Activities of André BRIE related to 2007/2208(INI)
Plenary speeches (3)
Stabilisation of Afghanistan: challenges for the EU and the international community (debate)
Stabilisation of Afghanistan: challenges for the EU and the international community (debate)
Stabilisation of Afghanistan: challenges for the EU and the international community (A6-0269/2008, André Brie) (vote)
Reports (1)
REPORT Report on Stabilisation of Afghanistan: challenges for the EU and the international community PDF (163 KB) DOC (96 KB)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that after more than 20 years of civil war Afghanistan hasd become a ‘failed state’, characterised by missing or weak institutions at all levels and unable to satisfy the most basic needs of its citizens such as education, housing, health, nutrition; is convinced that the country has become a test case for the success or failure of international development assistance and the legitimacysuccess of bi- and multi- lateral development cooperation; stresses the need for the international community to demonstrate its ability to end the vicious circle of violence and poverty and to give the country the prospect of sustainable peace and development;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the urgent need for the international community to analyse what strategic and conceptual misjudgements have contributed to the current situation in Afghanistan, including an honest assessment of both the current military strategy and the strategy for civil reconstruction; concludes that a major shift of strategy is necessary as peace, security and development will only prevail if the spiral of violence is brought to an end, if the prevailingcurrent emphasis on a military solution is replaced by reinforced civil reconstruction efforts, and if, as a result, the confidence of the Afghan population is restored; considers in particular that ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ is politically counterproductive because reconciliation and consolidation of peace cannot be imposed militarily from the outside but have to be developed inside Afghanistan;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the commitment expressed in the Afghanistan Compact ‘to work towards a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, with good governance and human rights protection for all under the rule of law’; takes the view that in the absence of clear priorities or sequencing the Compact should have defined guidelines on how to achieve these ambitious goals, and stresses, therefore, the need for donors to ensure that their programmes are aligned with thesesuch priorities and that the resources allocated are appropriate and effectively disbursed;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Draws attention to the fact that the EUPOL mandate foresees the coordination of activities in reforms of the police and justice sectorsprovides for tasks to ‘support linkages between the police and the wider rule of law’, and therefore calls on the Council and the Commission to bettercontinue to closely co-ordinate their respective activities in order to makeensure that the EU’s policies are more coherent and efficient; considers it equally important for the EU to considerably increase the resources foreseen for EUPOL both in terms of personnel and financing; highlights the fact that, without a comprehensive reform of the Ministry of Interior, which is first and foremost a political task and less a technical problem, the police reform efforts will fail, and therefore attaches great importance to another aim of EUPOL, namely to ‘monitor, mentor, advise and train at the level of the Afghan Ministry of Interior, regions and provinces’;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Believes that the strengthening of Afghan civil society will only be successful if all ethnic and religious groups are represented and heard, which also includes cooperation with traditional tribal leaders (as already practised in the so-called ‘Tribal Liaison Offices’);
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Expresses its concern about President Karzai’s refusal to sign the new massdraft media draftlaw on 15 December 2007 following its approval in the two houses of parliament; calls on the President to clarify the status of the draft media law and recalls the government’s commitment in the Afghanistan Compact to develop ‘independent and pluralistic’ media;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights the importance of a forward-looking mass media law for the development of a more inclusive, tolerant and democratic society that is mindful of the country’s religious and cultural values without curtailing the activities and independence of the media on the pretext of national security or religion and culture;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b
Paragraph 10 b
10b. Emphasises the importance of the upcoming Presidential elections for the future of Afghanistan, because the country’s problems require a political solution and not a purely military one; is therefore concerned about the deteriorating security situation, particularly in the south, since it may well render the holding of these elections nearly impossible; points out that, so far, the President and his government have been entirely dependent on the continued massive presence of international forces and thus on ‘buying stability’ in the short term; strongly believes that long-term solutions are necessary and that these include the serious commitment of the President and the government to fight the widespread corruption and lack of the rule of law, to introduce an efficient, effective and accountable administration, and to demonstrate good governance that meets the basic needs of the Afghan people;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Considers that the Afghanistan- Pakistan relationship, which has been tense for most of the last sixty years and now even threatens global security, has been the source of much of the region’s instability, and therefore concludes that stabilising the region requires a comprehensive policy geared to that relationship; hopes that, with the new government in Pakistan, the improvement of the bilateral relationship will receive a fresh and positive impetus; believes, however, that without the active engagement and assistance of the international community the two countries will not be able to extricate themselves from their difficult bilateral relationship; recognises that security in Afghanistan hinges to a very large extent on the democratisation of Pakistan; urges the international community to initiate and support measures that lessen tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including a long-term programme to stabilise and develop the cross-border region, involving stakeholders on both sides;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Draws attention to the ethnic dimension in the state of affairs in Afghanistan, which has done much damage in the past and continues to pose an obstacle to the reconstruction process; acknowledges the difficulty in eradicating this problem, which may require a very long time to be resolved because ethnic divides run deep; takes the view that, although Afghanistan has a very centralised government, it actually needs decentralised governance to provide services to its scattered and ethnically diverse population; urges the international community to support the solidification of multi-ethnic parties, striving for a ‘united’ Afghanistan and advocating national reconciliation, and refers in this respect to Article 35 of the Constitution, which states that the ‘formation and functioning of a party based on ethnicity, language, Islamic school of thought (mazhab-i fiqhi) and region is not permissible’;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Is concerned about the major social and health problems caused by drug addiction in general, and the social and economic consequences for addicted Afghan women in particular; refers to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime survey of 2005 according to which there were 920 000 drug users in Afghanistan, of which 120 000 were women; highlights the statement contained in the survey that, instead of viewing drug addiction as a social problem, Afghan society views it as an individual problem, and many women use drugs for medical purposes to alleviate and remedy a range of physical and psychological problems; notes that, although there are severe punishments are prescribed for growing, smuggling and using drugs, the government of Afghanistan is currently unable to enforce the laws in that regard; urges the Afghan government and the international community to devise, finance and implement appropriate programmes, activities and awareness-raising campaigns targeting addicted women and their families;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Afghanistan is at a crossroads, as evidenced by the rise in therrorist acts and violent insurgency, increased opium production, and growing popular discontent over corruption and government failures; whereas despite the efforts of the international community and the partial success as regards civil reconstruction, the living conditions of considerable sections of the Afghan population have not improved; whereas the current threat Afghanistan is facing requires short-term action but long-term solutions will only come about through comprehensive improvements in governance and the emergence of a stronger state,
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the United States – with support from the United Kingdom – began Operation Enduring Freedom on 7 October 2001; whereas four other EU Member States - the Czech Republic, France, Poland and Romania - are among the coalition forces participating in the operation; whereas apart from Cyprus and Malta all EU Member States contribute troops to the NATO-led ISAF mission, amounting to more than 21,500 troops; whereas the first provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) started in late 2001 and currently there are approximately 3425 PRTs operating in the entire country,
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas although there are no official figures on civilian deaths in Afghanistan but a study by the Afghan government suggests that more than 3,700 people were killed by fighting in Afghanistan in 2006; whereas the majority appear to be insurgents, but it is estimated that some 1,000 civilians were killed by both Taliban attacks and NATO air strikesthe 2008 annual report of the UN Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan points out that ‘in 2007 the level of insurgent and terrorist activity increased sharply from that of the previous year. An average of 566 incidents per month was recorded in 2007, compared to 425 per month in the previous year. Of the over 8,000 conflict- related fatalities in 2007, over 1,500 were civilians’; whereas in June 2007 a network of Afghan and international NGOs had ‘strongly condemned the operations and force protection measures carried out by international military forces in which disproportionate or indiscriminate use of force has resulted in civilian casualties’,
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G (new)
Recital G (new)
G. whereas the 2008 Afghanistan Opium Winter Rapid Assessment Survey (done by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) confirms the trends of the 2007 survey, according to which the number of opium-free provinces in the north and centre might grow but the level of cultivation in the south and west is likely to increase; whereas the 2007 report on the one hand repeats the misconception that provinces with little or no poppy cultivation are ‘opium-free’ but emphasises on the other hand the link between insecurity and narcotics production; whereas the core tools of a counter-narcotics policy are crop eradication, interdiction (which is much more complex than arresting traffickers), and development (alternative livelihoods) pursued simultaneously,
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H (new)
Recital H (new)
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I (new)
Recital I (new)
I. whereas under Article 61 of the Constitution President Karzai’s presidential tenure must end on 22 May 2009, with elections held 30-60 days before that date; whereas President Karzai has lost the broad popular support and legitimacy that he enjoyed before the presidential elections in 2004; whereas in addition to the Presidential elections the Constitution requires Provincial Council elections to be held in the autumn of 2009 and National Assembly elections in the spring of 2010; whereas the country’s ability to hold free and fair elections is a key benchmark of its progress; whereas the Taliban have already pledged to bring widespread disruption to the elections,