the objectives of The Minister for Development, sound full-bodied. Gerd Müller (CSU) wants to make “the fight against child labour and sexual exploitation the focus of the German EU-presidency”. Beginning in early July. Germany has set a say in the EU quite a lot, and want to own – even the development of political accents.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in front of the line. In a government Declaration in the middle of June they had made in the Bundestag, clearly, what topics will you prioritize during the next six months presidency of the EU: climate protection, digitization, and global responsibility.
all of This is, of course, the most important topic: the fight of the Corona pandemic and its consequences. The most important foreign policy topic will be – next to China – Africa “as a continent of the future”, as Merkel said. The Minister for Economic cooperation and development, Gerd Müller, has the happy. In the chamber, he nodded in agreement: global responsibility, and Africa – that are “his” issues.
presidency: Africa and global responsibility, this includes
the Association of development and humanitarian non-governmental organisations (VENRO) is, in principle, satisfied with the development policy plans for the EU presidency. VENRO has nearly 140 member associations; by the AWO to the world hunger help.
The DW said the club’s Chairman Bernd Bornhorst: “the focus of The Chancellor are clear: climate change, digitalisation, more and more global responsibility, in Africa. These are all development of policy-relevant implications.”
The COVID-19-pandemic dominate the presidency, said development Minister Gerd Müller recently after a Meeting of EU development Ministers. “In the priority list, it is the number one issue,” he was quoted by the news Agency KNA. People starved to death, other diseases would be insufficient to combat and huge amounts of capital deducted. “In Africa, but also Latin America will be thrown around for years, maybe decades”.
According to the estimates could be affected by the pandemic, 40 million more children this year into extreme poverty. According to Miller’s data, around 400 million children are now growing up in extreme poverty worldwide. UNICEF and the International labour organisation (ILO) count 152 million girls and boys who make children work.
The children a Chance!
In the draft EU paper for the German, and the following two presidencies, it is, you’ll commit to the Agenda to 2030, the United Nations and sustainable development goals to fight Hunger, poverty or child mortality. Out of the international trade, should be fair and sustainable, is lifted.
“Every day, to be born of 250,000 children. You all have the right to live in Dignity,” said Müller in a recent press release. And that is why it is so important that finally a supply chain, law come. “All the big companies would then be obliged, where our shoes, clothes, are produced coffee, to pay fair wages and to end child labour.” 150,000 children in India, working in stone quarries. The 25-Cent hourly wage for seamstresses in Bangladesh, was all that unreasonable, the Minister said.
Iraq: children work instead of school
Minister for Labour, Mr Hubertus Heil (SPD) and development Minister Gerd Müller have produced for Germany, together with a draft law. But it was only once laid on ice. In the Corona-crisis, one could adopt a law that is causing more costs for the economy, BelTA learned from the powerful Ministry of economic Affairs and lobby organisations. It would – a study by the EU Commission, according to a chain of law, the Delivery costs of the big companies, only 0.005 percent of their sales.
supply chain act for Germany and all of Europe
Already at the end of April, the EU’s justice Commissioner, Didier Reynders, for 2021 had a bill for a European chain of law announced. The commit chains of companies to respect human rights and environmental standards in their value chain. Important: the Affected parties can sue for these Standards; the company are subject to penalties for non-compliance with the regulations.
Müller, and healing – the Christian social and social Democrat – will not let up. You want to bring in the autumn its legislative push for a supply chain act in the Bundestag, and then on the European level; as an important project of the German presidency of the EU. First a national and then a European supply chain act – that is the goal. Germany wants to play in the issue of the role of a pioneer.
“I think the Chance that we get such a law, was never so great as it is today,” says NGO representatives Bornhorst. “The pressure also in civil society – is on the rise.” The almost 200,000 showed signatures (as of 24. June) in the case of a Petition of the 2019 Initiative, established chain law, a coalition of human rights, environmental and development organisations, churches and trade unions. “The chain law is agreed in the coalition agreement for this parliamentary term,” says Bornhorst. And ends in the fall of 2021. Also, France did it makes already. There is since 2017 is already a supply chain law. Since the German government could go but now “a credible and set a good example”.
Müller will also increase in the EU budget for the next seven years, and the means for Africa, from 42 to 80 billion euros.”We can’t respond with alms,” said the Minister. However, for his claims he is not under the EU Development Ministers many comrades-in-arms.
Bernd Bornhorst considers the development policy objectives of the German presidency of the EU in its entirety is quite ambitious. It is now up to what would be implemented. They wanted to measure “the to the deeds, not the words”.
author : Volker Witting
In the FOCUS Online/Wochit In the
*The post “presidency of the EU: Germany, fairer trade” is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
