Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-02-Speech-4-072-000"
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"en.20120202.7.4-072-000"2
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"Mr President, let me start by thanking the rapporteur, Ms Nicolai, most sincerely. Thank you, too, for the scheduling of this item immediately after we talked about a similar issue here in Europe.
Let me finish by saying thank you very much for this discussion today.
In the European Union, we take very seriously the issue of the role of women and, in particular, the role of women in peace and security through implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and other related resolutions. Our approach is a comprehensive one: we bring this concern to all our external instruments and all related policies and programmes.
In 2008, the EU adopted a comprehensive approach on the implementation of two resolutions – 1325 and 1820 – covering the whole range of policy tools available to it during and after conflict. The approach is based on the ‘three Ps’ of Resolution 1325: women’s participation, protection and the prevention of violence against women.
Let me say a word here about funding. We have the EU Instrument for Stability, which is a key instrument that we can apply for stabilising measures and capacity-building measures. In this instrument we have fully mainstreamed the gender perspective; and protection of the most vulnerable – the most vulnerable in humanitarian catastrophes being children, women, the handicapped and the elderly – is often a key objective of what I do as Commissioner for humanitarian aid.
We support the protection of women, especially in conflict zones, through our humanitarian aid instrument, but we also support the empowerment of women through cash-for-work programmes that specifically target women in conflict zones. I will be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in three weeks’ time and my main objective will indeed be this issue: the issue that is the topic of this report, the protection of women, and specifically stopping the rape of women as an instrument of war. Overall, the EU is active in more than 70 countries, and the EU institutions and Member States have reported allocating a total of approximately EUR 200 million in 2009 and early 2010.
Let me now turn to the EU common security and defence policy (CSDP). Most CSDP missions and operations include a human rights and gender exercise. We now have a package of three fully fledged training modules on human rights, gender and child protection in the context of CSDP, which are being finalised in 2012. We also work very closely with the EU military staff in order to have a good common understanding of all the humanitarian aspects in conflicts, but, in particular, of how conflicts affect the most vulnerable – among them, women.
While we do a lot on the external side, it is also important to perform well internally by appointing women negotiators or mediators. By appointing more women in key positions in the European External Action Service, our Member States are the most proactive in the UN context. Thirteen of the EU Member States have adopted national action plans. Others, like Germany, have come up with special initiatives on women, peace and security. The first EU report on the indicators that measured the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was finalised in May 2011. It shows that the EU has taken concrete steps to enhance protection of the most vulnerable groups, including women.
We can be proud of our efforts but we still need to be vigilant and go on working in all forums and in all countries to tackle sexual violence in conflicts and to ensure women’s meaningful participation in peace processes and public representation.
To respond to the question on whether the EU is considering appointing a special representative, Vice-President/High Representative Ashton announced in December that she is looking into the creation of the post of EU special representative for human rights, and is considering the definition of this function."@en1
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