Activities of Thomas WAITZ related to 2023/2050(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Role of preventive diplomacy in tackling frozen conflicts around the world – missed opportunity or change for the future? (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the role of preventive diplomacy in tackling frozen conflicts around the world – missed opportunity or change for the future?
Amendments (46)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to the Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises as adopted by the Council on 22 January 2018,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security of 31 October 2000,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy (2019/2167(INI)),
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 18 April 2023 on the implementation of civilian CSDP and other EU civilian security assistance (2022/2196(INI)),
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
– having regard to the Opinion on EU Climate Diplomacy of 6 October 2023,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a changing geopolitical context stemming from emerging powers confronting traditional playelong-dominant actors, attacks on the multilateral system, violence resurging in previously protracted conflicts, emerging technologies, the climate changeand biodiversity crises, unprecedented global levels of economic inequality, the reversal of rights, notably for women, persistent and systematic exclusion of and discrimination against entire social groups, global backsliding on human rights and democracy, food security issues and migration are among the factors contributing to the spread of conflicts around the world;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the multilateral, rules- based order is being reshaped and some former alliances are beginning to re- emergechallenged, which makes it imperative that the EU responds to international conflict situations based on its proclaimed values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human dignity in order not to further weaken support of multilateralism;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU still does not have the necessary confidenceresources or is not considered unbiased by one or more of the warring parties in order to initiate mediation in areas of strategic importance;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is a wake-up call for the EU, as it presents an immediate threat to the European and global security order and to the security of the EU and, its Member States, its candidates and potential candidates; whereas Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has galvanised the momentum towards achieving a geopolitical redefinition of the EU’s foreign policy, including a reconsideration of its preventive diplomacy toolbox, and triggered public calls for the EU to act in a consistent manner in response to international conflicts;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas preventive diplomacy is defined by the United Nations as diplomatic action taken to prevent disputes from escalating into conflicts and to limit the spread of conflicts when they occur;
Amendment 60 #
H b. whereas climate diplomacy frames climate change as an element of external action policy and highlights the need to integrate climate objectives and address climate risks at the highest diplomatic level and across all policy areas;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
H c. whereas research shows that women and men experience, engage in and are affected by violent armed conflict differently and have a different understanding of peace 1a; _________________ 1a Gendered impacts of armed conflict and implications for the application of IHL, Humanitarian Law & Policy ICRC, June 30, 2022. https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and- policy/2022/06/30/gendered-impacts-of- armed-conflict-and-implications-for-the- application-of-ihl/
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the main obstacle to the EU’s global leadership in preventive diplomacy is the lack of will on the part of the Member States to step away from their individual interests in external relations in order to build joint capacity together is one of the main obstacles to the EU’s global leadership in preventive diplomacy;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas, within the NDICI Global Europe instrument, there is a thematic programme on peace, stability and conflict prevention; whereas the Commission has published a Multi- Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) which allocates EUR 870.970.044 for the period of 2021-2027 to this thematic area of which only 13%-18% will be allocated to conflict prevention;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
J b. whereas funding for conflict prevention and peacebuilding is globally at a 15-year low2a; _________________ 2a OECD DAC report of October 2023: https://www.oecd.org/dac/peace-official- development-assistance.pdf
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) adapt the EU’s conflict prevention tools to the changing nature of conflicts, including as a result of climate change, the rise of new technologies, rising inequalities across the world and food scarcity;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) adopt a human rights-based approach to all its preventive diplomacy efforts;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) fully use the means at their disposal to prevent conflict, alignfurther develop the EU’s prevention tools withto strengthen its prolitical agendae as a value-based mediator and act as a caretakersuch during global tragediescrisis and conflict;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) ensure consistency concerning the mandates of the different EU high-level officials;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) improve the EU’s understanding of local, historical, political, social, religious, economic, environmental and cultural contexts and invest in cultivating the necessary skills among EEAS staff working on conflict prevention;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) tailor state-building assistance to the cultural, historical, local, socio- economic, environmental and political context of the relevant country receiving it and continuously update it in response to conditions on the ground through rigorous and detailed political analysis for a common strategic response;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(g a) strengthen the EU’s engagement with all parts of society in the relevant country, in particular with civil society organisations;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(g b) develop and integrate gender- responsive conflict analysis that is sensitive to the local context and recognizes gender drivers and gendered impact of conflict into all planning assumptions in order to strengthen preventative efforts and mitigate risks of relapse to conflict;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point j a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point j a (new)
(j a) establish close cooperation with relevant UN offices and agencies and other international actors on the ground to pool information in the context of early warning efforts;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point j b (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point j b (new)
(j b) include women’s participation and gender-responsive indicators in all early- warning processes, conflict prevention and early-response efforts;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) consider local, cultural and historical background when appointing special representatives and envoys in order to avoid sparking controversy in conflict regions should the appointment come from a Member State with historical ties to the region concerned that could threaten their perception as honest broker;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) thoroughly assess what initiatives EU special representatives and envoys have undertaken and how they are contributing to preventive diplomacy, as well as conflict resolution process or implementation of EU-brokered ceasefire agreements, where relevant;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) draw onconduct a study into the lessons learnt from the EU’s missed opportunities for preventive diplomacy and its achievements in Africafor example Africa, including Western Sahara and Mali, the Western Balkans, Nagorno-Karabakh, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Middle East, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) prevent, in the future, the possible negative consequences of the premature suspension of EU missions in conflict regions, such asas well the cone in Mali, which left a vacuum in the country’s security that was filled by the Wagner Grouptinuation of highly ineffective missions or those which have the potential to have negative political and security effects;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) enhance the EU’s ability to rigorously and continuously analyse the political and security situation in crisis regions and adapt the EU’s response to shifting realities on the ground, including by ensuring there is a responsible focal point for conflict analysis in every EU Delegation;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) assess what was lacking in the EU’s preventive diplomacy efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to avert the increasing tensions due to electoral law issues, recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist acts, which are undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement; adopt a new, innovative and balanced approach vis-à-vis BiH, particularly in view of the fragile security situation in the country; take the lead to ensure the swift and full compliance of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, in line with EU standards and BiH's EU accession path; ensure that neighbouring countries, including EU Member States, do not interfere in BiH's internal affairs;
Amendment 173 #
(u) set up a mechanism to verify and to ensure the implementation of all agreements reached between Serbia and Kosovo so far and to report to Parliament periodically in order to ensure that further tensions are averted and to provide more effective mediation between the partiesand facilitation efforts between the parties, including by allocating more resources to the Belgrade-Pristina EU-facilitated dialogue and making the dialogue process more citizen-oriented, with the goal of overcoming the current stalemate;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) aim to come up with lessons learnt from failed preventive diplomacy efforts in Nagorno-Karabakhbetween Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to avoid future escalations like the one that occurred on 19 September 2023 in Nagorno-Karabakh and situations similar to the one during and after the 2020 war when the EU’s passive stance gave other regional actors, such as Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the opportunity to continue exerting their influence in the region; , after the OSCE international dialogue framework had failed, the EU’s passive stance was insufficient to prevent the return to violent conflict and left the EU less impactful than other regional actors, such as Russia, Iran and Türkiye, who also continue exerting their influence in the region; prepare and communicate a set of credible measures to deter any attempts by Azerbaijan to illegally occupy parts of Armenia with the aim of cutting a land bridge to its exclave of Nakhchivan; respond to the instability in the wider South Caucasus region and strengthen the EU's diplomatic efforts in the context of the Geneva International Discussions and otherwise with the aim to ensure that Russia fulfils its obligations under the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, in particular to withdraw its occupying forces from the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
(v a) ensure that its external sectoral policies, notably trade and energy, contribute rather than undermine international efforts for peace mediation and conflict prevention; consider in this respect, the negative impact of EU trade, aviation and fisheries agreements in relation to Western Sahara with the occupying power Morocco which were struck down by the EU Court of Justice as contrary to international and European law and which ran against UN peace efforts, as a counterexample to avoid;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v b (new)
(v b) calls on the HR/VP and the European Member States to address the root causes of the long-standing Israeli- Palestinian conflict and in coordination with its partners in the region and the international community intensify efforts for the negotiated two-state solution, in the internationally shared understanding that this offers the best chance for a viable peace settlement, with the aim of ending the recurring violence and enabling people on the Israeli and Palestinian sides to live in security, freedom, dignity and with equal rights;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 5 a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 5 a (new)
Preventive diplomacy and vulnerable or at-risk groups (ab a) recognise the specific vulnerabilities in conflict situations of at- risk groups including women, children, people with disabilities, people in jail - in particular political prisoners - human rights defenders, journalists, LGBTI people; (ab b) ensure that the EU’s preventive diplomatic efforts are sufficiently sensitised to these vulnerabilities and address the particular concerns and needs of at-risk groups; (ab c ) recognise the specific vulnerabilities in conflict situations faced by NGOs on the ground, especially the ones working with population at risks and on sexual and reproductive rights;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) strengthen partnerships and coordination on preventive diplomacy with international, regional and sub-regional actors, such as the UN, the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe (OSCE), the African Union, the Organization of American States, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations;
Amendment 202 #
(z) empower national actors to serve as key players in effective preventionrecognise the role of and empower an inclusive variety of national actors as well as civil society and other non- governmental actors, as key players in effective prevention and mediation, including women and youth;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
(ab a) use the EU’s representation at the UN Headquarters in New York, Vienna, Geneva and Nairobi to actively engage with other UN Member States to promote and protect the diplomatic rules-based international order founded on the UN Charter along with a well-functioning, reformed multilateral system with an inclusive and effective UN at its core;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ac
Paragraph 1 – point ac
(ac) enhance the EU’s strategic autonomycapacity to act for situations where there are no partners in order to increase its standing and geopolitical leverage in conflict prevention;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ac a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ac a (new)
(ac a) triple funds available for conflict prevention within the NDICI thematic programme for the period until 2027 and double relevant administrative capacities (ISP.2) as this would reflect the profound changes to the security environment, in particular since February 2022;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
(ad a) recognise the role of EU climate diplomacy in achieving the EU’s ambition for preventive diplomacy; invest more in supporting communities globally that are on the front lines of the climate emergency and prepare for the now unavoidable increase in extreme weather events in order to mitigate the consequent increase in the pre-conditions for conflict and violence; address the role of climate related resource scarcity and natural disaster response in exacerbating conflict, and provide inclusive solutions to climate and resource-related insecurity; use the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), and in particular the inclusion of ‘Peace’ as a theme for the first time this year, as an opportunity to lead the international community in integrating and aligning diplomacy for peace and climate;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae
Paragraph 1 – point ae
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af
Paragraph 1 – point af
(af) adopt an istrengthen and update the EU’s 2018 Integrated aApproach to External Conflicts and Crises with a special attention to conflict prevention that combines humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and security assistance and diplomatic engagement, fully addressing all aspects of the conflict, including in partnership with local and international partners if necessary;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ag
Paragraph 1 – point ag
(ag) step up communication efforts in order to ensure that the EU is seen as a key stakeholder’s efforts in preventive diplomacy may be visible and that its actions and success stories are not undermined by false narratives spread or claimed by other global powers present in conflict regions;