A3-0265/93

Resolution on the participation of the European Community in the International Programme for the reintegration of Vietnamese returnees

The European Parliament,

-having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Development and Cooperation (A3-0265/93),

1.Welcomes the active participation of the Community in the international programme for the reintegration of Vietnamese returnees; underlines that the sharp and steady increase in voluntary repatriation under this programme from 1989 to 1992 demonstrates that it is both useful and successful;

2.Welcomes in particular its achievements in the employment and training sectors; notes with satisfaction that these components of the programme have benefitted both returnees and other citizens equally;

3.Notes that according to the agreement between the Commission and UNHCR, it is the responsibility of the UNHCR to ensure that the return of refugees is carried out in safety and dignity and to monitor returnees in their home districts on a periodic basis; welcomes the fact that, so far, the UNHCR has not found that the Vietnamese authorities have breached their undertakings in this regard; stresses however, that on the question relating to human rights, the Community has its own responsibility, and insists that the Commission continue to keep a close watch on the evolution of the situation;

4.Calls on the Commission, following the results of the 1993 Donor Conference, to take all the appropriate measures to ensure that the programme can be implemented and completed as initially foreseen; welcomes in this respect the Commission's willingness to cover, in the second EC contribution, the outstanding credit requirement of the first year of the programme's operation;

5.Considers that the Member States should contribute more effectively to the financing of the programme; insists in particular that the Member States which announced financial contributions fulfill their commitments entirely and without delay;

6.Recalls that, in line with the agreement between the Commission and the government of Vietnam, an independent mid-term evaluation and review of the Programme was conducted in early 1993; understands that its findings have been discussed with the government of Vietnam and endorsed by the participants in the programme and that its recommendations are now being implemented;

7.Underlines that the evaluation report indicates that

(a)from the point of view of the number of opportunities created the programme has been successful,

(b)performance across the different components of the programme has been uneven,

(c)the programme is well positioned to improve and expand its outreach, the selected delivery mechanisms being fundamentally appropriate for the given objectives,

(d)a review of implementation is required with a view to redefining targets and refocussing the approach to work on some specific issues;

8.Strongly believes that lasting success for the programme can only be guaranteed by a long term stable economic, social and political development of the country; considers in this respect that the Community has a fundamental role to play in helping Vietnam to reach economic and social development by bridging the gap between relief and development;

9.Stresses that Vietnam must be given its fair share of the available aid from the Community's budget for cooperation with the developing countries in Asia and Latin America duly taking into account the fact that it is one of the poorest of these countries,

10.Reiterates its demand that the Commission defines and implements without any delay a full scale development and economic programme of cooperation; welcomes in this respect the projects currently under way within the framework of the "EC-International Investment Partners" facility;

11.Underlines in particular the massive needs existing in the following areas:

-infrastructure, notably in the transport sector,

-energy generation,

-health and sanitation,

-training and technical assistance;

12.Welcomes the recent signature of a textile agreement between the Community and Vietnam;

13.Expresses its appreciation of the more open economic policy followed by the government of Vietnam; welcomes in this respect the Commission's willingness to provide technical assistance for restructuring and a smooth transition to a market economy;

14.Reiterates its demand that the Community and the Member States make efforts to end the blocking of IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank aid to Vietnam and to obtain the removal of the US embargo;

15.Expresses the hope that the International Conference on Economic Development in Vietnam to be held under the aegis of the UNDP in November 1993 will in fact take place; demands that the Community and its Member States play an active role in this Conference;

16.Welcomes the fact that the negotiation and conclusion of a framework cooperation agreement with Vietnam is included in the Commission's legislative programme for 1993; calls on the Commission and Council to effectively ensure that such an agreement comes into being in the course of this year;

17.Reiterates its demand to the Commission to make preparations for the opening of a delegation office in Vietnam once a cooperation agreement has been concluded;

18.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Members States and the government of Vietnam.