Summary: January 29, 2004: European Parliament Conferral of the Sakharov Prize on Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations
President Pat COX welcomed UN Secretary-General Kofi ANNAN to the Chamber to receive the Sakharov Prize on behalf of the United Nations. He also welcomed a number of former winners of the prize who were present: the President of East Timor, Mr Xanana Gusmão (1999); the President of Kosovo, Mr Ibrahim Rugova (1998); Ms. Senka Kurtovic (for Oslobodjenje) (1993); Mr. Wei Jingsheng (1996); Ms. Salima Ghezali (1997); Basta Ya (2000); Dom Zacharias Kamwenho (2001).
The President recalled the continuing fight for freedom and democracy which prevented Aung San Suu Kyi from being present. Leyla Zana was not free and continued her incarceration, though Mr Cox had received a letter from her expressing her solidarity and her wish for a century of peace and democracy. Oswaldo Payá was also prevented from attending by the Cuban authorities. He had sent a message of solidarity and dedication to the cause of human rights.
Mr Cox explained that the occasion was symbolic, giving Parliament and the UN an opportunity to mark and to celebrate the values and public purpose that we share. "Ours," he said, "is a Union of values based on pluralist democracy, respect for the rule of law, respect for individual and minority rights, sustainability, solidarity, open economy respect for cultural diversity. Arguably our European Union is the most successful conflict resolution process the world has ever seen."
The President expressed Parliament's strong belief in the value and worth of the United Nations, its Charter and multilateralism. He stated: "We support the fight against global terrorism, but we also recognise the duty to fight against global poverty. As regards Weapons of Mass Destruction, we stand firmly on the side of non-proliferation, but our instinctive European response is for engagement and not isolation." He also emphasised Parliament's support for the Kyoto protocol and its clear
preference for the due process of the International Criminal Court rather than the lack of process at Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Cox pledged that Parliament would be a reliable regional partner for the United Nations and what it stands for. He also recognised the solemn purpose of the occasion, noting that on 19 August 2003, in Baghdad, terrorism reached a new low, when twenty-two UN staff members paid the ultimate price in the service of peace.
The President welcomed the relatives of the victims to the chamber:
Mrs Annie de Mello, widow of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Envoy of the Secretary-General in Iraq and their son Mr Laurent de Mello; Mrs Rula Al-Farra, sister of Ms. Reham Al-Farra of the UN Department of Public Information; Mr Luis Martin Oar and his wife Mrs Paloma Gascon, brother and sister-in-law of Manuel Martin Oar, Coordinator with United Nations Specialized Agencies and the survivors: Ms. Nada Al-Nashif, (Deputy Resident Representative of the
UNDP in Beirut); Mrs Mona Rishmawi,( Senior Adviser to Mr Sérgio Vieira de Mello), Professor Gil Loescher, (Senior Fellow, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London) and his family Mr Gabriel Pichon , Security Officer of Mr. Vieira de Mello.
Finally the President addressed Mr Annan directly: "For defending freedom and for promoting the values we believe in this House, it is my privilege to award to you, the United Nations, the Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament."
Mr Annan expressed his thanks and pride in accepting the award in memory of Sergio Vierira de Mello and the other UN staff who have lost their lives in working for peace in the world. It was, he said, a welcome acknowledgement of the kinds of people they were. The brave men and women lost in Baghdad were free spirits and free thinkers. He also thanked President Cox and Parliament for inviting the relatives of victims and survivors to the ceremony, which, he said, spoke volumes about the
solidarity of the EU and the UN.
"Like many who survived the blast," he said, "the United Nations itself carries deep wounds. But our determination is stronger than ever and we value the solidarity of friends like you. Europe has seen more than its fair share of war, tyranny and terrible suffering. But Europeans have replaced that with a future of hope. You have pursued the path of peace through multilateralism. And today, the European Union is a shining light of tolerance, human rights and international co-operation."
The UN Secretary-General devoted most of his address to the subject of migration. The movement of people across borders, he said, was not going to stop. It was necessary to manage this movement far better than at present for the sake of the countries migrants leave, travel through and migrate to.
Some migrants have been forced from their homes, he said, fleeing oppression or war. When refugees could not seek asylum because of offshore barriers, or when they were detained for excessive periods in unsatisfactory conditions, or refused entry because of restrictive interpretations of the 1951 Convention, Mr Annan said the promise of the Convention was broken, along with the asylum system. He encouraged EU states to develop a joint asylum system. He also stressed the need to help improve the
capacity of poor countries to deal with refugees, since seven out of ten refugees in fact seek refuge in developing countries.
Most immigrants, he said, were not refugees - they were called voluntary migrants, even if they often left their home country because they saw no future for themselves there. Asylum systems were overburdened, said Mr Annan, because many people saw no other channel through which to migrate, sometimes resorting to human traffickers and falling into the hands of organised crime.
Mr Annan said this human rights crisis shames our world, as was all the more tragic because many States which closed their doors actually need immigrants. European populations were shrinking and ageing, he said. By 2050 the population of the 25 EU countries would fall from 452 million to 400 million with jobs going unfilled and services undelivered. Immigration was an inevitable and important part of the solution, he said, encouraging European states to open up greater avenues for legal
migration.
He reminded MEPs that poor countries benefit from migration too, through remittances: money sent back by immigrants to countries of origin in 2002 amounted to USD 88 billion, which was 54 per cent more than total receipts from development aid.
Mr Annan recognised the problems and difficulties of immigration, especially regarding the integration of migrants with diverse cultures, religions and languages. "Integration is a two-way street," he said. "Immigrants must adjust to their new societies, and societies must adjust too." He went on to urge States to sign and ratify the UN Migrant Workers Convention.
The UN Secretary-General called for the combat against illegal immigration to be part of a much broader agenda, to harness the benefits of immigration, not vainly try to stop it. "The public has been fed images of a flood of unwelcome entrants and threats to their societies and identities. In the process immigrants have sometimes been stigmatised, vilified, event de-humanised."
He argued the essential truth had been lost: the vast majority of migrants were industrious, courageous, determined and law abiding people looking for a fair opportunity, not a free ride.
An essential ingredient was leadership: Mr Annan urged MEPs to send a clear message that migrants need Europe and Europe needs migrants. A closed Europe would be meaner, poorer weaker and older. An open Europe would, he said, be fairer, richer, stronger and younger, provided migration was well managed.
The UN Secretary-General concluded by stating his belief that if Sergio Vieira de Mello - and indeed Andrei Sakharov - were present, they would say the same thing: people who move across borders today in search of a better life for themselves and their families, are our brothers and our sisters too. "Let us treat them that way," he said, as MEPs rose to a standing ovation.
Brian COWEN, T.D., Foreign Affairs Minister, speaking for the Presidency of the Council, said it was a signal honour to take part in this sitting of the European Parliament for the award of the Sakharov Prize 2003 to Secretary-General Annan and the entire UN staff and to commemorate in particular Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and the many other UN officials who have lost their lives in the performance of their duties. He said he could think of no more appropriate designation of a prize for
freedom of thought than the name of Andrei Sakharov. And he could think of no more fitting recipient of this prize than Secretary-General Annan and his colleagues. He stated that the enduring value of the Sakharov Prize was that it evoked continually the memory and example of an outstanding human rights advocate who lived and worked in circumstances where such advocacy was considered an act of dissidence. Last year, he recalled, on 19 August, people were horrified at the appalling attack on the
lives of United Nations personnel in the UN Headquarters in Baghdad. Those who carried out this attack struck a violent and cowardly blow at the people best placed and most committed to bringing relief to the Iraqi people. The loss of Sergio Vieira de Mello was a cause of particular sadness. UN personnel throughout the world, he stated, perform heroic and often unheralded work. It is in many ways a pity that the prevailing image of the UN derives so much from the moments of vertiginous
political drama in and around the chamber of the Security Council.
The Minister said that we are indebted to Secretary-General Annan on many levels and for many things. He drew attention to the courage and clarity with which he has addressed the challenges facing the multilateral system. At the General Assembly last September, the Secretary-General characterised the position to which the UN had come as "a fork in the road". Recently, at the World Economic Forum, the Secretary-General noted that the conduct of international politics had become less favourable
to the maintenance of a stable, equitable and rules-based international order and that the role of the United Nations itself and the system of collective security, were under serious strain. It is because of the urgency of this threat that the Council has re-committed itself to effective multilateralism. A stronger international society, a rules-based international order and strong international institutions are critically important EU objectives. Central to this is the EU's support for a
strengthened United Nations.
The Minister continued by stating that intensified and effective co-operation between the EU and the UN is a central priority for Ireland's Presidency. It is imperative that the United Nations is given the means to meet successfully the many and varied challenges of today. As the Secretary-General said in his report last year on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, human rights are universal principles but, inspiring as those principles are, they don't implement themselves. The
multilateral system embodied in the UN Charter is the only way that human rights and humanitarian law can be effectively defended. It provides the only real means of addressing the varied threats of today: terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, poverty, hunger and disease together with new, or rather growing challenges, such as migration to which the Secretary-General has made particular reference today. It is only through being multilateralist that effective action can be taken to meet the
Millennium Development Goals, for example, so that the glaring inequalities and unremitting human suffering which in turn create and foster so many threats to peace and security are meaningfully addressed.
He stated that it was entirely in character that the Secretary-General did not use this occasion to indulge the plaudits that inevitably and rightly come with prestigious prizes such as this. Instead, he has chosen to direct our attention to the challenges of a major pressing issue, that of migration. This is an issue with which in Ireland has enduring historical experience accumulated through generations who emigrated from Ireland and made lives for themselves abroad.
It is now an issue of major global significance which needs to be put higher up the international agenda. Globalisation has given rise to an unprecedented movement of people, in turn giving rise to unparalleled challenges. Like the Secretary-General, he welcomed the establishment last month of the Global Commission on International Migration. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Lubbers attended the informal meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Dublin on Thursday last, at which
there was a constructive discussion of proposed European asylum and migration legislation. This was very useful and we look forward to building on this valuable dialogue such with such an important partner, the United Nations Organisation.
For the European Union, the United Nations is more than a political affiliation. As the Nobel Committee stated in awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Kofi Annan and the United Nations staff in 2001, it granted the prize "to proclaim that the only negotiable route to global peace and co-operation goes by way of the United Nations". He stated that he was deeply grateful therefore to the Secretary-General for his ceaseless work in defending the multilateral system. The Minister wished to record deep
appreciation of the UN staff all over the world serving the cause of peace and justice and human rights and development. Finally, he commended the award of the Sakharov Prize to the United Nations Secretary-General and his staff.
Responding for the European Commission, Chris PATTEN said that the aims of the award and its recipient were a perfect match. The prize was given for defence of human rights, international law and democracy, and defence of minorities. The life of Sergio Vieira de Mello exemplified these values and the world was poorer for its brutal curtailment. Mr Patten had seen his work first hand, and described him as gallant, wise, dashing, principled and immensely effective. It was fortunate, he
said, that the UN was blessed with other equally talented individuals, and was led by one, Mr Annan, to whose work he also paid tribute. Welcoming Mr Annan's words on immigration, the Commissioner commended the sentiments of the speech to MEPs and their electorates. "I hope we will hear these arguments put with compassion and consistency to those who I trust will do their democratic duty later this year," he concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the EPP group, Hans-Gert POETTERING (D) stated that the awarding of the prize to Kofi Annan today represented a significant day in the history of the European Parliament. Andrei Sakharov, he said, was an inspirational supporter of human rights and a great scientist. Quoting Andrei Sakharov and making reference to absent Cuban Laureate Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas, "the most important voice is the one you do not hear." As for immigration, he stated that he shared Mr
Annan's views on the importance of integration.
Enrique BARÓN CRESPO (E), for the PES group, stated that it was a "great honour" to receive the Secretary-General of the UN. He pointed out that it was his group that first nominated Kofi Annan for the prize. He also stated that Mr Blix and Mr Baradei should be commended for their work. Mr Annan's speech, he said, recalled the importance of migration for the development of mankind. As he put it "globalisation, he commented, was a phenomenon that applied to goods, services and capital but
not to people."
Graham WATSON (South West), for the Liberals, stated that Mr Annan's speech underlined the importance for Europe not "to shut its gates" to migrants and also inspired politicians that it was important to go beyond the "parochial." His group, he said, was in favour of a return of the UN to Iraq when the security situation would allow it. He also stated that the UN needed to reform calling for a permanent seat for the EU on the Security Council and the withdrawal of veto powers.
For the GUE/NGL group, Francis WURTZ (F) aid that many wanted to believe it was possible to avoid war. Public opinion, he said, had been behind the UN when millions took to the streets to oppose a destabilising and bloody adventure last year. "Our idea of how the world should be organised was ridiculed by members of the coalition which went to war in Iraq, but even superpowers cannot ignore international challenges." We would, he said, not have a quiet life if we did not address the
humiliation of social division and human rights violations around the world.
Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT (F), for the Greens/ALE group, said Mr Annan's words reminded him of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech. His own dream was that MEPs who applauded Mr Annan would give the same speech at home, truly taking up these values rather than acting and voting to the contrary. He also called for the release of Leyla Zana, and for Oswaldo Payá to be given the freedom to travel.
For the UEN group, Charles PASQUA (F) praised the work of Mr Annan and the UN and offered his condolences, friendship and respect to the relatives of those killed in the service of a just and noble cause. On the question of immigration, he warned that progress was always possible in a utopia, but that in the real world it could not simply be a matter of opening borders. He would have liked to hear more from Mr Annan on the subject of globalisation and the imbalances between nations that
it created.
Jens-Peter BONDE (DK), for the EDD group, stressed the problems of environmental destruction and of HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Everyone, he said, supported the aims of the UN, for peace in the world, but it was not enough to pass resolutions. He hoped a time would come when war would only happen with the approval of the UN. If this was naïve, he said, perhaps there were enough naïve people in the world to put an end to war, child mortality and hunger.
Gianfranco DELL'ALBA (IND, I) joined the tributes to those killed, arguing that democracy could only flourish if all human rights were respected. He also urged Mr Annan to support the European candidate for the post of UN Human Rights Commissioner.
Finally for the External Affairs Committee, Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, D) added his congratulations to the UN staff working for peace and freedom, and he regretted that previous winners of the prize from Turkey, Burma and Cuba could not be present. Democracy and freedom were essential if peace and development were to be fostered. He argued that migration was a sign of failure: the first priority should be to solve the problems which cause people to leave their home countries.
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