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| A promise on Paris agreement emerges as world 'wavers' on climate action | A promise on Paris agreement emerges as world 'wavers' on climate action |
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| EU’s new consensus sets out vision for European development policy, reinforcing the global goals, but critics say commitments do not go far enough | |
| Anna Leach | |
| Thu 8 Jun 2017 16.36 BST | |
| Last modified on Tue 13 Jun 2017 10.06 BST | |
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| Major European countries have pledged to keep the Paris climate agreement on track amid “wavering” world commitment in a new development consensus agreed between the EU’s member states and signed in Brussels on Wednesday. | Major European countries have pledged to keep the Paris climate agreement on track amid “wavering” world commitment in a new development consensus agreed between the EU’s member states and signed in Brussels on Wednesday. |
| “These are challenging times,” said Neven Mimica, European commissioner for international cooperation and development. “The global commitment to the sustainable development goals – to climate action, to solidarity – this seems to be wavering globally. The significance of this new European consensus on development becomes much bigger than the sum of its parts because of this global questioning of climate action and even the sustainable development goals.” | “These are challenging times,” said Neven Mimica, European commissioner for international cooperation and development. “The global commitment to the sustainable development goals – to climate action, to solidarity – this seems to be wavering globally. The significance of this new European consensus on development becomes much bigger than the sum of its parts because of this global questioning of climate action and even the sustainable development goals.” |
| The consensus sets out a framework for the overall direction of European development policy, but for some nations the commitments do not go far enough. Ulrika Modéer, Sweden’s state secretary of international development cooperation, said: “Sweden would have wished for an even more progressive consensus. But we think it’s good. | The consensus sets out a framework for the overall direction of European development policy, but for some nations the commitments do not go far enough. Ulrika Modéer, Sweden’s state secretary of international development cooperation, said: “Sweden would have wished for an even more progressive consensus. But we think it’s good. |
| “The EU really needs to step forward and showcase the importance of women’s rights and girls’ rights. In the world of today sexual and reproductive rights are being threatened. So we would have wanted stronger language on rights in general. | “The EU really needs to step forward and showcase the importance of women’s rights and girls’ rights. In the world of today sexual and reproductive rights are being threatened. So we would have wanted stronger language on rights in general. |
| “And climate change [is] the biggest threat we face now, with the potential to roll back a lot of the development that we’ve seen,” she said. “We need to start working and get this into practice.” | “And climate change [is] the biggest threat we face now, with the potential to roll back a lot of the development that we’ve seen,” she said. “We need to start working and get this into practice.” |
| Spain’s secretary of state for cooperation and Ibero-America, Fernando García Casas, who has worked on the agreement for the last six months, said a consensus had been difficult. “It was hard to the very last minute, but we succeeded. I believe we have a truly shared vision of the things we want to do in development cooperation. And at a time when Europe faces challenges such terrorism, migration, populism, this is the best that we can provide.” | Spain’s secretary of state for cooperation and Ibero-America, Fernando García Casas, who has worked on the agreement for the last six months, said a consensus had been difficult. “It was hard to the very last minute, but we succeeded. I believe we have a truly shared vision of the things we want to do in development cooperation. And at a time when Europe faces challenges such terrorism, migration, populism, this is the best that we can provide.” |
| The agreement included a commitment that all states will reach the UN target of 0.7% of GDP going to overseas development assistance by 2030.MEP Norbert Neuser said that migration was the “hot topic”. | The agreement included a commitment that all states will reach the UN target of 0.7% of GDP going to overseas development assistance by 2030.MEP Norbert Neuser said that migration was the “hot topic”. |
| “The consensus says that migration is not negative, it has a lot of positive elements,” said Neuser. | “The consensus says that migration is not negative, it has a lot of positive elements,” said Neuser. |
| But Oxfam said the emphasis on addressing the root causes of migration risks a shift from aid to self-interest. “We were disappointed in the final outcome,” said Hilary Jeune, Oxfam’s EU policy adviser. | But Oxfam said the emphasis on addressing the root causes of migration risks a shift from aid to self-interest. “We were disappointed in the final outcome,” said Hilary Jeune, Oxfam’s EU policy adviser. |
| “We really saw that the EU’s self-interest and need to enact its foreign policy outweighed its solidarity, by using development aid to secure borders, to make deals with countries with a history of human rights abuses.” | “We really saw that the EU’s self-interest and need to enact its foreign policy outweighed its solidarity, by using development aid to secure borders, to make deals with countries with a history of human rights abuses.” |
| Nevertheless Mimica said the EU was taking very seriously its role as the world’s “largest development actor”. | Nevertheless Mimica said the EU was taking very seriously its role as the world’s “largest development actor”. |
| “We are ready to step up to our global responsibility,” he said. “We shall fly high in our leadership role in sustainable development regardless of how low or how high others go.” | “We are ready to step up to our global responsibility,” he said. “We shall fly high in our leadership role in sustainable development regardless of how low or how high others go.” |
| This article was amended on 12 June 2017 to correct Ulrika Modéer’s job title to state secretary of international development cooperation | This article was amended on 12 June 2017 to correct Ulrika Modéer’s job title to state secretary of international development cooperation |
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