Informal Working Meeting of EU Ministers for Development Cooperation,
Following the Events of September 11th
Wednesday, 10 October
2001 at 17:45 hrs.
Press Conference of Mr. Eddy Boutmans, State Secretary for
Development Co-operation, Current President of the Development Council of the
EU, and Mr. Poul
Nielson, European Commissioner of Development
Co-operation.
Contact persons for the Press concerning this meeting: Dirk Depover, Spokesman of State Secretary,
Mobile 0476 959504, Phone +32(0)2 549 09 50; Sam Biesemans, Belgian EU Presidency
Expert, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DGIC, Service EU, Tel.02 5190872,
E-mail: sam.biesemans@diplobel.fed.be, Mobile -
Private: 0477 268893.
______
The events of September 11th have profoundly altered the priorities and the agenda of the international community. It is obvious that nobody questions the need to prevent and fight terrorism. In this context it may, however, be feared that poverty reduction and the search for sustainable development, as well as our goals in the field of
conflict prevention in developing countries will be relegated to the background.
However, worldwide peace, security and stability also depend on the answers we will be able to find to these problems, which, as stated in the Millennium Declaration, are
considered to be the moral and humanitarian priorities for the entire humanity.
Therefore, the Belgian Secretary of State Eddy BOUTMANS invites his colleagues to an informal working meeting, which will take place in Brussels on Wednesday,
October 10th, 2001 in Brussels (Château Val Duchesse, from 12.30 to 17.00 h).
The following agenda will be discussed :
A. Consequences for development co-operation of the new political scene. Context :
conclusions
(pdf) of the 21 September 2001 extraordinary European Council; main objectives of the Millennium Declaration (United Nations, September 18th, 2001);
United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (Mexico, March 2002).
B. Possible consequences of the September 11th events for humanitarian
assistance.
The Belgian Presidency will provide a discussion paper on point A, whereas the
European Commission will prepare a working document on point B.
