be integrated into the response to any future crises;
7. Asks the Commission to inform it, at the earliest possible date, of its views with regard to planning and the cooperation that will be required with other bodies active in humanitarian aid worldwide, particularly the UN;
8. Invites the Commission also to explore avenues for possible cooperation with NGOs;
9. Asks the UN and the World Bank to work closely with Haiti to make a coordinated assessment of post-disaster needs and to guarantee the effectiveness of the aid, so as to put long-term reconstruction on a secure footing;
10. Asks all the Club of Paris member countries to begin negotiating with the relevant institutions with a view to honouring the commitments made in 2009 to cancel Haiti’s USD 1 billion debt; emphasises that all assistance with stabilisation and reconstruction following the earthquake must take the form of donations, rather than loans entailing fresh debt;
11. Asks the Commission to give the Haitian authorities direct logistical support and asks the UNDP to help set up camps for internally displaced persons, paying particular attention to medical aid and sanitary facilities;
12. Asks NGOs active in the field of child protection, and UNICEF, to prioritise the reunification of families in Haiti, so that – in accordance with international standards – adoption proceedings initiated after the earthquake may be a solution of last resort;
13. Asks the Commission to supervise the effectiveness of the aid more rigorously in order to achieve the objectives of reconstruction and sustainable development, so urgently needed in Haiti;
14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the President of the Commission, the President and Government of Haiti, the UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator and the Governments of the Member States.