Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-18-Speech-2-198"
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"en.20031118.7.2-198"2
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". – As Parliament is aware, the Commission communication adopted on 1 October 2003 proposed that EUR 200 million from the European Union budget be earmarked for reconstruction assistance in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. I am glad to say that, with Parliament's help, this pledge was announced at the Madrid Donors' conference on 24 October 2003.
A successful conference, raising more than USD 33 billion from over 70 countries was only the first step towards reconstruction. I remind you that the Commission communication set out four elements that are essential to the success of the reconstruction process: improved security, measures towards a political transition to an Iraqi government, the establishment of a multilateral umbrella for reconstruction, and cooperation on the part of Iraq's neighbours.
We have seen progress on three of these elements, but on security considerably more progress is needed for rapid implementation of the Commission's assistance for reconstruction to proceed.
For 2003 we have two goals: to help bridge the transition from the humanitarian phase to reconstruction, and to support the UN in fulfilling its mandate under Security Council Resolutions 1483 and 1511. The EUR 40 million we have proposed for 2003 is therefore intended to provide for assistance to flow as rapidly as possible to support Iraq via the UN and its specialised agencies.
I can report that, building on the work done to date by ECHO, a first package of EUR 29 million has been set aside for the UN's work in water and sanitation, health, education, employment and income-generating schemes: all areas in which the UN has been active and where the UN's 4000 local agents are still working. This should be ready for disbursement to the UN by early December 2003. A further EUR 11 million will be committed by the end of 2003 to support the UN's work on local and regional governance, civilian administration, legal and judicial reform, the media and human rights.
In addition, we have set aside EUR 2 million – on the horizontal demining budget line – to help address the huge problem posed by land mines and unexploded ordnance in Iraq.
In 2004 the International Reconstruction Fund facility proposed by the World Bank and the UN in Madrid should be established. We therefore expect to channel the lion's share of the EUR 160 million proposed via this facility to support areas such as social safety nets, institution- and capacity-building, macro-economic management, the strengthening of Iraqi civil society and the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy.
How the Commission decides to divide allocations between the UN and the World Bank will be based on the sectoral experience and comparative advantages of the two organisations. This will, however, also depend on whether conditions in Iraq have in fact improved and on the prospects for implementation by UN bodies, NGOs and Iraqi ministries. The reality is that there are still many difficult question marks."@en1
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