Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-29-Speech-4-031"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2004-01-29"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:EU-UN relations2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20040129.1.4-031"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2004-01-29-Speech-4-0322
lpv:speaker	lp:Edward Mcmillan-scott2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, I welcome Mr Laschet’s report, comprehensive and ambitious though it is. It comes at a sensitive time for both the European Union and the United Nations. I want to refer in particular to the UN Development Programme. The report made in 2002 on the subject of Arab human development was described by magazine as the most important publication of the year, and more than a million people downloaded it from the UNDP website. It had particular relevance for the EU since it was the impetus for the recent Commission communication – for which I am currently rapporteur – on reinvigorating human rights and democratisation with Mediterranean partners. Last year’s UNDP Arab human development report stated that – subject to fieldwork surveys – the appetite for democracy in the Arab world was, at 60%, the highest of any region in the world. Compare that, for example, with Eastern Europe, where the figure was 30%. The Arab world also logged the highest rejection of authoritarian rule – the figure in this regard was 80% – and was indeed the third highest in favour of gender equality in higher education. So the perception that many have that the Arab world is not ready for democracy is undermined by the United Nations’ own reports. I hope, therefore, that the Council and Commission can, as it were, put our money where our mouth is, and redirect some of the enormous funds available for good governance, the development of civil society, democracy and the rule of law, which, in the external field – the responsibility of Commissioners Patten and Nielson – amounts to EUR 1.9 billion a year. By contrast, the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights – a rather smaller fund aimed at the ex-Soviet Bloc – which I had the honour to set up a few years ago, amounts to only EUR 106 million. That is an indication of the distortion in spending which we need to address, and in particular the priorities with which I hope the European Parliament will play some part in helping the Commission in the coming years."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation to the European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee (EEA) (2002-03-13--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Poland Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-03-07--2004-04-30)3 member; EPP-ED (2002-03-08--2004-07-19)3 member; BUDG (2002-02-04--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"McMillan-Scott (PPE-DE )."1 "Time"1

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