18. Urges the Member States and the Commission to increase the funding and means for humanitarian crisis responses inside and outside the European Union; underlines the fact that the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis should be part of a longer-term plan that includes humanitarian support for the countries neighbouring the refugees’ countries of origin, and measures to strengthen their early recovery and protection capacities, reinforce the role of UN agencies and improve the human rights and economic situation in the countr ...[+++]ies of origin and transit;

41. Observes that support for legislative reforms is one of the most common pre-accession projects; notes that institutional frameworks are now in line with European standards, but is concerned that the sustainability of those changes in laws and frameworks in candidate and potential candidate countries is at risk due to the lack of an overall strategy as noted by external evaluators; notes in particular that bylaws and complementary regulations are often missing, changes in roles and responsibilities are not made clear, and staff are not properly trained and thus cannot apply the new laws as intended; insists that support for judiciary reform and the fight against corruption mus ...[+++]t be long-term and comprehensive with evaluation criteria covering the whole process from the production of new frameworks, laws, bylaws and regulations to actual prosecution in high-level cases;

46. Highlights the important role played by the EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace, which aims to identify approaches with which to integrate gender equality and women’s human rights into new aid modalities, to provide support for national partners’ efforts to fulfil international obligations on gender equality and to match their commitment to gender equality with adequate financial allocations in national development programmes and budgets; stresses that this project has a specific focus on the role of women in conflict and post-conflict situations, and especially on the proper implementation of UN Security ...[+++]Council Resolution 1325;

46. Highlights the important role played by the EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace, which aims to identify approaches with which to integrate gender equality and women's human rights into new aid modalities, to provide support for national partners' efforts to fulfil international obligations on gender equality and to match their commitment to gender equality with adequate financial allocations in national development programmes and budgets; stresses that this project has a specific focus on the role of women in conflict and post-conflict situations, and especially on the proper implementation of UN Security ...[+++]Council Resolution 1325;

The EU reaffirms that its efforts should be firmly anchored in broader international approaches, with the UN-OCHA in the central coordinating role.

The appropriate role of external actors is therefore instead to support and encourage domestic efforts to build, strengthen and sustain democratic norms, procedures and institutions.