AMU adheres and spreads the letter to the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni signed by the organizations adhering to the 070 Campaign and the Peace and Disarmament Network
Honorable President Giorgia Meloni,
In view of the extraordinary meeting of the European Council on 6 March, we are writing to urge you to resist a proposal that we consider serious and dangerous: to cut funding for social spending, the environment and Official Development Assistance (ODA) in order to increase military spending.
Cooperation funds are international obligations that derive from international agreements and that Italy and a large part of European countries already do not comply with with respect to achieving the objective of 0.70% by 2030. Cutting aid, as has already happened in the Italian context in the last Budget Law, would be both a moral failure and a strategic error. In a historical moment of growing instability, global crises, alarming levels of food insecurity, when conflicts, climate disasters and inequalities are on a worsening trend, Europe must reaffirm its global leadership and its commitment to multilateralism and solidarity. Because only together can we face the terrible challenges of our time.
True security is not based on military force. It is built through commitments to stability, diplomacy, of democracy and development . Reducing aid in the name of security will not make our world safer; it will make it more fragile by deepening global inequalities, deepening humanitarian crises, and fueling the conflicts we seek to prevent, ultimately undermining long-term global security and stability.
The Trump administration’s decision to suspend aid and dismantle USAID is threatening the lives and futures of communities in many of the EU’s partner countries: Europe can offer a different vision, far from withdrawing from multilateral commitments and global cooperation.
Mr President, it is time for Europe to show its leadership in the fight against poverty, humanitarian crises and inequalities. We call on you and all European leaders not to be self-centered, not to prioritize short-term military force alone, but to demonstrate moral and strategic strength by focusing, for the good of humanity, on long-term global stability and prosperity . We call on you to support a European vision based on multilateralism, solidarity and support for those who are most vulnerable, demonstrating that this is the only way to achieve a safer, fairer and more equitable world.
Our security is strengthened by supporting others, not weakened. We ask you to protect and increase resources for official development assistance, so that we can address global challenges together with communities and partner countries in the South and thus build a more interconnected, safer, more just and more equitable world for all.
Trusting that you will give this letter the highest consideration, we hope that you will act in accordance with what is requested here.
Best regards,
the organizations adhering to the 070 Campaign and the Peace and Disarmament Network
