Meeting of the Committee on Development with Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014 on the Development in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in the EP in Brussels. Statements by Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014.

Brussels

meeting

EU - Democratic Republic of the Congo (T)

Committee on Development

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2014 (T)

MUKWEGE, Denis

Development in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: extracts from the meeting of the Committee on Development with Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014

Arrival and handshake of MUKWEGE, Denis and  McAVAN, Linda (S&amp;D, UK), Chair of DEVE. (2 shots).

Arrival of MICHEL, Louis (ALDE, FR), Chair of Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (1 shot).       

SOUNDBITE (French), Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014, "I'm particulary touched, because as we have just heard from Louis Michel, your solidarity and your will to stand by us in a fight in which we sometimes feel alone, and sometimes overwhelmed because we are intimidated constantly threatened really strikes me."

SOUNDBITE (French), Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014, "We know that there can be no development without peace and stability, we can make every effort but without peace and stability there will be no development. Security and respect for human rights are indispensable prerequisites to any effort that aims to produce sustainable development."

SOUNDBITE (French), Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014, "The international community and the  EU need to encourage all those involved to get involved in dialogue. The EU and its Member states to support free and credible elections. The European instrument for democracy and human rights could make a contribution to Congolese civil society efforts to ensure monitoring and responsible citizen participation to ensure that the authorities are accountable."

SOUNDBITE (French), Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014, "I would like humbly reiterate my call to the members of the European Parliament to ensure more consistency between economic policies and respect for human rights and to put human dignity at the heart of economic and financial concerns. A historic opportunity to contribute to breaking the links that exist in the trade of blood minerals will present itself during the next EP plenary session which will be taking place on the 20th of May. This is one of the recurring causes of the conflicts and human rights violations such as sexual violence which are taking place. Whose victims have been treated for several years at the Panzi hospital."

SOUNDBITE (French), Denis MUKWEGE, Sakharov Prize laureate 2014, "We are concerned that the rules proposed by the EC are too weak to produce real change. The choice is left up to importers to procure in a responsible manner the minerals  aforementioned. The involuntary mechanisms they are intending to instar are addressing only to 0.05 % of companies using or commercialise these minerals within the EU. Otherwise, if the mechanism of the Commission proposal will be adopted, there will be no enterprise that  will be legally binded to verify if they are financing conflicts participating or to report to the Committee of human rights violation.