EU foreign ministersstress needs for urgent action in dealing with displacement

Foreign ministers from European Union(EU) member states meeting here on Thursday were committed to strongly support partner countries in delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During a meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs, ministers recognized the value of a joint programming approach, notably to strengthen a coordinated and strategic EU response.

Foreign ministers adopted conclusions on the EU approach to forced displacement and development, stressing the need to take urgent and decisive policy action in dealing with protracted displacement situations.

According to the conclusions in terms of dealing with displacement, the Council reiterated its commitment to work towards peaceful solutions to conflict and durable and dignified solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), including safe voluntary return, as well as the importance of prevention and capacity building as cornerstones for resilience.

The conclusions said that globally, more than 60 million people - refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) - are forcibly displaced because of conflict, violence, and human rights violations.

"In light of the global refugee and migration crisis also affecting Europe, this is a major source of concern for the Council," said the conclusions.

The Council recalled that 86 percent of the world's refugees live in developing regions and that least developed countries (LDCs) host 25 percent of the global total.

The meeting also touched on migration and development, following up on the situation six months after the Valletta summit in November last year on migration between European and African heads of state and government.

"We decided together with the ministers, we saw there was a growing consensus and trend, to include in our development policies aspects related to less traditionally development issues such as migration and security and so we will start this process together in the coming months with the view of presenting the result of this work in the second half of the year," said EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini at a press briefing following the meeting on Thursday.

"In order to have that impact on development of third countries, we need to coordinate more and more our development policies and today with the ministers we agreed to increase the level of coordination and do joined development cooperation in a series of countries," she said.

Neven Mimica, the European Commissioner in charge of International Cooperation and Development, said at the press briefing the most if not all of the ministers mentioned the need to have a kind of private sector engagement through a blending facility that would make some European strategic investment facilities in the infrastructure and development projects in EU's partner countries.

Preparations for the Brussels conference on Afghanistan, which will take place on October 4 to 5, were also discussed.

According to a conclusions document on Afghanistan, the foreign ministers recalled the collective responsibility of the Afghan government to demonstrate a clear commitment to political and economic reforms.

The Council underlined the need for the Afghan people, especially the youth, to be able to see a viable future in Afghanistan.