33 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2015/2104(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes into account both the complex institutional set-up of the United Nations (UN) as an international organisation of states and the specific nature of the European Union (EU) as a supranational union holding enhanced observer status within the UN, but whose Member States are also individual UN members;; underlines that the actual legal subjects of the UN are the sovereign states of the world community, while the EU is holding since 2011 enhanced observer status within the UN in comparison with other regional bodies, having the right to speak in debates, to submit proposals and amendments, to raise points of order and to circulate documents on the basis of UN Resolution 65/276 on 'Participation of the European Union in the work of the United Nations' of 3 May 2011; calls, in view of increasing global interdependence and new civilizational challenges for a better liaison between both UN players and its different structures by improving overall coordination and coherencethe EU Member States with regard to their common and community actions in order to respond to their responsibilities for the peaceful and civilian coping with global challenges on the basis of accepted norms of international law in force, and the principles of multilateralism, in the framework of equal partnership and cooperation; calls therefore to develop close cooperation and coordination with the various structures of the UN;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Believes that the enhanced status of the EU within the UN should pave the way for a closer cohesion and cooperation of other groups of States, in their regional organisations, within the UN system, thus being able to express more strongly their views in the Security Council while leading to a more balanced representativeness in this Body;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to address the issue of debt in the Post- 2015 process, including at the Post-2015 UN Summit, in order to improve target 8d of the UN MDGs and to deal comprehensively with the problem of unsustainable debt, to support the establishment of a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring processes, in accordance with the principles of the most relevant UN documents;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Welcomes the establishment of an ad hoc Committee for Sovereign Debt Restructuring set up by the United Nations General Assembly in February 2015 (following R A/68/L.57, of the GA session of 9 September 2014), with the aim to elaborate an international mechanism to restructure sovereign debts in a speedy, orderly and effective manner when debt overhangs or debt crisis undermine the achievement of SDGs (as the follower of MDGs); urges the EU and its Member States to constructively participate in the process towards the adoption of this new instrument which could help to overcome future sovereign debt crisis which hamper development and provoke unnecessary economic costs, welfare losses and human suffering;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Supports the UN reform agenda for expressing effective multilateralism, while acknowledging the enhanced status of the EU at the UN General Assembly following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009 and the adoption of UN Resolution 65/276 on ‘ParticipReaffirms the central role of the UN for the legalization of international relations, for the institutionalisation of dialogue between the peoples of the world community on political, economic, social, ecological, cultural, financial and legal challenges, as well as for the non-violent resolution of conflicts between them; supports the UN reform agenda which should be, while taking into account the fundamental changes of the characteristics of the international state community since the founding of the United Nations including the emergence of the actor EU, aimed at fundamentally democratising the existing structures through more comprehensive monitoring and decision-making powers of the General Assembly with regard to the Security Council, at strengthening the existing multilateralism through an increased representativeness mainly of African and Latin American countries on the Security Council, as well as by a significant strengthening, both politically and financially, of the role of existing regional organizations, of the European Union in the work of the United Nations' of 3 May 2011subsidiary bodies and organs with special status in the provision of their own specific contributions to achieving the objectives of the UN Charter;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that trade policy is crucial in combating climate change, and therefore urges the EU to ensure that its trade policy decisions are in line with the imperative to decarbonise global production and consumption; urges the EU and its Member States to ratify the Doha Amendment covering the pre-2020 period;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the EU as the largest trading block in the world, playing a strong role in bilateral and multilateral trade arrangements, to develop ambitious, efficient and active trade policy measures for promoting sustainable growth, poverty reduction and protection of the environment and of natural resources, in line with the relevant UN Conventions;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that a solid and stable EU-UN partnership is fundamental to the work of the UN under all three pillars – peace and security, human rights and development – and is also key to the EU's role as a global actor; Reaffirms the central role of prevention and combating the causes for the encounter of violent conflicts and the solution of new civilizational challenges;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Underlines that a UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA), established under article 22 of the UN Charter, could be a starting point for the democratization of the United Nations;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is committed to making the UN system and its many institutions and structures better suited to new global power configurationchallenges and developments and increasing its transparency, accountability and effectiveness by avoiding duplication and using the different UN structures more rationally; reiterates its support for mandating parliamentary and societal actors with a representative right in the discussion of issues in the UN, which concern them directly;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls, in view of the upcoming election of a new UN Secretary-General required by 2017, for a modified selection procedure which is transparent with respect to its criteria and its procedures for the UN Member States and both their executive and parliamentary structures, for the civil society, the public, and the media, and at the same time promotes gender parity;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to promote within the UN international collaboration on financial services, for example by creating a UN Forum on Financial Services, which would include a permanent International Tribunal on Financial Services (ITFS), to adjudicate in cases of malpractice by financial services sector providers;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the EU and its Member States are collectively the biggest financial donor to the UN budget; insists, therefore, in the spirit of the ‘Delivering as One' initiative (one leader, one budget, one programme, one office), on the need to ensure a higher degree of visibility for EU funding channelled through the UN, as well as an efficient use of the funds concerned; requests that the UN and the Commission keepCommission and the EU Member States press towards the UN for the consistent implementation of the UN Transparency and Accountability Initiative, and keep the European Parliament fully informed on the UN's implementation of EU contributions;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that EU-UN cooperation on peace support ismust be vital in order to assist political missions and mediation- related activities as well as to streamline planning procedures., in particular with regard to the consistent implementation of the "post MDG 15" through increased policy coherence also in the acting of the EU in its foreign and security policy, the international trade and global economic policy, the development and international climate policy, the political and social human rights policies;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to work towards enhancing the UN System towards providing the regulatory framework needed to cope with the challenges emerging from globalised trade and production schemes;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas the United Nations System is the first and foremost global forum for improving global governance and promoting the EU’s values and interesputting international relations on a legal footing, institutionalising dialogue between the states of the international community on common political, economic, social, environmental, cultural, financial and legal challenges and improving global governance, and for the non-violent resolution of inter-state conflicts;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the General Assembly, which represents the governments of all member countries, must have ways and means to give direction to the United Nations System and coordinate all its activities; is of the opinion that in the long term the democratic governance of the UN should be strengthened by establishing a World Parliament representing the peoplesupports the UN reform agenda which, over and above existing efforts to improve its working methods, should in future focus more closely on thoroughly democratising existing structures through more comprehensive supervisory and decision-making powers for the General Assembly in relation to the Security Council, on enhancing the existing multilateralism by an increased representation on the Security Council for African and Latin American states in particular, and on substantially boosting, both politically and financially, the role of the existing regional organisations, subsidiary organs and specialised agencies in making their own specific contributions to realising the goals of the UN Charter, and guaranteeing the necessary transparency for these processes; notes the wish expressed by many international organisations, international NGOs and international networks, for the democratic governance of the UN to be strengthened in the long term by establishing and developing parliamentary structures up to and including a World Parliament representing the people; takes the view that, in the interest of the democratic legitimacy of such parliamentary structures in the UN, new rules should be devised for their composition, ensuring that they adequately reflect the political, social and ethnic diversity of the world community on the basis of the firm establishment and implementation of the pacts on civil and political rights (Civil Pact) and on economic, social and cultural rights (Social Pact);
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points to the wide range of experiences with the ‘Arria formula’ in the context of the work of the UN Security Council, and expresses its support for the mandatory introduction of a general right of representation for social actors in debating issues in the UN that directly affect them;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to urge that an amended selection procedure be adopted for the election of the UN Secretary General due in 2017, the criteria for and conduct of which are transparent for the UN member states, civil society and the general public and media, which is inclusive, and which provides clear alternatives in the form of several candidates, while also promoting gender parity;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Calls on the EU Member States to nominate and support for the forthcoming election of the UN Secretary-General only candidates who meet the criteria of the highest professionalism, a comprehensive understanding of the principles of the UN Charter and a strong personal commitment to act within its spirit, possess the highest degree of moral authority, independence and integrity, as well as keen diplomatic, mediating, problem-solving and communicative skills, and have undergone public hearings;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is convinced that the Security Council, whose composition is based on an outdated world order, must be reformed in order to reflect the new world georeflects the power relationships immediately after the end of the Second World War and has remained unchanged in its structural compolsitical reality andon since 1965, must be radically reformed in order to more effectively meet present and future security challenges;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that the core element of the reform of the Security Council must be a strengthening of the principle of consensus, which would not be compatible with the abolition of the right of veto but should rather seek to extend this right to all members of the Security Council and to transfer final decision- making powers on certain veto issues – such as the deployment of UN troops – to the General Assembly;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls, given the contribution of the EU to peace and security architecture in the world, for a reform of the Security Council that would ensure a permanent seat for the European Union; notes that, owing to the absence of the EU from the Security Council in exchange for the two current permanent members of the Security Council, France and the United Kingdom; notes that, owing to the absence of the EU from the Security Council, the two permanent and rotating EU Member States should assume, in accordance with Article 34(2) of the Lisbon Treaty, the burden of echoing, advocating for and defending the interests and positions of the EU, based on a coordinated CFSP, lies with the two permanent, and the rotating, European members; and of ‘keep[ing] the other Member States… fully informed’;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is of the conviction that the economic and, social, environmental and development dimension of the UN System must be substantially strengthened, and that this couldmust be achieved through the establishment of a Sustainable Development Council as the main decision-making body for all sustainable- development-related matters (based on the three pillars: social, economic and environmental), by ensuring coordinated and efficient assessment of needs, and through the adoption of the necessary roadmaps, decisions and binding measures; stresses that this is necessary in order to implement effectively the Sby a reform of the principal organ responsible for this task under the UN Charter, namely the Economic and Social Council, which coordinates inter alia the work of such important UN specialised agencies as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other functional and regional commissions; welcomes the fact that the UN Plenary, with its Resolution 68/1 adopted in September 2013 entitled ‘Review of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 61/16 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council’, not only recognises and strengthens the central role of ECOSOC but at the same time requires and enables it to carry out wide-ranging reforms; stresses that these should be geared towards strengthening it in its role and responsibility and making it more results- oriented, e.g. by giving the work of the UN bodies a more political approach and improving their cooperation, by a more effective use of available resources, by the creation of new organisational forms such as HPLFs, open working groups for SDGs or inter-state expert groups to consider sustainable Ddevelopment Goals adopted by the UN Summit in September; issues in the context of the post-2015 process, and by more active integration of interest groups in the work of the Council, the restructuring of Council work segments and the reinforcement of management and reporting formats;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that this Council should also have a strong coordinative role in all fields in the UN System other than security; in light of the recurring human catastrophes linked to illegal migration, and considering that sustainable development of the countries of origin could in the long run facilitate a drying-up of illegal migration flows, is of the conviction that this CounWelcomes the fact that ECOSOC is to continue in future to have a strong coordinative and substantially integrative role in all fields in the UN System other than security; stresses that ECOSOC possesses, in the reform process that has been launched, the mandate and the instruments to identify new challenges, promote appropriate analysis and discussion processes and incorporate the results into a sustainable development policy that integrates the environmental, economic and social dimensions in a balanced way; in light of the recurring human catastrophes in the world, the 200 million unemployed people (by ILO estimates) and the fact that well over 80% of the world’s population is still denied free, unhindered access to social services, is of the conviction that, in the framework of a uniform development agenda, issues of social should coordinate the work of all the agencies relevant to this concernintegration should be given priority through the expansion of social security systems, full employment and decent work;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes the view that the Suit is time for ECOSOC to move from its existainable Development Council should alsog procedure of dialogue with the heads of the international finance institutions and the World Trade Organisation to a procedure which also provides strong political coordinateion for the work of the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation, in order to ensure that their respective decisions are taken and actions are carried out in an transparent, efficient and coherent fashion; in the same spirit, is of the opinion that the activities of the unofficial G-20 Group should be merged with those of this Council; s of the opinion that it is in line with the EU’s foremost political goals to strengthen the UN and, as an expression of effective multilateralism, to give it the necessary resources1 a, to urge that the activities of the G7 and G20 should in principle be integrated into the work of a politically and procedurally stronger, more efficient and better resourced Economic and Social Council, and of other relevant decision- making bodies within the system of the UN, or at least strongly and reliably coordinated with them. __________________ 1a Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: ‘The European Union and the United Nations: The Choice of Multilateralism’ (COM(2003)0526).
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the decision of the UN General Assembly in February 2015 (pursuant to RA/68/L.57, GA session of 9 September 2014) to establish an Ad Hoc Committee on sovereign debt restructuring processes with the task of establishing a multilateral mechanism to restructure state debts in a rapid, orderly and effective manner where debt overhangs and debt crises are undermining the achievement of the SDGs (the successors to the MDGs); welcomes, as a first important sign of progress, the basic principles on sovereign debt restructuring adopted by the General Assembly in September 2015; calls on the EU and its Member States to overcome their dissension on this issue and participate actively, constructively and with a common position in the ongoing process of developing and adopting the desired legal framework; also calls on the Member States to address the issue of debt in the post-2015 process, including at the post-2015 UN summit, with a view to improving the conditions for achieving Target 8.D of the UN Millennium Development Goals;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses the central role of the UN in reforming the global financial architecture and existing public procurement practice of its relevant specialised agencies, which are facing growing criticism of their political requirements and wide-ranging economic conditionalities; calls on the EU and its Member States, in the context of the UN, to promote international cooperation on financial services, e.g. by creating a permanent UN forum on financial services and a permanent international tribunal for financial services (ITFS) for complaints of misconduct against financial service providers;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to work towards strengthening the UN system by devising a regulatory framework, something which is absolutely essential to meet the challenges arising from the globalisation of trade and the production chain;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that, besides the consistent implementation of these necessary reforms to be carried out within the UN, better achievement of EU foreign policy goals presupposes more effective coordination of the various dimensions of all its external policies, both bwithin the UN requires the continued coordination of decision-making among the EU Member States in respect of common interests and positions and of voting behaviour; takes the view that this cooperation between the EU Member States must be significantly stepped up so that they can meet their responsibility for peacefully overcoming development challenges on the basis of international law and the principles of multilateralism and multilateralin the framework of equal partnership and cooperation;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that the European Parliament must be in a position to address these challenges in the same comprehensive and overarching way, and to organise its work accordingly; considers that the Committee on Foreign Affairs must be entrusted the coordination of all policy fields relevant to the external action of the EU, with other Committees being requested to express their opinion;