Le porte-parole de Catherine Ashton, Haute Représentante de l'Union pour les affaires étrangères et la politique de sécurité et vice-présidente de la Commission, a fait ce jour la déclaration suivante:

"La Haute Représentante exprime sa préoccupation à la suite des combats qui ont éclaté en début de semaine près de Goma entre le mouvement du M23, groupe armé sous sanctions des !ations unies, et l'armée congolaise, et salue le cessez-le-feu annoncé hier.

Introduction

In a commendable effort to increase accountability, the international community set itself a target date of 2015 to achieve the key objectives of the historic United Nations Millennium Declaration, on which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are based.

This widely recognised deadline has inevitably attracted considerable debate. As it approaches, there has been much research on whether the targets as set out in the MDGs will be met, along with a parallel discussion on what might succeed them.

Today the European Union has contributed approximately €20 million to the payment of salaries and pensions for March of nearly 76,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This contribution, which is channelled through the PEGASE[1] mechanism, is funded by the European Commission (around €19.3 million) and the Government of Luxembourg (€0.7 million)

The EU Delegation in Sudan condemns the attack on 12 May 2013 that led to the killing of Mohamed Bashar, signatory to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), and several other members of the Justice and Equality Movement-Sudan.

The European Union supports the DDPD and remains committed to promote reconciliation and peace in Darfur. Attacking those who are willing to lay down arms and negotiate is detrimental to the peace process and to the people of Darfur.

Kabul, 8 May 2013

The construction of a permanent Crime Management College for the Afghan Ministry of Interior has been inaugurated with an official ground breaking ceremony in the presence of Deputy Minster of Interior, General Mirza Muhammad Yarmand, EU Special Representative and Head of Delegation, Ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas, Head of the EUPOL Mission, Karl-Åke Roghe, and IOM Mission Representative, Richard Danziger.

Somalia has suffered two decades of conflict, worsening droughts and heavy flooding.

Militia groups control significant parts of the country, which makes it difficult for aid workers to bring help in these areas.

Whilst a humanitarian response continues to be vital in order to save lives, long term, sustainable solutions are key to addressing Somalia’s endemic political, security and socio-economic challenges.

Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Pakistan and Member of the European Parliament, Michael Gahler, raised his serious concerns about the increased levels of violence against certain political parties during a visit to Peshawar on 2 May. Mr. Gahler reiterated his call, when visiting Karachi last week, on state authorities to do their utmost to protect the lives of candidates and citizens and safeguard the democratic process.

In the context of its continuous support of the Peace Process between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the European Union (EU) provides, together with other types of support, funds for organising visits of eminent persons, recognised and highly respected experts on different aspects of peace negotiation.

Upon the request from the Parties, the European Union will fund the visit of yet another eminent person, Professor Yash Pal Ghai to the Philippines during the first week of May, 2013.

Additional EU funding totalling €70 million to meet humanitarian needs in Syria, Mali, the Sahel region and Chad. was approved by the Budgets Committee on Wednesday.

Syria

Two years after the start of the conflict, violence is intensifying inside Syria and the UN estimates that more than 4 million people urgently need humanitarian aid. In neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, governments and humanitarian organisations face huge difficulties in meeting the refugees' most basic needs.