Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-06-19-Speech-2-255"
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"en.20070619.41.2-255"2
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".
Mr President, it is probably not a coincidence that a great deal of Dutch is being spoken in a debate on development cooperation, something which pleases me enormously.
Judging from the G8 results, it is safe to say that the process of achieving the Millennium Development Goals is starting to become a case of one step forward and two steps back. Indeed, the subject of Africa did come up briefly in Heiligendamm, even if it was with the intention of not alienating Bono and Bob Geldof. These pledges from 2005 were once again reiterated, but no fresh commitments were made, let alone a timetable. I share Mrs Kinnock’s concern that, at this rate, we will not get there by 2015. Moreover, the Kinnock report has become a very even-handed document, in which our group’s concerns have also been taken into consideration. Let me list them for you briefly.
Firstly, the 0.7% should not be an obsession. The quality and effectiveness of the aid granted are at least as important as the quantity. The so-called development spending of certain governments leaves many questions unanswered, and coordination often leaves something to be desired. Secondly, more direct budgetary aid is inevitable if we want to achieve the MDG goals, but this should be conditional, primarily upon good governance and also on parliamentary control being carried out as a matter of vital importance. Thirdly, we are in favour of further debt reduction. Not linear, but conditional. The capital that becomes available in this way could be paid into a fund that is first and foremost channelled into education and health care.
I should like to finish off by saying that the debate about whether we should give priority to achieving the MDGs or aid for trade is a false dilemma which we do not wish to get involved in. As far as we are concerned, it is not a question of either/or, but of both/and."@en1
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