COMMENT: 60 years of the Rome Treaties

We stand for better global rules, rules that protect people against abuse, rules that expand rights and raise standards. It is thanks to our engagement – the Union together with its Member States –that the global community has set up innovative agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. In a world of re-emerging power politics, the European Union will have an even more significant role to play.  

A more fragile international environment calls for greater engagement, not for retrenchment. This is why the EU will continue to support and help the United Nations: our cooperation with the UN covers peace missions, diplomatic efforts, human rights, tackling hunger and fighting criminality. The European Union is also a strong and active partner of regional organisations like the Africa Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Arctic Council.

The European Union also stands ready to help those affected by natural and man-made disasters. Humanitarian crises continue to take a heavy toll internationally, and in 2016 the EU allocated relief assistance of over €1.5 billion for food, shelter, protection and healthcare to 120 million people in over 80 countries. The EU has, since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, been the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to care for the millions of men, women and children displaced by the conflict. Any country in the world can call on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for help. Since its launch in 2001, it has intervened in some of the most devastating disasters the world has faced, like the earthquake in Haiti (2010), the triple-disaster in Japan (2011), the floods in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014), the Ebola outbreak (2014), the conflict in Ukraine (2014), the earthquake in Nepal (2015), the refugee crisis in Europe, and Hurricane Matthew in Haiti (2016).

Whatever events may bring in the future, one thing is certain: the EU will continue to put promoting international peace and security, development cooperation, human rights and responding to humanitarian crises at the heart of its foreign and security policies.

H.E. Hugo Verbist, Ambassador of Belgium

H.E. Mogens Pedersen, Ambassador of Denmark

H.E. Stephanie Rivoal, Ambassador of France

H.E. Peter Blomeyer, Ambassador of Germany

H.E. Dónal Cronin, Ambassador of Ireland

H.E. Domenico Fornara, Ambassador of Italy

H.E. Henk Jan Bakker, Ambassador of the Netherlands

H.E. Per Lindgärde, Ambassador of Sweden

H.E. Peter West, British High Commissioner

Mr    Günter  Engelits, Head of Office, Austrian Development Cooperation

H.E. Kristian Schmidt, Ambassador, Head of Delegation of the European Union

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editor@independent.co.ug