en |    InternationalBrussels 02.02.2010

Haiti

Greens/EFA motion for a resolution

Tabled by Eva Joly, Isabelle Durant, Daniel Cohn-Bendit
On behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

The European Parliament,

• Having regard to the European Consensus  on Humanitarian Aid
• Having regard to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTHA),
• Having regard to  Michel Barnier's proposal for a Europe civil protection force: Europe aide, 
• having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure

1. Whereas the earthquake with unprecedented magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale, coasted  more than 150 000 lives, 150 000 seriously injured, made 1.5 million people without shelter, devastated Port au Prince's major governmental buildings and economical infrastructure, 

2. Whereas the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported up to one million people are in need of shelter throughout the country and there up to 500,000 internally displaced people.

3. Recognising that most of the relief work have been by the Haitian themselves while Donor governments, individuals and corporations have responded swiftly and generously to the Haiti earthquake,

4. Whereas beyond the immediate relief operation,  medium and long term recovery efforts  to re-establish people's livelihood,  destroyed infrastructure, state institutions and economic activities require  long term international commitment,

5. Worried by the risk of illicit adoption and child trafficking, which takes   advantage of the chaotic situation of the country and government capacity to control,   

6. Whereas an estimated of 250 00 people have left Port au  Prince and up to one million people are expected to leave for the rural areas,

7. Whereas  decades of political instability, has contributed to weaken the state institutions and its capacity to provide basic public services prior to the earthquake and the damage provoked by the earthquake paralysed the state capacity to actively respond to the relief effort, which has aggravated the situation, 

8. Whereas  Haiti is crippled with  $1 billion foreign debt, which is a bottle neck to Haiti's development even before the earthquake and which could  aggravate the country's recovery effort,

9. Whereas the IMF pledged $100 million grant to launch a type of Marshall Plan  to respond to the immediate need and plan the future, but this proposal was opposed by some EU member states, which is now turned to credits,

10. Whereas donors conference met in Montreal to assess the country's need with the participation of Haitian Prime Minister, and in March another conference will take place in....    

1. Expresses its sincere condolence to the population of Haiti and international organisation staff members including the UN and the EU,  
2. Welcomes the European Commission's preliminary commitments to 30 Million EUR in humanitarian assistance, however expresses concern that he Flash Appeal launched by the OCHA for $575 million is still only 47 per cent funded in terms of contributions,  
3. Calls for  a comprehensive assessment to identify short and long term needs of the population and EU's engagement in the reconstruction process, covering the three phases:  emergency, rehabilitation and reconstruction,   
4. Calls on the United Nation to review MINUSTHA's mandate with the authorities of Haiti  to respond to the  post disaster need of the country, particularly focusing on the security issues,  
5. Have a serious doubt about the opportunity of opening  a refugee camp for victims of the  earthquake in Guantanamo,
6. Expresses its serious concern as regard to the  illicit adoption and child trafficking, taking advantage of the current chaotic situation and calls on the EU  and the UN to help the Haitian authorities in controlling this phenomenon and to take all  the necessary measures to facilitate family regrouping and transparent and controlled adoption through recognised institutions, 
7. Commends the Haitian authorities, civil society, as well as  the EU, UN, bilateral donors and international NGOs  swift response to  the emergency aid and calls on the United Nation  to coordinate the international relief effort and the country's reconstruction need, under uncontested  leadership of the Haitian authorities,
8. Calls on the  High  Representative of the EU  to put  in place a European civil protection force, as proposed by Michel Barnier, to guarantee EU's humanitarian  aid more effective and  better coordinated; commends the EU Civil Protection work in Haiti,
9. Insists that the Haitian government, local authorities and civil society organisations must play a leading role  to reconstruct their country's destroyed infrastructures, institutions as well as  economic development, and asks the Commission and the member States to put the EU know how at their disposal,
10. Underlines the importance of providing local authorities  with appropriate aid in order to allow them stimulate the economy as hundred thousands of people left Port au Prince to settle in the countryside,  
11. Calls  on the EU and other international donors to purchase locally produced food , as much as possible, in the relief effort, which  is important to launch the rural economy and calls on the EU to support the  agricultural   sector by providing  the necessary materials to small scale farmers
12. Asks the Commission  to increase its support cash for work programmes, which are important for injecting cash into the community  to launch economic activities, 
13. Calls for an immediate cancellation of all Haiti's outstanding debts  and  stresses that any emergency earthquake assistance is provided in the form of grants, not debt-incurring loans, 
14. Is outraged that the initial IMF pledges of   $100 million grant and debt cancellation proposal,  to launch a type of Marshall Plan  to help Haiti's  authorities to the immediate need,  is opposed by donors  and this proposal disappeared from donors conference agenda, which took place on the 25 January in Montreal,
15. Calls on the Commission to present to the European Parliament a comprehensive post disaster need assessment as well reconstruction progress report,
16. Instructs its president to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, Member states, to the General Secretary of the UN, government of Haiti.