Malta, 20 June 2017 – Member of the European Parliament, Željana Zovko, participated in the 33rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) of the African, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) and the European Union (EU), held in Malta, on which occasion she debated with other MEPs the risk of the emergence of the most severe famine and humanitarian crisis in history, the impunity for crimes against humanity and problem of refugees on the occasion of the World Refugee Day.
In her speech Zovko pointed out that we were witnesses of the largest humanitarian crisis after World War II and mentioned some proposals which might be helpful in coordination of global efforts put in reduction of famine in the most affected parts of the world. She further stressed the importance of the partner-states’ resilience as a key part of the EU Global Strategy and an important part of global efforts in achievement of the goals of sustainable development until 2030. She also mentioned the importance of instruments which may help to enhance resilience of the states in resolving both their internal and external pressures and the crisis and preservation of normal civil and development activities, whereby it is especially important to better coordinate the existing foreign financing, both by the European Union and by other international development institutions for the developing states.
“The European Union should better coordinate its financial instruments for foreign financing with financial instruments of other international institutions, as better coordination shall generate synergy effects of financial instruments in the partner states and any overlapping in financing shall be thus avoided, so that maximum effects may be achieved by use of development and humanitarian instruments in the most affected regions. “ – as of Zovko.
Later in her speech Zovko referred to the impunity for crimes against humanity, which still poses a huge threat to peace and democracy, as the war crimes and crimes against humanity are still not prosecuted in the countries affected by the war. Prosecution of those crimes is according to Zovko one of main pre-conditions for genuine reconciliation, which may bring stability, security and democratic progress in the countries affected by the war.
On the occasion of the today’s World Refugee Day, Zovko also addressed the problems faced by refugees but also those faced by the receiving countries. MEP Zovko visited as a member of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee missions the refugees’ camps hosting 1.6 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, 3 million refugees from Afghanistan in Pakistan, 1 million refugees in Azerbaijan and 17.000 Syrian refugees in Armenia.
“According to UNHCR data, nowadays there are more than 65 million migrants in the world. It is extremely important to provide additional aid to the refugees receiving countries, which are actually preventing further outflow of refugees towards the European Union borders. Causes of the refugees’ crisis must be resolved at the very source, whereby I primarily refer to support to those countries in resolving the security issues, aid in case of humanitarian disaster and what is the most important – providing access to education and investments, in order to build a safer and more prosperous society at the very source of the refugees’ crisis. “ – as of Zovko.