31.10.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L2873 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) REGULATION (EC) No 2130/2001 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 29 October 2001 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian and Latin American developing countries THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 179(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: 1) In the context of refugee policy, the United Nations have adopted the Convention concluded in Geneva on 28 July 1951 relating to the Status of Refugees, the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967 and many resolutions in this field and in the fields of human rights and humani- tarian law. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966, the Inter- national Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 16 December 1966, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women of 18 December 1979 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989 also address the issue of refugees. The European Parliament has adopted several resolutions in this area, including the Resolution of 16 December 1983 on assistance to refugees in developing coun- tries (3). Both the European Parliament and the Council have called for greater effort by the Community in this field. An integrated, consistent and effective strategy must be devised for Community action in respect of humani- tarian aid, rehabilitation, aid to uprooted people and development cooperation, with a view to pursuing a sustainable European Community development policy. () O] C 120 E, 24.4.2001, p. 163. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 5 July 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal), and Decision of the Council of 16 October 2001. () O] C 10, 16.1.1984, p. 278. (6) (10) It is particularly necessary to integrate aid for uprooted peoples with the development strategy of the countries and population groups for whom the aid is destined; Community action should therefore facilitate the move from the emergency stage to that of development, encouraging the socio-economic integration or reinte- gration of the people affected and, given the need to eliminate the causes of armed conflict, encourage the establishment or strengthening of democratic structures and the role of the population in the development process. Support programmes for uprooted people and demobi- lised former soldiers are an integral part of an overall rehabilitation strategy for Asian and Latin American developing countries. For the programmes to be effec- tive, aid must be coordinated at Community level and with other donors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and United Nations bodies, particularly the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Commission should take responsibility both for monitoring and ensuring the visibility of funds channelled through NGOs and the United Nations. The Commission is moreover politically responsible for the ways in which its funds are spent by NGOs and the United Nations. The effectiveness and consistency of Community, national and international prevention and intervention mechanisms should be ensured, both in order to prevent conflicts and to encourage all peaceful solutions to polit- ical conflicts and wars which result in population displacement. The specialised bodies and agencies and NGOs have acquired considerable experience of helping uprooted people from implementing operations of this kind in the past. Ideally, action to help uprooted people should form part of an approach that aims to move on from so-called subsistence to a stage in which they become self-suffi- cient or less dependent.