2020/2118(INI) The role of the EU's development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in addressing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | DEVE |
BENTELE Hildegard ( EPP),
NEUSER Norbert ( S&D)
|
ANDREWS Barry ( Renew),
HERZBERGER-FOFANA Pierrette ( Verts/ALE),
BILDE Dominique ( ID),
KEMPA Beata ( ECR),
AUBRY Manon ( GUE/NGL)
|
| Committee Opinion | CULT |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
2021/10/25
EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2021/06/23
EP - Results of vote in Parliament
Documents
2021/06/23
EP - Decision by Parliament
Details
The European Parliament adopted by 443 votes to 40, with 209 abstentions, a resolution on the role of the EU’s development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in addressing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting every country in the world but the economic and social impact of the pandemic has been felt most strongly in developing countries. The pandemic has greatly exacerbated the existing debt problems of developing countries, undermining their efforts to mobilise sufficient resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The economic consequences of the measures taken to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries will exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, including by further weakening health infrastructure, worsening food insecurity, widening education gaps and increasing poverty and social exclusion.
Team Europe approach
While welcoming the EU's response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Members called for significant new resources to be mobilised in a flexible way to help developing countries around the world address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Making safe vaccines, treatments, equipment, therapeutics and diagnostics available globally in a fast, equitable and affordable manner must be one of the first steps. Members welcomed COVAX, a global scheme to ensure equitable and universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, and the strong support of ‘Team Europe’, which is the largest donor and has so far allocated more than EUR 850 million to the initiative. They stressed that safe vaccines should be made easily accessible and affordable for all, insisting that health workers and the most vulnerable people should be given priority.
The report called on the ‘Team Europe’ to strengthen effective mechanisms to ensure policy coherence for sustainable development. The EU and Member States should allocate additional funds to countries that will suffer the greatest impact of the pandemic.
Food security
Stressing that the pandemic threatens food security in rural, urban and peri-urban settings, Members stressed the development of resilient food systems and the need for a global transformation to accelerate the development of equitable, safe and healthy food systems, using the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 as an opportunity to better rebuild after the COVID-19 crisis.
Refugees and displaced persons
Parliament stressed the importance of helping refugees and displaced persons to cope with the disproportionate socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, by further strengthening livelihoods and supporting income-generating activities, as well as their access to safety.
Strengthening the health sector
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the persistent problem of global drug shortages, which has serious consequences in developing countries.
Members stressed the need to address delays in national immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to ensure that the provision of other basic health services is resumed. They urged the EU and Member States to: (i) work towards equal and affordable access to universally available vaccines based on the principle of international solidarity and (ii) commit to making anti-pandemic vaccines and treatments a global public good, accessible to all.
Human rights, governance and democracy
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space, including limiting humanitarian access, and to oppress minorities. The resolution highlighted the particularly severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence. The EU is called on to better mainstream children’s rights in the fight against climate change and in its actions to promote resilience and disaster preparedness directly in social sectors such as education, health, social and child protection.
The Commission and Member States are invited to support parliaments in continuing to play an active role in scrutinising government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and in assessing the human rights implications of public health measures.
Debt service and sound budgets
Members called on the Commission and Member States to promote the full implementation of the G20 initiative to suspend debt servicing for the poorest countries. They urged the Commission to support international efforts in this regard, saying that the interest saved by the suspension should instead be invested in the health sector, which is often severely underfunded in developing countries.
The resolution also stressed the importance of addressing debt sustainability in partner countries as a priority. The Commission is called upon to take further steps to tackle the problems of illicit financial flows, tax evasion and tax fraud to improve the tax bases of developing countries.
Resilience
Parliament stressed the importance of exchanging best practices with and assisting partner countries (including capacity building of their local and regional administrations) and of exchanging best practices with and assisting local civil society organisations in identifying vulnerabilities and building up prevention and crisis response mechanisms as well as protecting critical infrastructure in order better to deal with future systemic shocks of all kinds.
It underlined the importance of adopting a One Health approach from central government down to community level, in order to prevent or combat zoonoses.
Parliament called on the recovery strategy to pursue the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Resilience against future public health crises must also be built upon research into diseases that cause deadly outbreaks in developing countries on a regular basis. In this regard, the EU and its Member States are called on to fund more research with a view to developing vaccines that prevent future outbreaks of diseases such as malaria or zika.
Documents
2021/05/03
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Development adopted an own-initiative report prepared by Hildegard BENTELE (EPP, DE) and Norbert NEUSER (S&D, DE) on the role of the EU’s development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in addressing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting every country in the world but the economic and social impact of the pandemic has been felt most strongly in developing countries. The pandemic has greatly exacerbated the existing debt problems of developing countries, undermining their efforts to mobilise sufficient resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Team Europe approach
While welcoming the EU's response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Members called for significant new resources to be mobilised in a flexible way to help developing countries around the world address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Making safe vaccines, treatments, equipment, therapeutics and diagnostics available globally in a fast, equitable and affordable manner must be one of the first steps. Members welcomed COVAX, a global scheme to ensure equitable and universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, and the strong support of ‘Team Europe’, which is the largest donor and has so far allocated more than EUR 850 million to the initiative. They stressed that safe vaccines should be made easily accessible and affordable for all, insisting that health workers and the most vulnerable people should be given priority.
The report called on the ‘Team Europe’ to strengthen effective mechanisms to ensure policy coherence for sustainable development. The EU and Member States should allocate additional funds to countries that will suffer the greatest impact of the pandemic.
Food security
Stressing that the pandemic threatens food security in rural, urban and peri-urban settings, Members stressed the development of resilient food systems and the need for a global transformation to accelerate the development of equitable, safe and healthy food systems, using the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 as an opportunity to better rebuild after the COVID-19 crisis.
Poverty and social protection
An estimated 47 million more people will fall into extreme poverty by 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the problems caused by the conflicts and hitting women and girls the hardest. Members stressed the importance of universal social protection and social dialogue. They called on the Commission to work with partner countries to develop strategies for economic recovery and job creation and to improve social security systems.
Refugees and displaced persons
The report stressed the importance of helping refugees and displaced persons to cope with the disproportionate socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, by further strengthening livelihoods and supporting income-generating activities, as well as their access to safety. It called on the EU and Member States to create the conditions for children and young people in refugee camps to have access to education, including distance learning opportunities, in particular basic learning activities.
Strengthening the health sector
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the persistent problem of global drug shortages, which has serious consequences in developing countries. The report emphasised that development assistance should focus on ensuring universal health care system coverage from a comprehensive and rights-based perspective. It called for a review of proposed or existing strategies and partnerships to strengthen and support public health systems in partner countries, including pandemic preparedness and the organisation and management of health systems.
Members stressed the need to address delays in national immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to ensure that the provision of other basic health services is resumed. They urged the EU and Member States to: (i) work towards equal and affordable access to universally available vaccines based on the principle of international solidarity and (ii) commit to making anti-pandemic vaccines and treatments a global public good, accessible to all.
Human rights, governance and democracy
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space, including limiting humanitarian access, and to oppress minorities. The report highlighted the particularly severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence.
The Commission and Member States are invited to support parliaments in continuing to play an active role in scrutinising government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and in assessing the human rights implications of public health measures. Efforts to better prevent and combat domestic violence should be intensified.
Debt service and sound budgets
Members called on the Commission and Member States to promote the full implementation of the G20 initiative to suspend debt servicing for the poorest countries. They urged the Commission to support international efforts in this regard, saying that the interest saved by the suspension should instead be invested in the health sector, which is often severely underfunded in developing countries.
The report also stressed the importance of addressing debt sustainability in partner countries as a priority. The Commission is called upon to take further steps to tackle the problems of illicit financial flows, tax evasion and tax fraud to improve the tax bases of developing countries.
Education
Members called for education to remain a spending priority in the EU's development policy and for the social and cultural function of schools to be given due consideration. They recommended that UNICEF's actions be supported and that Member States share their practices of maintaining education even in times of crisis. They called on the EU and its Member States to exploit the potential of distance learning.
Documents
2021/04/19
EP - Vote in committee
2021/01/20
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2020/12/02
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2020/09/17
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2020/04/30
EP - BENTELE Hildegard (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in DEVE
2020/04/30
EP - NEUSER Norbert (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in DEVE
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2021)557
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0308/2021
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0151/2021
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE663.361
- Committee draft report: PE661.884
- Committee draft report: PE661.884
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE663.361
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2021)557
Activities
- Pedro SILVA PEREIRA
Plenary Speeches (4)
- 2021/06/23 Preparation of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 – Relaunch of the Malta Declaration and the use of an effective solidarity mechanism (debate)
- 2021/06/23 Preparation of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 – Relaunch of the Malta Declaration and the use of an effective solidarity mechanism (debate)
- 2021/06/23 Preparation of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 – Relaunch of the Malta Declaration and the use of an effective solidarity mechanism (debate)
- 2021/06/23 Preparation of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 – Relaunch of the Malta Declaration and the use of an effective solidarity mechanism (debate)
- Marcel KOLAJA
Plenary Speeches (2)
- 2021/06/23 Announcement of voting results
- 2021/06/23 Announcement of voting results
- Angel DZHAMBAZKI
- Laura FERRARA
- João FERREIRA
- Anna FOTYGA
- Philippe LAMBERTS
- Jörg MEUTHEN
- Norbert NEUSER
- Alfred SANT
- Jordi SOLÉ
- Ivan ŠTEFANEC
- Ernest URTASUN
- Rainer WIELAND
- Marco ZANNI
- Josianne CUTAJAR
- Dacian CIOLOŞ
- Irène TOLLERET
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2021/06/23 Announcement of voting results
- Robert ROOS
- Bettina VOLLATH
- Ivo HRISTOV
- Stefania ZAMBELLI
- Geert BOURGEOIS
- Carles PUIGDEMONT I CASAMAJÓ
Votes
Le rôle de la coopération au développement et de l’aide humanitaire de l’Union européenne dans la lutte contre les conséquences de la pandémie de COVID-19 - The role of the EU's development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in addressing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic - Die Rolle der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit und humanitären Hilfe der EU bei der Bewältigung der Folgen der COVID-19-Pandemie - A9-0151/2021 - Hildegard Bentele, Norbert Neuser - Proposition de résolution #
2021/06/23 Outcome: +: 443, 0: 209, -: 40
PPE
NI
The Left| Amendments | Dossier |
| 334 |
2020/2118(INI)
2020/12/14
CULT
6 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Calls for schools not to be closed entirely and notes that
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that the closure of schools and the obligation to follow online classes increases inequalities among students and hinders the learning process for a significant number of them; for this reason, it is essential to maintain face-to- face teaching, always in strict compliance with the protocols put in place by the health authorities;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Digitalisation is one of the great challenges of our education systems: further ICT teaching in school curricula, digital skills training for teachers, ensuring infrastructure is adequate and investment in digital media and tools. But every process takes time and we cannot now, because of the pandemic, impose compulsory online teaching without having made progress in terms of infrastructure, teacher training and student adaptation; this would lead only to further inequality in developing regions;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes that the
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for measures to be promoted
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for
source: 662.099
2021/01/20
DEVE
328 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) - having regard to the statement of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees of 7 October 2020 to the 71th session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) - having regard to the UN Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage “Universal health coverage: moving together to build a healthier world” 2019,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Insists
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Insists that the momentum gained from the common Team Europe approach in terms of joint analysis, joint programming and joint implementation must translate into a new
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on EU donors to ensure that local civil society organisations and international NGOs working on the front line are funded to implement programs and projects tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences at community level, to reach people left furthest behind; underlines that in the absence of additional resources for the COVID-19 response and recovery, and with most funds going to geographic envelopes, ensuring optimal complementarity of the EU’s funding is crucial;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Highlights the importance of the NDICI to ensure funding for human development, including health, nutrition, WASH, social and child protection, education sectors, and calls on EU Delegations and Member States embassies to prioritise human development and health in their joint programming;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Calls on the European Commission to instruct EU delegations, in collaboration with Member States embassies, to develop ‘equality country profiles’ of partner countries to inform Team Europe initiatives and make sure they contribute to reducing inequalities and reach out to those furthest left behind or most at risk;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Is deeply concerned about the underfunding of the EU humanitarian aid budget, given the additional humanitarian needs caused by the pandemic and the devastating impacts that such underfunding could have on the provision of critical basic needs for millions of people in the midst of the pandemic, such as food, water, sanitation or health services; calls for a clear distribution of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) envelope, which should aim to provide balanced coverage of its obligations as follows: neither internal nor external operations may be allocated more than 60 % of the annual amount of the reserve; on 1 October of each year, at least one quarter of the annual amount for ‘year n' must remain available to cover needs arising until the end of that year; as of 1 October, the remaining funds may be mobilised to cover needs arising until the end of that year;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Is deeply concerned about the underfunding of the EU humanitarian aid budget, given the additional humanitarian needs caused by the pandemic
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) - having regard to the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III 2021-2025 entitled ‘An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action’,
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Is
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Welcomes the recent political agreement on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI); considers, nonetheless, that funding for development cooperation is insufficient to meaningfully contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals; notes the worrying trend towards shrinking official development assistance budgets in some developed countries at a time of exceptional need; is deeply concerned that this threatens to undo recent progress towards the 2030 agenda;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recalls the need to maintain and scale up the current level of response to the existing humanitarian crises and allocate sufficient and flexible funding to address both the global pandemic and ongoing humanitarian crises, as diverted funding would have catastrophic impacts on the most vulnerable regions worldwide whilst ensuring adequate emergency funding to respond to the impending hunger crisis as well as long-term investments to improve resilience and to prevent future similar crises;]
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Emphasises the need to provide humanitarian assistance, such as staff and medical equipment, including personal protective equipment and test kits, to the most vulnerable populations; welcomes in this regard the setting up of the European Union Humanitarian Air Bridge 2020;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Encourages the Commission to adopt a flexible approach towards humanitarian and development policies in line with an integrated nexus approach, particularly regarding the financing and distribution of vaccines;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Urges the EU and Member States to allocate additional money to the countries who will suffer the greatest impacts to address the direct and indirect impacts of the global crisis and insists on the need to accelerate the implementation of emergency food aid programmes targeting those who were already identified as being vulnerable before the COVID-19 crisis, while enforcing procedures to reduce the risks of transmission;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Recalls the importance of the multisectoral approach to nutrition in the COVID-19 response, meaning a guarantee for all to have access to nutritious food, ensure access to basic social services such as health, social protection, WASH and education;
Amendment 118 #
4. Underlines that pastoral farming is an ecologically sound, local method of food production and is therefore part of a sustainable food system; considers it essential to support pastoralists by ensuring safe access to local markets during the pandemic in order to make sure that they are able to continue to provide protein-rich food to the local population, that their herds have access to water and grazing land and that mobile community one-health teams monitor the situation and carry out interventions in individual cases but also, where necessary, with a view to maintaining public health; underlines the need to encourage partner countries to ensure that border closures and trade restrictions do not prevent pastoralists from moving their livestock, graze their animals or sell them; calls for cash transfers and food aid for pastoralists, as well as feed aid for herds, as part of livelihood support in humanitarian aid, when this is needed;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that pastoral farming is an ecologically sound, environmentally friendly local method of food production and is therefore part of a sustainable food system; points out that pastoralists are particularly vulnerable to food security disruptions and the impacts of climate change; considers it essential to support pastoralists by ensuring safe access to local markets during the pandemic in order to make sure that they are able to continue to provide protein-rich
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) - having regard to the report by UN Women entitled ‘The Impact of COVID- 19 on Women’, published on 9 April 2020,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that pastoral farming is an ecologically sound, local method of food production and is therefore part of a sustainable food system; considers it essential to support pastoralists by ensuring safe access to local markets during the pandemic in order to make sure that they are able to continue to provide protein-rich food to the local population, that cross- border mobility of people and livestock is allowed, that their herds have access to water and grazing land and that mobile community one-health teams monitor the situation and carry out interventions in individual cases but also, where necessary, with a view to maintaining public health; calls for cash transfers
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes, however, that developing countries are also responsible for contributing to boosting agroecology and supporting pastoralism, in particular by adapting their property law provisions so as to foster the generational renewal of farmers, the emergence of local seed systems and the adaptation of agriculture to global warming where possible;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Underlines the need to support family farms and local small- and medium-size enterprises notably in the agro-industrial sector, in order to increase food security and resilience;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Considers that the process of economic recovery offers an opportunity to better integrate small farmers and producers into local and regional markets and to develop more sustainable livelihoods; emphasises the importance of technology and digitalisation in this regard, as a means of facilitating market knowledge and access and scaling up small businesses through tools such as mobile money applications;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses that the European Union should refrain from concluding fishing agreements with certain developing states that contribute to the depletion of some fish stocks and the destabilisation of coastal communities in signatory countries;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Points out that, even in times of crisis, food production and distribution must be an absolute priority; considers that a balance must be struck between external sources of food, plants, seeds and fertilisers, while also supporting local and diversified agricultural production, and sharing knowledge about more resilient seeds; supports the boosting of regional trade, which presents significant opportunities for economic growth and diversification while also offering affordable food for consumers;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of the FAO and the WFP aimed at mitigating hunger and loss of livelihood and building up resilient food systems, such as those to set up a global data facility for the provision of swift information on humanitarian needs, to provide food production assistance and access to diverse, balanced and nutritious food, to organise cash transfers and in-kind food distribution, to stabilise food systems, and to ensure the functioning of local food markets, value chains and systems while focusing on smallholder farmers by implementing sanitary measures in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19; points out that special measures have to be foreseen in order to ensure that food reaches people living in areas facing special difficulties with regard to food security, such as conflict-affected states or countries that suffer most from climate change;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) - having regard to the World Health Assembly’s resolution on Water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities of 28 May 2019,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of the FAO and the WFP aimed at mitigating hunger and loss of livelihood and building up resilient food systems, such as those to set up a global data facility for the provision of swift information on humanitarian needs, to provide food production assistance and access to food, to organise cash transfers and in-kind food distribution, to stabilise food systems, and
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of the FAO and the WFP aimed at mitigating hunger and loss of livelihood and building up resilient food systems, such as those to set up a global data facility for the provision of swift information on humanitarian needs, to provide food production assistance and access to food, to organise cash transfers and in-kind food distribution, to stabilise food systems, and to ensure the functioning of local food markets, value chains and systems while focusing on smallholder farmers by implementing sanitary measures in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and to capture other different crises, economic downturns and conflicts such as the desert locus upsurge in Eastern Africa;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of the FAO and the WFP aimed at mitigating hunger and loss of livelihood and building up resilient food systems, such as those to set up a global data facility for the provision of swift information on humanitarian needs, to provide food production assistance and access to food, to organise cash transfers and in-kind food distribution, to stabilise food systems, and to ensure the functioning of local food markets, value chains and systems
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of the FAO and the WFP aimed at mitigating hunger and loss of livelihood and building up resilient food systems, such as those to set up a global data facility for the provision of swift information on humanitarian needs, to provide food production assistance and access to food, to organise cash transfers and in-kind food distribution and school meals, to stabilise food systems, and to ensure the functioning of local food markets, value chains and systems while focusing on smallholder farmers by implementing sanitary measures in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need to support the actions of the FAO
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Recognises the crucial role of nutrition in strengthening resilience; calls for a more integrated approach towards preventing, diagnosing and treating hunger and malnutrition in both humanitarian and development responses, particularly among the countries most vulnerable to climate change;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Highlights that it is crucial to develop local agriculture for local consumption, in order to reduce developing countries dependence on imports and exports and their vulnerability to international price fluctuations as well as possible disruptions along the food chain; emphasises that local markets and short supply chains ensure the continuity of accessible, safe, affordable, nutritious and healthy food for all; calls on the EU to promote sustainability across all aspects of food supply chains, from production to consumption, in line with the Farm to Fork strategy;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for food systems transformation, notably the crucial need to develop local agriculture for local consumption; calls on the EU to promote sustainability across all aspects of food supply chains, from production to consumption, in line with the Farm to Fork strategy;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 b (new) - having regard to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report entitled ‘Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender- based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage’, published on 27 April 2020,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Points out that the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the already extremely serious problem of food insecurity in East Africa and the Middle East caused by the locust infestation, as coronavirus restrictions are delaying the delivery of pesticides and equipment to control the locusts; emphasizes the need for increased cooperation to help countries in East Africa and the Middle East cope with the crop loss;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Recalls that the safe and affordable food must be provided for a global population of approximately 10 billion people by 2050, while securing decent employment and livelihoods along the entire food value chain and to counter extreme food price volatility on national and international food markets;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Commission to ensure the functioning of food systems and value chains, which are important for the food and nutritional security of their populations, as well as the protection of the most vulnerable rural areas, including indigenous peoples, migrants, and informal and small-scale workers;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Recalls agro-ecology’s unique capacity to reconcile the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability, which has been recognised by landmark reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the World Bank and FAO- led International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development(IAASTD); against this backdrop, reiterates that agroecology and family farming can be positioned as a systemic solution to prevent and build resilience to future shocks; urges the EU to boost investment in agro-ecology and agro-forestry, and to gradually shift away from trade-oriented agricultural policies to local and regional markets, in line with the Green Deal and its international commitments on climate change and biodiversity;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Highlights the need to transform our current agriculture model and food systems to make them resilient, fair, sustainable, equitable and empowering and the need to support agro-ecology as a response to COVID-19 and to prevent similar crises in the future, as it could secure nutritious food for all, is climate resilient and preserves biodiversity, in line with the Green Deal, and enables farmers to be less dependent on external inputs and more resilient to crises;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Underlines that reaching SDGs 1 and 2 requires a transdisciplinary approach in order to transform food systems in the way how food is produced, processed, consumed and traded; emphasises in this respect the need of a holistic transformation for accelerating fair, safe and healthy food systems in the context of the ambitious goals of the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Highlights that the “One Health” approach, which combines animal, human, and environmental health, is particularly relevant to tackle threats like COVID-19, and is critical for preventing another devastating pandemic; stresses that sustainable food systems are a core element of the One Health approach, notably since healthier diets, a key outcome of sustainable food systems, would support stronger immune systems, and thereby reduce the impact of crises like Covid-19; but notes with concern that most agricultural development funding in Sub-Saharan Africa still supports Green Revolution approaches, where the use of public finances to unlock private investment opportunities (e.g. PPPs, blended finance models) mostly target export commodity production and agropoles, and is increasingly conducive to food system industrialisation, while smallholders, and particularly women, struggle in the meantime to access credit;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Stresses the importance of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 as a turning point to build back better from the COVID-19 crisis, launch new actions in order to deliver more progress on all SDGs and start a global transformation of our food systems;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Urges the European Union to renew its financial and political commitments to end malnutrition in all its forms at the 2021 Nutrition for Growth summit as its current financial commitment ended at the end of 2020;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 e (new) 5e. Stresses that the COVID-19 crisis has amplified profound fault lines in the functioning of global value chains (GVCs) and exposed the fragility of a model characterized by high interdependencies between leading firms and suppliers located across several continents; in light of this, stresses the need to support endogenous development, based on domestic production (rather than an export-led growth model); and considers that economic diversification is key for developing countries to move towards a more sustainable and resilient economic model;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 b (new) - having regard to the UNCTAD Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (2015),
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic compounding the forces of conflict
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions made in relation to lockdown compounding the forces of conflict and climate change and having a particularly hard impact on
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic compounding the forces of conflict and climate change and having a particularly hard impact on informal and migrant workers (who represent one quarter of the global workforce), the tourism sector and Latin American
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, especially for children with the COVID-19 pandemic compounding the forces of conflict and climate change and having a particularly hard impact on women and girls with an expected additional 47 million of them living in extreme poverty by 2021 informal and migrant workers (who represent one quarter of the global workforce), the tourism sector and Latin American and Caribbean economies; highlights, against the backdrop of this extreme crisis, the importance of universal social protection; asks the Commission to work out strategies with partner countries for the economic recovery and job creation and for improving social security systems;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years,
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic compounding the forces of conflict and climate change and having a particularly hard impact on informal and migrant workers (who represent one quarter of the global workforce), the tourism sector and Latin American and Caribbean economies; highlights, against the backdrop of this extreme crisis, the importance of universal social protection; asks the Commission to work out strategies with partner countries for the economic recovery and job creation and for improving social security systems
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Underlines that global extreme poverty is expected to rise dramatically in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, with the COVID-19 pandemic compounding the forces of conflict, poor governance and climate change and having a particularly hard impact on informal and migrant workers (who represent one quarter of the global workforce), women and the tourism sector
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 c (new) - having regard to the statement by UNFPA entitled ‘Millions more cases of violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, unintended pregnancy expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic’, published on 28 April 2020,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Highlights that the most vulnerable are being hit the hardest by the pandemic, in particular refugees, internally displaced people and migrants in precarious situations, who are facing three crises: a health crisis, a socio- economic crisis, and a protection crisis; highlights that children on the move are particularly vulnerable due to the limited access to essential services including clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), access to education, healthcare and care services, thereby putting at great risk the development and future of a healthy child;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Highlights the fact that the consequences of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affect the poorest and persons in the most disadvantaged, marginalised and unprotected social categories, including persons with physical and intellectual disabilities, persons with chronic medical conditions, persons with mental health problems and elderly persons, who already have limited or no access to basic hygiene and treatment for their healthcare needs, and have become even more vulnerable due to the pandemic;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Points out that various global burdens such as the rapid population growth, climate change, scarcity of natural resources and changing consumption patterns are challenging for our food systems in their ability to ensure food security and food availability in a socially and environmentally sustainable way for all;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Stresses that sufficient measures are needed to improve the current situation in African countries, which are facing rapid population growth coupled with an uncertain capacity of their agriculture to ensure food production and to apply climate change adaptation measures;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Considers that limits of land availability and land degradation, water scarcity and constraints in food production are severe barriers to increasing agricultural supply and productivity, which are linked to socio- economic and institutional uncertainties in developing countries;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Emphasises that refugees and forcibly displaced people are among the most vulnerable people in the world and, due to the massive and complex emergency they were already facing before Covid-19, they are disproportionately affected by the impact of the pandemic crises;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 c (new) - having regard to the UNCTAD Report “Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Trade and Development. Transitioning to a New Normal (2020),
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve; stresses the absolute need for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes for all affected people, regardless of nationality, migrant/refugee/IDP status, origin, sex, gender identity or any other characteristic; stresses the importance of supporting refugees and IDPs to address the disproportionate socio-economic impact of the pandemic, by strengthening livelihood support and income-generating activities, and their access to safety;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve; stresses the absolute need for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes for all affected people, regardless of nationality, migrant/refugee status, origin, sex, gender identity or any other characteristic; urges the EU and Member States to create the conditions for children and young people in refugee camps to have access to education, including remote learning options, in particular basic learning;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve; stresses the absolute need for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes, particularly HIV and TB prevention and treatment services, for all affected people, regardless of nationality, migrant/refugee status, origin, sex,
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of displaced populations and refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve; stresses the absolute need to factor migrants and refugees' vulnerability into any national plan to respond to COVID-19 and for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes for all affected people, regardless of nationality, migrant/refugee status, origin, sex, gender identity or any other characteristic;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve; stresses the absolute need for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes for all affected people
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve, unless this promotes illegal immigration and human trafficking; stresses the absolute need for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes for all affected people,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 21 a (new) - having regard to the study by Professor Sabine Oertelt-Prigione entitled ‘The impact of sex and gender in the COVID-19 pandemic’, published on 27 May 2020,
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission to address the specific needs of refugees, upholding the guiding principle of public health networks of leaving no-one behind and refraining from blocking front-line humanitarian workers from having direct contact with the migrants and refugees they serve; stresses the absolute need for equal access to COVID-19 treatment and other health services and safety net programmes for all affected people, regardless of nationality,
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses, however, that the European Union must develop and implement an effective strategy to return migrants living on its soil who do not meet the criteria for asylum and/or have been denied asylum or subsidiary protection, and expresses concern in this regard about the rise in the number of repeated asylum applications, a trend highlighted by the European Asylum Support Office in October 20203 a; stresses that the failure by the European Union and the Member States to develop and implement removal and external border protection measures contributes to certain humanitarian tragedies, such as the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the bulk of migrants are economic migrants; _________________ 3ahttps://www.easo.europa.eu/latest- asylum-trends
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Regrets that the pandemic has created an important number of difficulties and restrictions for refugee protection in several countries on the grounds of public health; affirms that protecting the populations against the Covid-19 pandemic and maintaining fair and efficient asylum procedures is compatible; stresses that the EU must promote both within and outside its borders the need to reinstate a fully functioning asylum system and grant access to its territory for all asylum seekers, in accordance with the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of further strengthening health systems (including from private providers) in partner countries, in particular as regards preparedness for pandemics and the organisation and management of health systems, including the provision of universal healthcare, health monitoring and
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of further strengthening health systems in partner countries, in particular as regards preparedness for pandemics and the organisation and management of health systems, including the provision of universal and public healthcare, health monitoring and information, training of medical staff, diagnostic capacity and medicine supply;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital -A (new) -A. whereas COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting every country in the world;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of further strengthening health systems in partner countries, in particular as regards preparedness for pandemics and the organisation and management of health systems, including the provision of
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the revision of proposed or existing strategies with the aim of
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Emphasises that strengthening the public provision of universal healthcare is the best way to fight global epidemics , and stresses that public health should be in the hands of the public or non-profit sector in order not to depend on the market; calls on the EU to support medicines and vaccines manufacturing capacities of developing countries, also through the creation of publicly owned pharmaceutical companies; calls for the preservation of public healthcare systems and a substantial increase in their funding to ensure universal access to good quality hospitals, care facilities for the elderly, local health services and medicines and that the rights of people with disabilities are upheld;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Emphasises on this point that the consequences of the emigration of skilled health personnel, in particular doctors, on management of the health crisis in certain countries, especially in the Western Balkans region, where medical coverage is therefore poor, require that the European Union and the Member States concerned develop strategies to encourage health professionals to return to their countries of origin outside the European Union and refrain from encouraging this type of emigration;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Reminds that the strengthening of health systems does not have to exclusively take into account the epidemiologic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on partner countries, but should also consider factors such as the need for managing increased malnutrition caused by the disruptions of food supply chains or the psychological impact of the mitigation measures of Covid-19 outbreaks;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Reminds the Commission that the EU’s well-established partner organisations, such as the Global Fund, provide valuable help in rapidly procuring and deploying personal protective equipment, diagnostics and therapeutics for COVID-19 while playing avital role in building up and reinforcing health systems and providing donors;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Calls for rigorous monitoring of funds allocated for development aid and humanitarian aid for the purposes of managing pandemics and other health crises, and highlights, in this regard, certain concerns raised in September 2020 by the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada about management of the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to provide adequate funding for initiatives such as Gavi, the vaccine Alliance, and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EU global response to the COVID-19 pandemic does not undermine EU funding for other vital health programmes, including the Minimum Initial Services Package for sexual and reproductive health and programmes targeting the health of women and pregnant women; points out that reallocation of resources away from sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries can severely increase maternal mortality, early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases; urges all countries and the Commission to continue to provide services related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as well as routine immunisation services, while ensuring the safety of communities and health workers;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) - having regard to the United Nations Secretary General's Brief of May 2020 on the impact of COVID-19 on older persons,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital -A (new) -A. whereas, according to the UNCTAD special report of 2020 “Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on trade and development: transitioning to a new normal”, the disruption caused by Covid- 19 has had real and disproportionate consequences on vulnerable and disadvantaged low-income households, migrants, workers in the informal sector, and often women, notably in developing countries, where populations are not covered by social safety nets and yet are particularly affected by soaring unemployment;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to provide adequate funding for initiatives such as Gavi, the vaccine Alliance, and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EU global response to the COVID-19 pandemic does not undermine EU funding for other vital health programmes
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to provide adequate funding for initiatives such as Gavi, the vaccine Alliance, and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EU global response to the COVID-19 pandemic does not undermine EU funding for other vital health programmes, including the Minimum Initial Services Package for sexual and reproductive health and programmes targeting the health of women and pregnant women; urges all countries and the Commission to continue to provide services related to sexual and
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to provide adequate funding for initiatives such as Gavi, the vaccine Alliance, and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the need to catch up on routine immunisation programmes as soon as possible and to provide adequate funding for initiatives such as Gavi, the vaccine Alliance, and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EU global response to the COVID-19 pandemic does not undermine EU funding for other vital health programmes, including the Minimum Initial Services Package for sexual and reproductive health and programmes targeting the health of women and pregnant women; urges all countries and the Commission to continue to provide health care services related to sexual and reproductive health
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Recalls the importance of implementing key lessons from previous health crises such as the Ebola epidemic; highlights in this regard the importance of working with community leaders to spread key public health messages and mobilise societies; underlines the critical role played by civil society organisations and national and international NGOs in delivering health services to the poorest communities; recognises that such organisations will be essential partners in distributing vaccines for COVID-19; calls on the EU to support the capacity- building of these organisations;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that, when EU public money is spent on research, the results of that research are not protected by intellectual property rights and price accessibility to patients is guaranteed for the products developed; stresses the importance of public research and development activities and institutions and of cooperation at international level, while expressing concerns over the dominant role of multinationals in the pharmaceutical sector; urges all pharmaceutical companies and research institutes that have benefitted from public support and funding to pool their data and knowledge on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments through the World Health Organization COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C- TAP);
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Stresses that access to water and soap is essential in enabling hand hygiene and slowing the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases; points out that many health centres and households but also schools are not equipped with hand- washing facilities; urges Team Europe to make access to WASH services in partner countries a priority in the response to COVID-19 and the preparation for future health threats and to allocate adequate funds for those services;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Underlines the role of health education in preventing and alleviating the impact of pandemic outbreaks and in the preparedness for future public health emergencies; highlights the benefits of sport in addressing the physical and mental health consequences of extended confinement and closure of schools;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Urges the Commission and the Member States to commit to making anti- pandemic vaccines and treatments a global public good, accessible to all;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital -A a (new) -Aa. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has increased gender-based violence, child marriages and existing inequalities, in particular in terms of access to health services, including SRHR services, and has already reversed some of the progress made on gender equality over the last decades;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Believes that COVID-19 vaccines must be a global public good, free of charge to the population, and fairly distributed and based on need and not ability to pay. Urges the Commission to support South Africa's and India’s proposal to the World Trade Organisation Council to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments until everyone is protected;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9c. Underlines that national and local health authorities should be supported to ensure the continuity of primary health care services (including mental healthcare) and sustain health interventions linked with lethal diseases (including undernutrition, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV);
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 d (new) 9d. Highlights that the continuity of basic health services, including nutrition, is needed in the response and recovery to COVID-19; underlines that quality nutrition services should be provided as part of primary healthcare, including the prevention, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of all forms of malnutrition; recognizes the role of community health workers as front liners that need to be reinforced including through training;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Supports the important work of the WHO and points out its central role as the leading and coordinating authority on the COVID-19 response, while recognising the need for its reform after the acute crisis has been managed in order to strengthen its capacity to prevent threats to global health that might arise in the future and establish mechanisms through which it can increase its responsibility independently of the political interference of each of its members;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Supports the important work of the WHO and points out its central role as the leading and coordinating authority on the COVID-19 response, while recognising the need for its reform, including, but not limited to, the reform of the International Health Regulations, after the acute crisis has been managed;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Supports the important work of the WHO
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Supports the important work of the WHO and points out its central role as the leading and coordinating authority on the COVID-19 response, while recognising the need for its reform after the acute crisis has been managed, particularly in terms of transparency;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Notes the Commission’s intention, stated in the JOIN(2020) 11 final4 a joint communication, to promote ‘exchange of data between researchers’, ‘facilitating access to results and evidences via Open Access and Open Science from research to feed political and clinical uptake’; stresses, however, that in terms of international scientific cooperation, concerns have been raised by the American authorities about data confidentiality in relation to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and calls on the Commission to exercise vigilance in its health cooperation programmes with those centres, especially in relation to the partnership initiated on 7 December 20205 a ; _________________ 4ahttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/FR/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:5202 0JC0011&from=EN 5a https://ec.europa.eu/international- partnerships/news/european-union-and- african-union-sign-partnership-scale- preparedness-health-emergencies_en
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Underlines the need for urgent action, increased funding and improved coordination of responses on hygienic behaviour and practices as one of the most vital defences to prevent, contain and treat COVID-19; underlines the necessity of reliable supplies of clean water to keep homes, schools, as well as healthcare facilities clean and highlights the importance of access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, services and commodities, because they are key for building resilience to future disease outbreaks; calls on the EU and Member States to significantly increase their funding to WASH as part of their COVID-19 response and to strengthening global resilience against future crises;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Recalls that traditional medicine is culturally entrenched, accessible, and affordable, and serves as a primary source of healthcare for more than 80% of the population across the African continent; stresses the need to harness the potential contribution of traditional and complementary medicines to provide traditional medical therapies that are affordable and safe for public health, including to face important sanitary crises such as COVID-19; encourages African governments to give formal recognition to traditional medicine to create an enabling environment for its practice in its health systems;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Highlights the crucial role played by community-led organisations and civil society organisations (CSOs) in delivering health services to the most marginalised and underserved communities; calls on the European Commission to ensure political, financial and technical support to CSOs providing community-based service-delivery, thereby making sure that those who cannot go to health clinics are reached by tailored and appropriate services;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Highlights the crucial role played by community-led organisations and civil society organisations (CSOs) in delivering health services to the most marginalised and underserved communities; calls on the European Commission to ensure political, financial and technical support to CSOs providing community-based service-delivery, thereby making sure that those who cannot go to health clinics are reached by tailored and appropriate services;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Stresses that a more equitable distribution of vaccines around the globe is essential to combat effectively the spread of the COVID-19 and its mutation; recalls equally that COVID-19 medical tools should be affordable, safe, effective, easily administered and universally available for everyone and everywhere to be considered a “global public goods”;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Reaffirms that the Human Right to Health takes precedence over the rules of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS); recalls the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the flexibility provisions in the TRIPS Agreement to protect public health and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all; urges the EU to support third countries, in particular LDCs, in the effective implementation of flexibilities for the protection of public health provided for in the TRIPS agreements, such as compulsory licencing and parallel imports, in order to remedy abusive use of intellectual property protections that lead to monopolistic positions of patent holders; in addition, calls on the EU and its Member States to support the call for a waiver by India, South Africa, Kenya and Eswatini on the implementation of some provisions of the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement, namely covering copyright, industrial designs and undisclosed information, for combating the COVID-19 pandemic, with a view to facilitating an effective technology transfer for COVID-19 related vaccines, therapeutics or diagnostic tests and ensure global access to these products;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 Human rights
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantine measures and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence and limited access to health services, including SRHR services, but also the exposure of women to COVID-19 due to their disproportionately high representation in the global health workforce and the informal working sector which is prominent in developing countries; highlights that, also within the EU, in particular women from diaspora communities tackle negative effects on their own livelihood and context-sensitive investments via remittances towards developing countries; calls for action to counterbalance the disproportionate care burden borne by women and any potential roll-backs in safety, health, emancipation, economic independence and empowerment, and education, through specific programmes such as the spotlight initiative and by re-
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation, but also the exposure of women to COVID-19 due to their disproportionately high representation in the global health workforce; notes that in many partner countries women are employed in feminised sectors such as the garment industry and food production which have been hardest hit, with knock- on impacts for their families’ and communities’ poverty levels and the economic independence and health and safety of women and girls; emphasises the need for NDICI to stimulate post crisis opportunities for women's employment; calls for action to counterbalance the disproportionate care burden borne by women and any potential roll-backs in safety, health, emancipation, economic independence and empowerment, and education, through specific programmes such as the spotlight initiative and by re- focusing European support; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that financial support given to partner countries to cope with the crisis is also allocated to support women and girls; calls for meaningful participation of women in the decisions that impact their health and working lives; underlines the need to include the gender perspective in the EU’s COVID-19 response, to advocate for inclusive decision-making bodies and collect sex- and age-disaggregated data for gender analysis;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas humanitarian aid is
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence, but also the exposure of women to COVID-19 due to their disproportionately high representation in the global health workforce, and the consequences for healthcare caused by the slowdown in some care services, which compounds the risks faced by women in certain developing countries, such as sub-Saharan Africa, especially in relation to maternal health; calls for action to counterbalance the disproportionate care burden borne by women and any potential roll-backs in safety, health, emancipation, economic independence and empowerment, and education, through specific programmes such as the spotlight initiative and by re- focusing European support, which should not be limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, and which is still relatively moderate in sub-Saharan Africa; calls for meaningful participation of women in the decisions that impact their health and working lives; underlines the need to include the gender perspective in the EU’s COVID-19 response, to advocate for inclusive decision-making bodies and collect sex- and age-disaggregated data for
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence, but also the exposure of women to COVID-19 due to their disproportionately high representation in the global health workforce; calls for action to counterbalance the disproportionate care burden borne by women and any potential roll-backs in safety, health, emancipation, economic independence and empowerment, and education, through specific programmes such as the spotlight initiative and by re- focusing European support; calls for meaningful participation of women in the decisions that impact their health and working lives;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been suffered by women, girls and children, in particular the rise in gender-based violence, the increasing incidence of child marriage and female genital mutilation, but also the exposure of women to COVID-19 due to their disproportionately high representation in the global health workforce; calls for action to counterbalance the disproportionate care burden borne by women and any potential roll-backs in safety, health, emancipation, economic independence and empowerment, and education, through specific programmes such as the spotlight initiative and by re-
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Highlights the especially severe consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and the collateral damage that has been
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Deplores the fact that in certain developing countries, especially in sub- Saharan Africa, measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have severely disrupted health systems, primarily certain essential vaccination programmes, and stresses that those disruptions have a significant impact on women’s health, in particular by increasing maternal mortality because of the greater difficulty in accessing medical care, and especially hospital treatment; notes that according to the World Health Organisation, sub- Saharan Africa already accounted for two thirds of global maternal mortality rates in 2017; stresses that European external aid should aim to meet the real healthcare needs of the populations concerned as closely as possible and not only those needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the various regions of the world in different ways;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Highlights that restrictions against fundamental freedoms to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic have especially affected the human rights of older people in developing countries by aggravating their social exclusion due to movement limitation measures that prevent them from relying on their traditional sources of income, or by impacting their mental health and well-being due to forced isolation; calls on the EU to take into account the situation of older persons in its response to the COVID-19 crisis in developing countries, especially by planning logistic measures which ensure that older persons can receive essential goods, basic services and psychological support;
Amendment 237 #
6a. Reminds that the economic and social effects of the pandemic are proving to disproportionately affect women and risk reversing decades of progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment; to address this challenge and ensure a sustained recovery, urges the EU and its Member States to upgrade its external support to i.e. enhancing the voice and participation of women in decision-making processes; improving education and training for women; removing discrimination in access to credit and enacting laws against gender- based violence;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space and to oppress minorities; draws attention to the growing negative impact of COVID-19 on all human rights, democracy and the rule of law and calls, therefore, for the strengthening of aid, political dialogue and support for institution-building in all these fields
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas development and humanitarian aid
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space and to oppress minorities; draws attention to the growing negative impact of the health measures implemented to address COVID-19 on all human rights, democracy and the rule of law and
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space and to oppress minorities; draws attention to the growing negative impact of COVID-19 on all human rights, democracy and the rule of law and calls, therefore, for the strengthening of aid, political dialogue and support for institution-building in all these fields, with particular attention to human rights defenders, while recognising that a balance needs to be found between individual freedoms and saving lives;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space including limiting humanitarian access, and to oppress minorities; draws attention to the growing negative impact of COVID-19 on all human rights, democracy and the rule of law and calls, therefore, for the strengthening of aid, political dialogue and support for civil society and institution- building in all these
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space, including limiting humanitarian access and to oppress minorities; draws attention to the growing negative impact of COVID-19 on all human rights, democracy and the rule of law and calls, therefore, for the strengthening of aid, political dialogue and support for institution-building in all these fields, with particular attention to human rights defenders;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Is concerned that, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, many governments have used the emergency to justify placing restrictions on democratic processes and the civil space and to
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Notes that research globally indicates that stigma and discrimination continue to affect people living with HIV, key populations and vulnerable groups; recalls UNAIDS’ conclusions that people and groups associated with COVID-19 have also experienced negative perceptions and actions; highlights that vulnerable and marginalised populations continue to be stigmatised, including through HIV and COVID-19 intersections, such as people living in poverty, the homeless, refugees, migrants, sex workers, persons who use drugs, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons;1a _________________ 1aCOVID-19 and HIV: Progress report 2020, ¶80, accessible on https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/ media_asset/COVID-19_HIV_EN.pdf.
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Underlines that the consequences of a combined health pandemic and a global recession will seriously undermine the capability of developing countries to achieve the SDGs, notably by least developed countries (LDCs); reminds the UN’s call for a $2,5 trillion coronavirus crisis package for developing countries which face unprecedented economic damage from the COVID-19 crisis; calls for a far-reaching policy response based on the core Agenda 2030 principle of ‘leaving no one behind’;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Underlines that a state of emergency has negative effects on human rights and fundamental freedoms, and must therefore always be limited in time, duly justified through democratic and legal procedures, proportionate to the emergency and respect the constitutional order and international human rights law; insists that health emergencies should never be used as a pretext to undermine the rule of law, democratic institutions, democratic accountability and judicial control;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Calls on the EU Delegations to actively monitor all violations of civil, political and human rights in partner countries and engage in a positive dialogue with local authorities in order to invite them to not impose restrictions on fundamental freedoms that are not justified according to the principles of necessity and proportionality to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas humanitarian aid is severely underfunded, which makes it difficult to adequately address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries, particularly those left furthest behind and those impacted by conflict;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Is concerned about the violent attacks on humanitarian and medical personnel and facilities as well as bureaucratic obstacles, such as unclear, changing requirements to permit access or restrictions on staff and vehicle numbers in partner countries; underlines the importance to continue to address these attacks and obstacles on a diplomatic and political level;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Notes with concern that public indebtedness in the global south was already at unprecedented levels before COVID-19, which resulted in an increasing portion of public budget being used to service external debts, thereby affecting the capacity of governments to adequately fund and deliver basic public services; is alarmed that the current crisis has exacerbated these pre-existing debt vulnerabilities, notably in a context where financial support for developing countries to tackle the pandemic is being provided principally in the form of new loans; reminds that developing countries have relatively greater health and social protection expenditure requirements due to their weaker health systems and response mechanisms; consequently, they require greater external liquidity support in foreign currencies to pay for vital imports, while also servicing their outstanding debt obligations; accordingly, stresses the need to raise IMF Special Drawing Rights to provide liquidity to developing countries;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Calls on the Commission and the EU Member States to support parliaments to continue to play an active role in scrutinising government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and in assessing the human rights implications of public health measures; stresses that the health sector in many countries is prone to corruption and there is a need to strengthen accountability and oversight;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Welcomes, as a first step, the temporary suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries announced by the G20
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Welcomes the temporary suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries announced by the G20 and joins the call on private creditors to follow suit; underlines that the magnitude of the economic and social crisis in the developing world requires more profound and far-reaching measures and encourages the Commission to support international efforts in this regard; considers that interest saved thanks to this suspension should instead be invested in the health sector, which is often severely underfunded in developing countries; highlights that definitive debt cancellations should be considered in some cases, especially in countries holding debts contracted by previous non- democratic regimes or having no financial capacity at all to reimburse their overall debt; considers that debt cancellations should be subject to conditions agreed within multilateral procedures that include the participation of the civil society from both creditor and debtor countries in order to establish country-owned results frameworks that effectively enable partner countries to overcome the consequences of the pandemic and achieve the SDG;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Welcomes the temporary suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries announced by the G20 and joins the call on private creditors to follow suit; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote full implementation of the G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) and the G- 20’s new Common Framework on Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI; underlines that the magnitude of the economic and social crisis in the developing world requires more profound and far-reaching measures and encourages the Commission to support international efforts in this regard; considers that interest saved thanks to this suspension should instead be invested in the health sector, which is often severely underfunded in developing countries; in this regard, invites the Commission and Member States to also support initiatives at international level proposing flexible mechanisms for debt reduction linked to the creation of counterpart funds in local currency to promote investments aimed at achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Welcomes the temporary suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries announced by the G20 and joins the call on private creditors to follow suit; underlines that the magnitude of the economic and social crisis in the developing world requires more profound and far-reaching measures and encourages the Commission to support international efforts in this regard, in so far as those efforts are undertaken fairly in proportion to the contribution of each state to the indebtedness of developing or least developed countries; considers that interest saved thanks to this suspension should instead be invested in the health sector, which is often severely underfunded in developing countries;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Stresses that any renegotiation of debt, especially for sub-Saharan Africa, should involve a fair contribution from China, given that, according to the World Bank, China’s share of the bilateral debt of the world’s poorest nations to the members of the G20 grew from 45% in 2013 to 63% in 2020;
Amendment 259 #
14. Points out that the budgets of many developing countries were already out of balance before the crisis and that too little funding was allocated to crisis prevention, health systems and social protection; calls on the Commission to take new initiatives to tackle the problems of illicit financial flows
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt most strongly in developing countries; whereas global extreme poverty is expected to rise in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, leading to the sale of assets, increased borrowing and the use of savings by vulnerable individuals;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Points out that the budgets of many developing countries were already out of balance before the crisis and that too little
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Points out that the budgets of many developing countries were already out of balance before the crisis and that too little funding was allocated to crisis prevention, health systems and social protection; calls on the Commission to take new initiatives to tackle the problems of illicit financial flows, tax evasion and tax fraud in order to improve the tax bases of developing countries; calls, furthermore, for budget support to be directed towards basic services and resilience, and draws attention to the fact that the states concerned also have an obligation to counter illicit financial flows, which, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, represent 3.7% of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP);
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Points out that
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Notes with concern that over the past few years, the level of concessionality of ODA has gradually decreased for developing countries in general and for LDCs in particular, although concessionality is of particular importance for LDCs to prevent an unsustainable debt burdens; stresses the need for donors to prioritize grant-based financing, especially to LDCs;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the Commission to envisage more ambitious budget support for the most fragile countries to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and provide access to healthcare while not neglecting existing challenges such as extreme poverty, security, access to quality education and jobs, democracy, equal opportunities and climate change;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Notes that the Commission still foresees a prominent role for blending mechanisms in EU development policy, at the expense of other aid modalities; stresses that while blended finance has grown rapidly, there is little evidence of its development impact, as most blended finance currently goes to middle-income countries, with only a small portion going to LDCs; recalls equally that blending raises concerns in terms of debt sustainability; accordingly, calls on the EU and its Member States to adopt a cautious approach to blended finance and ensure that all finance mobilised through blending meets development effectiveness principles;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) 14c. Highlights that reduced inflows of remittances in developing countries will worsen the living conditions of households that rely on this source of income to finance the consumption of goods and services such as food, health care and education; therefore, urges the EU and the donor community to take decisive action to fulfil their promise to contribute to reducing the cost of remittance fees to close to zero, and at minimum to the 3%, as called for in SDG 10;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to girls’ and women’s education; urges governments to use school closures only as a measure of last resort in the fight against the pandemic; supports the continuity of investment in education in humanitarian settings; presses for education to be kept as a spending priority in EU development policy and for due consideration to be given to the social function of schools; urges governments, in this context, to prioritise support for the most marginalised children and their families; recommends to support the actions of UNICEF and that EU countries share their approaches to keeping up teaching even in times of crisis and asks the EU and its Member States to exploit the potential of remote and digital learning in their international support programmes and therefore supports open, secure and affordable access to the internet (including mobile data) and equal access, use and creation of digital technology, with a view to bridging the digital divides including the digital gender and age gaps, and to include those who are disadvantaged or marginalised by the digital transformation;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas both the epidemic itself and the resulting economic and social crises are global problems; whereas now more than ever, competition must be replaced with solidarity and cooperation on a global level;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to girls’ and women’s education; reminds that school closures can severely worsen undernutrition since millions of children are dependent on school meals to be properly fed, especially in developing countries; urges governments to use school closures only as a measure of
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to girls’ and women’s education; urges governments to use school closures only as a measure of last resort in the fight against the pandemic; presses for education to be kept as a spending priority in EU development policy and for due consideration to be
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to girls’ and women’s education; urges governments to use school closures only as a measure of last resort in the fight against the pandemic; presses for education to be kept as a spending priority in EU development policy and for due consideration to be given to the social and cultural function of schools; urges governments, in this context, to prioritise support for the most marginalised children and their families, since economic and social inequalities are deeply linked to early school leaving and poor performance from early childhood, jeopardizing employability prospects through adulthood; recommends that EU countries share their approaches to keeping up teaching even in times of crisis
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to girls’ and women’s education; urges governments to use school closures only as a measure of last resort in the fight against the pandemic; presses for education to be kept as a spending priority in EU development policy and for due consideration to be given to the social function of schools; urges governments, in this context, to prioritise support for the most marginalised children and their families; recommends that EU countries share their approaches to keeping up teaching even in times of crisis and asks the EU and its Member States to exploit the potential of remote and digital learning in their international support programmes; encourages the continuation and prioritisation of education in emergencies during this time;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to girls’ and women’s education, including sex education; urges governments to use school closures only as a measure of last resort in the fight against the pandemic; presses for education to be kept as a spending priority in EU development policy and for due consideration to be given to the social function of schools; urges governments, in this context, to prioritise support for the most marginalised children and their families; recommends that EU countries share their approaches to keeping up teaching even in times of crisis and asks the EU and its Member States to exploit the potential of remote and digital learning in their international support programmes;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented numbers of pupils missing out on months of schooling, constituting a major set-back to efforts in the education sector especially with regard to the education of women, girls
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Calls for culture to be considered for its intrinsic value as a fourth standalone, transversal pillar of sustainable development, together with social, economic and environmental dimensions; calls on the EU to integrate cultural sustainability at all levels of development cooperation and to systematically include the cultural dimension in the negotiations for Association Agreements, and in the whole set of its external relations and foreign policy instruments;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Emphasises the need for effective action to mitigate learning losses and to rebuild education systems that suffer from the consequences of the pandemic in order to ensure equitable access to education and continuity in the learning process between schools and communities;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas measures to control COVID-19 outbreaks are affecting global food supply chains and are threatening food security in many developing countries;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Highlights the importance of lifelong learning and re-qualification, also in the long-term after COVID-19, as it will become not only common practice but also a necessary requirement for working citizens, given how rapidly technology develops;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Points out the need to provide support and recognition to teachers, whose pivotal role in education and in building active citizenship has been further underscored by the pandemic; stresses the necessity to invest in teacher training in order to adequately prepare them for new learning models such as e- learning and blended learning, as a requirement to ensure continued education when in-person learning is compromised;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Stresses the role of independent media in promoting cultural diversity and intercultural competences, and the need to strengthen such media as a source of credible information, especially through times of crisis and uncertainty;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 c (new) Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 d (new) 15d. Recalls that the share of education in total development aid has fallen steadily over the last decade; calls on the Member States to invest 10% of their official development assistance in education by 2024 and 15% by 2030, including investment in digital education, infrastructure and connectivity, to address the digital gap that exacerbates socioeconomic disadvantages;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 9 a (new) 9a. Research and innovation Underlines that research and innovation (R&I) have been of crucial importance in the global COVID-19 response by developing urgently needed therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics; emphasises that R&I activities need to be steered towards tools that work in low resource settings to allow for a truly global response; emphasises that similar efforts are needed to address existing research and product gaps to fight other epidemics, in particular poverty-related and neglected diseases that affect billions of people worldwide; therefore calls on the EU and Member States to increase opportunities for trans-national collaboration among researchers and encourage the development of the human research potential in partner countries, especially women;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Underlines the importance of
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Underlines the importance of assisting and exchanging best practice with partner countries in identifying vulnerabilities, building up prevention and crisis response mechanisms as well as protecting critical infrastructure in order better to deal with future systemic shocks of all kinds, and stresses the importance of improving prevention and resilience to recurring crises, such as the crisis caused by the locust invasions in the Horn of Africa, which should have been better anticipated;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Underlines the importance of universal health coverage and assisting and exchanging best practice with partner countries in identifying vulnerabilities, building up prevention and
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas short-term humanitarian aid must be combined with support for existing challenges such as security, poverty, peace, democracy and climate change, in order to strengthen long-term resilience;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Underlines the importance of assisting and exchanging best practice with partner countries and local civil society organisations in identifying vulnerabilities, building up prevention and crisis response mechanisms as well as protecting critical infrastructure in order better to deal with future systemic shocks of all kinds including a One Health approach at the centre down to the community level in order to prevent or combat zoonoses;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Underlines the importance of assisting and exchanging best practice with partner countries, including capacity- building of local and regional administrations, in identifying vulnerabilities, building up prevention and
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Is concerned that, due to the evolution as regards climate change, extreme whether events will come up on top of the Covid-19 crisis which will put economies, the functioning of states and the provision of humanitarian aid under additional pressure, demands therefore that the recovery strategy must keep track towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; considers further that economic stimulus measures should pave the way towards a zero-carbon and climate-resilient future and calls for the support of conserving seed varieties under the umbrella of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that help communities to restore varieties after climate change- induced disasters;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Considers that the pandemic offers an opportunity to build back better and that the EU’s humanitarian and development policies should support this objective in partner countries; highlights in particular the need to support developing countries in unlocking progress in the digital economy in areas such as health, education and other public services; welcomes the launch of the Digital4Development (D4D) Hub in December 2020 and encourages the EU to make further investments in digitalisation efforts in partner countries, including by leveraging private sector investment;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Stresses that global recovery can only occur if immediate responses are planned with perspectives towards mid to long-term solutions that include preventive measures and better prepare communities for future crises;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Reminds that resilience is ultimately about both general preparedness and the ability to adapt to new circumstances; recalls, in this context, that communities that lead their own solutions tailored to their particular context are more engaged throughout recovery, ultimately rebuilding stronger; stresses that overcoming this crisis in solidarity with our partners will strengthen and render more resilient the relations between the EU and developing countries;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Recalls that private sector investment could play an important role in contributing to economic recovery and the attainment of the SDGs, given the heightened needs generated by the pandemic; calls for the role of the private sector and blended finance to be further explored as part of recovery and resilience building efforts;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 c (new) 16c. Emphasises the crucial role of humanitarian NGOs in supporting communities to sustain themselves both during and beyond the pandemic in order to prevent an increasing erosion of livelihoods, to protect social cohesion, and to mitigate the worst consequences of the crises;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 a (new) Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas there is a disproportionately high risk of contagion for millions of refugees worldwide, who often live in densely populated refugee camps, in particular for internally displaced persons, especially on the African continent, which represents more than half of people displaced as a result of conflict (2019), and there is therefore an urgent need to find sustainable solutions that would allow these internally displaced persons to return to their regions of origin;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Points out that pandemics are often of zoonotic origin;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Points out that pandemics are often of zoonotic origin; underlines, therefore,
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Points out that pandemics are often of zoonotic origin; underlines, therefore, the need to support education programmes regarding the dangers of hunting and trading in wild animals as well as the stricter protection of ecosystems and habitats; considers that more EU funds need to be granted to anticipatory research on the links between human health, animal health and ecosystems in order to increase the readiness to respond to future health crises created by virus mutations of zoonotic origin;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Points out that pandemics are often of zoonotic origin; underlines, therefore, the need to support education programmes regarding the dangers of hunting and trading in wild animals as well as the stricter protection of ecosystems and habitats and to address challenges posed by industrial farming;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Points out that pandemics are often of zoonotic origin; underlines, therefore, the need to support education programmes regarding the dangers of hunting and trading in wild animals as well as the stricter protection and the restoration of ecosystems and habitats;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Is of the opinion that resilience to future public health crises must also be built upon research on diseases that cause deadly outbreaks in developing countries on a regular basis; regrets that currently there is not enough research to develop vaccines that effectively prevent diseases that are recurrent in developing countries, such as malaria or zika; calls on the EU and Member States to fund more research in view of developing vaccines that prevent future outbreaks of such diseases;
Amendment 307 #
17b. Stresses, on this point, the causal link between biodiversity loss, especially through the loss of highly biodiverse areas such as forests, and the proliferation of zoonoses because of more frequent contact between livestock, human beings and certain wild animals as well as possible pathogens, and is concerned about the acceleration of deforestation not only in South America but also in sub-Saharan Africa;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Points out that, even in times of crisis, food production and distribution must be an absolute priority; considers that dependence on external sources of food, plants, seeds and fertilisers should be reduced, while local and diversified agricultural production should be increased, and knowledge about new, old and more resilient seeds shared, and emphasises in particular that sub- Saharan Africa should augment its agricultural and food self-sufficiency by prioritising local production, in particular through the use of suitable distribution systems, rather than depending on imports;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas there is a
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Points out that, even in times of crisis, food production and distribution must be an absolute priority; considers that dependence on external sources of food, plants, seeds and fertilisers should be reduced, while local and diversified agricultural production should be increased
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Points out that, even in times of crisis, food production and distribution must be an absolute priority; considers that dependence on external sources of food, plants, seeds and fertilisers should be reduced, while local and diversified agricultural production should be increased, and knowledge about new, old and more resilient seeds shared; consequently, promotes the concept of food self-sufficiency;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Recalls that developing countries are historically vulnerable to external shocks owing to narrow export bases and less diversified economies; therefore, stresses that one of the main challenges for developing countries is to climb up the global value chain through economic diversification and to shift from an a export-oriented production model towards development based on domestic and regional markets; to this end, emphasises the crucial role of regional economic cooperation, industrial domestic policy and investment promotion to increase national or regional autonomy in the production of essential goods and services; against this background, finds it essential to harness financing and business practises, with a view to promote the integration of sustainability standards along the entire investment chain; reiterates that corporate human rights and environmental mandatory due diligence is a necessary condition in order to prevent and mitigate future crises and ensure sustainable value chains;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Underlines that research and innovation (R&I) have been of crucial importance in the global COVID-19 response by developing urgently needed therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics; emphasises that R&I activities need to be steered towards tools that work in low resource settings to allow for a truly global response; emphasises that similar efforts are needed to address existing research and product gaps to fight other epidemics, in particular poverty-related and neglected diseases that affect billions of people worldwide but offer limited market incentives for private sector investments and in order to end the dependence on richer countries as regards their research on diseases that may not directly affect them;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Stresses in particular that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), sub-Saharan Africa essentially exports ‘cash crops’ and imports essential agricultural products, emphasises the importance of domestic and regional development, and encourages the Commission, as part of the renegotiation of the Cotonou Agreement, to ensure that the trade agreements concluded with the African states do not have negative consequences for local producers and food security;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Underlines that investments in the recovery actions need to be responsible in line with the Committee on World Food Security's (CFS) Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security (VGGTs) and CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems to mitigate climate change and foster resilience of vulnerable populations;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the EU to better mainstream children’s rights in the fight against climate change and in promoting resilience and disaster preparedness directly in social sectors such as education, health, WASH, nutrition, social and child protection;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Stresses the need to safeguard sufficient regulatory space in international investment agreements to protect public health and to minimize the risk of investor-State dispute settlement proceedings, with regard to claims related to government measures targeting the health-related, economic and social dimensions of the pandemic and its effects;
Amendment 318 #
18c. Underlines that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for medical goods and personal protective equipment, which led to a surge of export- restricting measures taken up by global suppliers of medical and other essential goods; points out that small and lower- income countries, with their high dependence on open trade, had to bear the brunt of export restrictions on essential goods and some abusive business practices; against this background, insists that the EU refrains from adopting a trade policy that prohibits, as a general rule, ACP countries from levying export taxes on raw material insofar as it is WTO-compatible, notably for industrial development and environmental protection purposes;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas there is a disproportionately high risk of contagion for millions of refugees worldwide, who often live in densely populated refugee camps and collective centres, where in particular the population of children is estimated to be around 3.7 million;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Underlines that implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus has to be a priority in the programming of the NDICI in fragile countries; calls on the Commission’s DG ECHO and DG DEVCO to implement complementary programmes suited to local contexts and local opportunities, whenever possible, in order to mutually reinforce the different aspects of the nexus; calls on Commission to create a financing instrument to support complimentary activities in countries with both humanitarian and development programmes in order to ensure also efficiency and effectiveness of the EU actions;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Underlines that implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus has to be a priority in the programming of the NDICI in fragile countries; emphasises the importance of peace building for sustainable development, therefore calls for a renewed focus on addressing the root causes of conflict and instability around the world; calls on the Commission’s DG ECHO and DG DEVCO to implement complementary and flexible programmes suited to local contexts and local opportunities, whenever possible, in order to mutually reinforce the different aspects of the nexus;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Underlines that implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus has to be a priority in the programming of the NDICI in fragile countries; calls on the Commission’s DG ECHO and DG DEVCO to implement complementary programmes suited to local contexts and local opportunities, whenever possible, in order to mutually reinforce the different aspects of the nexus taking full consideration of each actors mandate and obligations, including humanitarian principles and International Humanitarian Law;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Underlines that implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus has to be a priority in the programming of the NDICI in fragile countries; calls on the Commission’s DG ECHO, DG DEVCO and DG
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Underlines the need to work alongside local communities and local civil societies in the definition and implementation of the response; acknowledges the key role and expertise of civil society and national/local and international NGOs in the COVID-19 response while they are very much on the forefront of the local response and are legitimate and trusted actors present in hard-to-reach areas;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Regrets that only three Member States meet the requirement to dedicate 0.7% of GNI to international aid in 2019; calls on all Member States to increase their national budgets dedicated to development cooperation and humanitarian aid in order to attain a proper humanitarian-development nexus and to effectively tackle the additional needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Underlines the need to work alongside local communities and local civil societies in the definition and implementation of the response; emphasises the role of the European Solidarity Corps in supporting CSOs on the ground to provide assistance to people in need;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Calls for enforced empowerment of local communities and for engagement in humanitarian and development actions with local civil society including, churches, faith-based organisations and other local representatives;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has massively impacted access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in particular for women and young people due to the de-prioritization and disruption in the provision of SRHR services as well as mobility restrictions and changes in health-seeking behaviours; whereas an additional 49 million women have had an unmet need for modern contraceptives because of COVID-19;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas climate change and the continuous worldwide loss of biodiversity and destruction of natural habitats greatly increase the risks of zoonotic diseases; whereas the COVID-19 outbreak must in no way be misused as an excuse for delays in tackling the climate and environmental emergency; whereas there is an urgent need for a green, social rebuilding of the global economy after the COVID-19 outbreak;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas armed conflicts and especially Islamist terrorism, in particular in the Sahel and in Mozambique, have caused substantial population displacements, and whereas the number of internally displaced persons in the Sahel reached 1 930 482 as at 30 November 2020 according to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;2 a _________________ 2a https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/sahe lcrisis
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated the existing debt problems of developing countries and highlights the significant indebtedness of some developing or least developed countries to China, in certain cases to contribute to the funding of energy or transport infrastructure projects that are, moreover, questionable at times (in particular with regard to the numerous investments in fossil fuels) and, as a result, China should assume its share of responsibility for the indebtedness of those countries;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated the existing debt problems of developing countries, further endangering their efforts at mobilizing sufficient resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated the existing debt problems of developing countries, while also severely reducing global remittances and FDI;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 - having regard to the
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the COVID-19
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas, according to recent analysis , most developed and rich countries representing just 14 per cent of the world’s population have bought 53 per cent of the most promising vaccines and consequently 9 out of 10 people in most developing countries will not have access to a COVID-19 vaccine during this year;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic, the pressures on public health systems and the lockdown measures have further restricted access to sexual and reproductive health services and this jeopardises the health of women;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas, according to UNICEF, 1.6 billion children and young people have been affected by school closures – many do not have internet access at home and at least 24 million students could drop out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas lower income countries lose more than half what they spend on public health every year to tax havens; whereas tax evasion has especially deprived developing countries from resources to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the needs of communities affected by extreme weather events, natural disasters and climate change;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas development finance is characterised by declining level of concessionality;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas for many developing countries, the economic effects of the pandemic include huge capital outflows, commodity price drops, falls in tourism income and remittances and escalating debt service costs; whereas most African countries lack the fiscal space to respond adequately to the crisis due to low domestic saving rates, low levels of domestic resource mobilisation, high illicit financial outflows, volatile commodity prices, high fiscal deficits and stagnating official development assistance; whereas, accordingly, additional efforts in terms of debt relief is urgently needed to avoid widespread defaults in developing countries and to facilitate investments in recovery and the SDGs;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates that an additional 140 million people will be thrown into living in extreme poverty, living on less than US$1,90 per day in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the number of people facing acute food insecurity stands to double and rise to 265 million in 2020; whereas almost 690 million people were hungry globally in 2019, an increase of 10 million over 2018; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic could have pushed an additional 83 million to 132 million into chronic hunger in 2020;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) - having regard to the proposal submitted by India and South Africa before the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 2 October 2020 under Article IX:3 and IX:4 of the WTO Agreement asking for a temporary waiver of patent obligations under the TRIPS Agreement for COVID-19 vaccines,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has revealed the weaknesses of health systems due to consistent lack of funding and support and illustrates the systemic and geographic inequalities in access to essential services (such as health and WASH) as a result of neoliberal and austerity economic policies implemented globally over the last decades;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the education and training systems across the world is likely unprecedented in contemporary history, with the closure of schools and training institutions affecting 94 % of the global learner population, according to UNESCO; whereas school closures due to the pandemic have deprived vulnerable children of school feeding and nutrition services that are essential to their health;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas school closures due to the pandemic have deprived vulnerable children of school feeding and nutrition services that are essential to their health; whereas interruptions to education could have a lasting impact on the long-term prospects of many young people, in particular girls;
Amendment 53 #
D. whereas school closures due to the pandemic have deprived vulnerable children of school feeding and nutrition services that are essential to their health along with their schooling, thus jeopardising their social and professional future;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas school closures due to the pandemic have deprived vulnerable children of school feeding and nutrition services that are essential to their health, thereby increasing the number of children living in hunger by 36 million in 2020;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas school closures due to the pandemic have deprived vulnerable children of school feeding and nutrition services that are essential to their health;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas globally, two out of five people do not have access to basic handwashing at home[1]; and whereas the lack of access to water, which is essential to reduce the spread of COVID- 19, has made containing the disease in developing countries much more challenging; [1] Sources: UNCTAD report « The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Trade and Development : Transitioning to a New Normal” (2020), p. 27.
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas education plays a key role in breaking the cycle of poverty and in reducing inequalities; whereas the target of SDG 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and whereas this is essential for the achievement of other SDGs; whereas culture’s contribution to sustainable development is pointed out in several SDG targets, notably in SDG 4;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas armed conflicts and Islamist terrorism have also caused numerous school closures, in particular in the countries of the Sahel, given that attacks against educational institutions, for example, more than doubled in Niger and Burkina Faso between 2018 and 2019, contributing to the closure of more than 2 000 schools in those two countries;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the pandemic will have devastating consequences for populations, especially women and girls, in countries with underfunded health systems, and for populations of conflict-affected countries; whereas the pandemic will put more than 47 million women and girls worldwide below the poverty line by 20211a; _________________ 1a UN Women, ‘From Insights to Action: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID- 19’.
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) - having regard to the UNCTAD report "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade and development: transitioning to a new normal",
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the economic consequences of the measures taken to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries will exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, including a further weakened health infrastructure, food insecurity and education gaps, poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas around 1,8 billion people are at heightened risk of COVID-19 and other diseases because they use or work in health care facilities without basic water services, according to a December 2020 WHO-UNICEF report;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the provision of routine immunisation programmes and other basic health services, which is putting lives at risk;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the vaccines developed by AstraZeneca/Oxford, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have received more than $5 billion dollars of public funding;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Db. whereas the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of the global supply chain, notably in food and health, and the need to build regional value chains and boost regional integration;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Db. whereas the lockdowns have had a particularly severe impact on persons with physical and intellectual disabilities;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D c (new) Dc. whereas local markets and short supply chains are crucial to ensure the continuity of accessible, safe, affordable, nutritious and healthy food for all;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas improved coordination is needed of international efforts to promote an efficient and resilient humanitarian- development-peace nexus, along with greater consistency between development aid and humanitarian aid;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas improved coordination, capacity sharing and cooperation is needed of international efforts to promote an efficient and resilient humanitarian- development-peace nexus;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) - having regard to the report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020",
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas improved
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated human rights violations and stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV, LGBTI persons and other vulnerable groups, underlining the critical need for COVID-19 responses to be rooted in human rights and equality, as learned from the HIV response; whereas key populations have on occasion suffered from denied access to services or discriminatory enforcement of the COVID-19 response under lockdown orders;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas official development assistance continues to represent a critical source of external finance for some developing countries, particularly those unable to attract large foreign direct investment inflows or lacking large diaspora communities; in particular, whereas Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States are extremely reliant on official development assistance and, to a lesser extent, on remittances, to finance their capital accumulation;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the pandemic has highlighted the fragility of global supply chains and heightened the vulnerability of those developing countries that depend on them; whereas the pandemic presents an opportunity to develop more sustainable and resilient supply chains;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has not put on hold most armed conflicts in the world; whereas populations living in conflict zones and refugees have more difficulties to access COVID-19 treatment and their food insecurity is increasing;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the medium-term consequences of COVID-19 are likely to have a devastating impact, reversing years of development gains and require unprecedented global cooperation;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the pandemic-induced crisis has accelerated the digital transition and the shift towards new learning tools such as remote and blended learning;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas developing countries are particularly vulnerable to public revenue leakages arising from tax-motivated illicit financial flows; whereas recent estimates of those revenue losses in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean account for 2.3% of their GDPs; whereas, moreover, tax-motivated illicit financial flows affect revenue raising capacity most strongly in low-income and lower middle-income countries, due to the higher proportion of corporate tax in their total revenues[1]; [1] Sources: UNCTAD report « The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Trade and Development : Transitioning to a New Normal” (2020), p. 56.
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas, at the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, 168 countries fully or partially closed their borders, with around 90 making no exception for those seeking asylum; whereas some countries have pushed asylum seekers, including children, back to their countries of origin;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas it is crucial to acknowledge once more that achieving the 2030 Agenda SDGs and the Paris Agreement objectives require investing in human development and pursuing a rights-based approach, while respecting the Busan principles on development effectiveness;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 b (new) - having regard to the Committee on World Food security (CFS) High level Panel of Experts' report on the "Impact of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition: developing effective policy responses to address the hunger and malnutrition pandemic",
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas food insecurity and malnutrition are on the rise as a secondary effect of the pandemic;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E c (new) Ec. whereas UNCTAD estimates a 20% fall in remittances in 2020 compared with 2019[1], which indicates that remittances will not provide a cushion against the downturn in international financial flows to developing countries; [1] Sources: UNCTAD report « The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Trade and Development : Transitioning to a New Normal” (2020), p. 57.
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E c (new) Ec. whereas strict implementation of intellectual property rights in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic could severely hinder manufacturing and supply of medical equipment and vaccines to developing countries;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E d (new) Ed. whereas European pharmaceutical industries did not complete their research on coronavirus diseases SARS (2003) and MERS (2012) due to lack of potential economic profitability; whereas the completion of the research on such diseases would have provided knowledge likely to enable faster development of vaccines against COVID-19; whereas the European pharmaceutical industry has received between EUR 200 million and EUR 1.1 billion from the public sector, especially from the Commission;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front-loading has to be tackled; calls, therefore, for substantial new funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; stresses that making safe vaccines available globally in a fast and affordable manner must be one of the first steps; considers that patent rights should not prevent the availability of vaccines against COVID-19 in developing countries, especially when the concerned laboratories have received massive public funding without which the research to produce a vaccine in such a short timeframe could have never been carried out; is worried that compulsory licensing foreseen in the Trade Related Aspects of the Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement might not suffice to make vaccines and medical products available in a number of developing countries, since compensation is still to be paid to the companies owning the patents; deems necessary that the EU reconsiders its position and supports the proposal of India and South Africa for a temporary waiver of Sections 1, 4, 5 and 7 of Part II of the TRIPS Agreement in order to ensure that life-saving medical products, including vaccines, are effectively available and affordable in all developing countries in the shortest term possible;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries, including those affected by conflict and humanitarian crisis; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front- loading has to be tackled; requests that the distribution criteria for the allocation be updated according to the impact of the pandemic in partner countries; calls, therefore, for substantial new flexible funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID- 19 pandemic; stresses that making safe vaccines available globally in a fast and affordable manner must be one of the first steps; highlights that it is also important that vaccines are prioritized for health and social workers, followed by teachers and other essential workers and people who are at highest risk of COVID-19 complications;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front-loading has to be tackled; calls, therefore, for substantial new funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; stresses that making safe vaccines available globally in a fast and affordable manner must be one of the first steps; therefore calls on the EU to support the WTO initiative of India and South Africa for a temporary waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments and calls on the pharmaceutical companies to share their knowledge and data through the World Health Organization COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP);
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front-loading has to be tackled; calls, therefore, for substantial new funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the critical needs of developing countries in health governance and epidemiological surveillance; stresses that making safe vaccines available globally in a fast and affordable manner, as well as an efficient vaccination strategy must be
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) - having regard to the UNAIDS Progress Report to the 47thMeeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board of 23 November 2020, entitled “COVID- 19 and HIV: Progress Report 2020";1a _________________ 1a https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/ media_asset/COVID-19_HIV_EN.pdf
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front-loading has to be tackled; calls, therefore, for substantial new funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; stresses that making safe vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics available globally in a fast and affordable manner must be one of the first steps;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front-loading has to be tackled; calls, therefore, for substantial new funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; stresses that making safe
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates its ambition to lead and show solidarity with all partner countries; points out, however, that current funds are essentially reallocated from other budget lines and that the challenge of aid front-loading has to be tackled; calls, therefore, for substantial new funds to be mobilised to assist developing countries worldwide in fighting the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; stresses that making safe
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes in this regard COVAX, the world's facility to ensure fair and universal access to COVID-19 vaccines and the strong support of Team Europe, being the biggest donor and having allocated so far more than 850 million euro to this initiative, while EU and third countries already announced to donate their vaccine surplus via COVAX; welcomes the WHO’s announcement that global rollout to 91 eligible countries starts in the first quarter of 2021 and that by now 2 billion vaccine doses are accessed; underlines that safe vaccines should be made universally available, affordable and easily accessible for all in order to curb the pandemic; stresses that health personnel and the most vulnerable have to be prioritised;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on Team Europe to strengthen effective mechanisms to ensure policy coherence for sustainable development, securing their more systematic and efficient use by all EU institutions and Member States; stresses that the EU should perform sustainability impact assessments in every policy sphere, including as regards its responses to the pandemic;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Insists that the momentum gained from the common Team Europe approach in terms of joint analysis, joint programming and joint implementation must translate into a new standard for cooperation in the fields of humanitarian aid and development policy, both in law and in practice; considers that the EU should promote that such increased coordination be attained not only between Member States, but also with non-EU donor countries in view of maximizing the efficacy and efficiency of international cooperation and humanitarian aid;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Insists that the momentum gained from the common Team Europe approach in terms of joint analysis, joint programming and joint implementation must translate into a new standard for cooperation in the fields of humanitarian aid and development policy, both in law and in practice; highlights the importance of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) to ensure funding for human development, including the health sector, and calls on EU Delegations and Member States' embassies to prioritise human development and health in their joint programming;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Insists that the momentum gained from the common Team Europe approach in terms of joint analysis, joint programming and joint implementation must translate into a new standard for cooperation in the fields of humanitarian aid and development policy, both in law and in practice, and calls on the EU and Member States to prioritise human development and health in their joint programming;
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