Resolution on the outcome of the United Nations UN World Summit of 14 to 16 September 2005
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the outcome of the United Nations World Summit of 14-16 September 2005. Parliament reaffirmed its commitment to a strong UN. Genuine multilateralism is the most appropriate tool for solving the challenges, problems and threats faced by the international community. It hoped that the outcome of the World Summit would be an important milestone towards achieving both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, as well as successful UN reform. Parliament took note of the Outcome Document and considered this document to be the working basis for further improvements by the 60th General Assembly of the UN in the various areas at stake.
It went on to commend the decision to create a Peace-Building Commission to help countries make the transition from war to peace, and greatly welcomed the inclusion of the concept of human security in the official UN framework. It also welcomed the recognition of the international community's responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, as well as the clear responsibility of each individual state to protect their own citizens from these crimes.
Parliament recalled that reducing extreme poverty and child mortality, providing education as well as access to clean water and enhancing gender equality must remain at the centre of the development agenda. It regretted the lack of a precise timetable committing all developed countries to the pursuit of the intermediate and final MDG targets. Parliament deeply regretted that the World Summit did not issue a further appeal to those donor countries which have not yet formally committed themselves to the goal of allocating 0.7% of their Gross National Income (GNI) to Official Development Assistance (ODA) by 2015. The EU must be commended for its leading role on this issue.
Parliament referred to the Human Rights Council and deplored the vague wording in the terms of reference and the absence of a precise time scale, mandate, working methods and composition. Members of the new Human Rights Council should abide by the highest human rights standards. Membership of the Council is a privilege not a right. The Human Rights Council should be in permanent session, thus avoiding long delays and political manoeuvring by states against which complaints are made.
Parliament welcomed the new commitment by the UN on the Democracy Fund as an important tool for the world-wide promotion of democracy, and called on the Commission and the Member States fully to support it both politically and financially. It reaffirmed its belief that the UN itself needs to enhance considerably democracy within its structures, and therefore underlined its call for a core group of democracies within the UN General Assembly.
Finally, Parliament welcomed the renewed commitment on granting 100% debt relief to 18 of the poorest and most heavily indebted countries made at the meeting of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank which followed the World Summit.