Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-11-Speech-2-139"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-04-11"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:EU – Africa Summit (Cairo, 3 and 4 April 2000)2
dcterms:Language	"fr"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000411.6.2-139"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-04-11-Speech-2-1402
lpv:speaker	lp:Didier Rod2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Committee on Development and Cooperation (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Les Verts-Europe-Ecologie (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; G/EFA (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (1999-09-14--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Cairo Summit gave rise to great expectation among African countries, particularly among those which hoped to see their debt cancelled. Europe’s response to this was to say that it was too great a call upon its own resources to move towards the complete cancellation of the debt. On the contrary, we affirm the political need to restore balance in the relations between African and the European Union. After having plundered the natural resources of Africa very widely, and in fact continuing to do so, we must cancel our historical debt to them by cancelling their current debt to our banks. This would enable us to pursue relations on a sounder basis. And the Members of the European Union must stop lying. We are asking African countries to respect democratic principles, but we are perpetuating antidemocratic practices in order to guarantee our own financial interests, in the style of Elf or Total, in a number of countries. We order African countries to guarantee the plurality of political parties and allow the NGOs freedom of expression, but we negotiate only with Heads of States, the majority of whom represent only themselves, forgetting to invite the NGOs to the Cairo Summit. We are asking African countries to accord women a larger place in society, but we ought to begin by establishing parity in our own countries. Need I remind you that some European Union countries have less than 10% of women members in their national parliaments? We expect the African countries to observe cease-fires, but we are fanning the flames of conflict with our arms exports to belligerents. But none of this is the key issue. As long as the European Union does not provide itself with the resources to ensure that the agreements for the granting of mandatory licences for the production of medicines to combat the AIDS pandemic are applied, expecting any progress in the African economy will remain in the realms of the pious hope. For how can one expect a country in which a quarter of its young people are dying from AIDS every year to have a booming economy? Once again, as we have already said, the European Union and the Member States must make their actions consistent with their statements. For, while we are hesitating, while we are shilly-shallying, while we are discussing, Africa is dying."@en1

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