8. Draws attention to the fact that displacement due to conflicts, natural disasters or environmental degradation leaves certain populations particularly vulnerable; stresses that refugees, internally displaced persons, victims of trafficking and other migrants caught in crises that endanger their lives must be afforded suitable protection of their human rights; expresses its deep concern regarding the unprecedentedly high number of refugees, externally displaced persons and migrants in the world today, and calls on the global community to use the World Humanitarian Summit to mobilise the necessary financial and operational resources t ...[+++]o meet this challenge by specifically focusing on its root causes; highlights the importance of interreligious and intercultural dialogues in tackling massive refugee flows; calls on the EU and its Member States to prioritise the global refugee crisis in its policies and positions regarding the Summit, with a view to tackling the consequences of, and underlying reasons for, this flood of refugees; with this in view, urges the World Humanitarian Summit to call for more efficient ways to combat human trafficking and clamp down on recruitment and funding for terrorist groups by preventing and suppressing the recruiting, organising, transporting, and equipping of terrorist fighters, and the financing of their travel and activities; underlines the necessity and importance of rapid action together with a long-term concrete and comprehensive action plan to be applied in cooperation with third countries and local, national and regional actors for an effective and efficient approach with regard to the organised criminal networks of migrant smugglers; notes that Article 14(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to seek and enjoy asylum, and stresses the obligation of states not to practise refoulement towards refugees; stresses the need for the EU, its Member States and all international actors to comply ful ...

A. whereas, as a consequence of the global refugee crisis, an unprecedented number of people are seeking protection in the EU; whereas the surge in refugee numbers looks set to continue as a result of the ever-increasing instability on Europe’s borders due to conflicts, coupled with blatant violations of human rights, a sharp increase in violence and terrorism and the devastating effects of climate change, and whereas this highlights once more the urgent need to do everything possible to save the lives of people who are fleeing their countries and are in danger, and the fact that the Member States should abide by their international obl ...[+++]igations, including rescue obligations at sea;

As well as addressing long-term root causes, the EU helps to mitigate the impact of crisis at a local level. This needs a sustained effort: more than 70% of the world's refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are trapped in situations of displacement for five years or more.

- (SV) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Friday is World Refugee Day, when attention will be focused on the situation of refugees across the world.

Some 4% of the world's total number of refugees are in Azerbaijan.

– (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, sign language interpreter, I would like to express a few thoughts on the World Year of People with Disabilities. I am also speaking on behalf of Mr Mantovani, who is particularly interested in this subject and cannot be here with us today.