45 Amendments of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS related to 2017/2122(INI)
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21
Citation 21
— having regard to the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World in 20165,
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Article 21 of the TEU commits the EU to developing a common foreign and security policy (CFSP) guided by the principles of democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principle of equality and solidarity, including women's rights and gender equality and compliance with the UN Charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and international law;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas today’s worldwide abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocides, necessitate determined efforts on the part of the whole international community;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas an increasing number of human rights violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, are being committed by state and non-state actors;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas children and women face increasing threats, discrimination and violence, especially in war zones and authoritarian regimes;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas gender equality is at the core of European values and enshrined within the EU’s legal and political framework;whereas violence and discrimination against women and girls has dramatically increased during the recent years;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, as well as the right to apostasy and the right to adopt atheistic views must be enhanced unconditionally through interreligious and intercultural dialogue;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas laws prohibiting blasphemy are widespread, with states laying down disproportionate punishments ranging from prison sentences to lashings or the death penalty;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
E b. whereas an appalling number of human rights defenders were killed, harassed, detained or subjected to smear campaigns and other violations in 2016;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
E c. whereas cultural heritage sites face increasing threats in the form of illicit looting and vandalism, especially in the Middle East;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Article 207 of the TFEU stipulates that the EU’s commercial policy is to be based on the principles and objectives of the Union’s external action; whereas trade and human rights reinforce each other, and whereas the business community has an important role to play in offering positive incentives in terms of promoting human rights, democracy and corporate responsibility;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas in fragile, conflict-prone or oppressive societies, elections can at times trigger widespread political violence;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas human rights and democracy support policies should be mainstreamed across all other EU policies with an external dimension, such as development, migration, security, counter- terrorism, women’s rights and gender equality, enlargement and trade in particular through the implementation of human rights conditionality;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its firm belief that the EU and its Member States must actively pursue the principle of mainstreaming human rights and democracy in all EU policies, including those with an external dimension, such as development, migration, security, counter-terrorism, enlargement and trade, in particular through the implementation of human rights conditionality; reiterates, in this regard, the crucial importance of ensuring increased coherence between the EU’s internal and external policies;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses grave concern about the increasing number of attacks against religious minorities, in particular Christians, which are often committed by non-state actors such as ISIS/Daesh; deplores the attempts of state actors to limit freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression by adopting and implementing blasphemy laws; calls for the EU and its Member States to step up their efforts to enhance respect for freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief and to promote interreligious dialogue when engaging with third countries; requests concrete action towards the effective implementation of the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, including by ensuring the systematic and consistent training of EU staff at headquarters and in delegations; supports fully the EU practice of taking the lead on thematic resolutions on freedom of religion and belief at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN General Assembly (UNGA); supports fully the work of the EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU, Mr Ján Figel;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Requests actions to protect religious minorities, non-believers and atheists that are victims of blasphemy laws and calls on the EU and Member States to engage in political discussions to repeal such laws;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is deeply concerned that civil society is increasingly under attack worldwide, through, inter alia, a growing number of repressive laws adopted throughout the world, under the pretext of combating terrorism or disclosing "foreign agents"; recalls that independent civil society plays an essential role in the defence and advancement of human rights and in the functioning of democratic societies; deeply regrets the fact that human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists are victims of harassment, intimidation and killings; calls for the EU and its Member States to constantly monitor and raise cases of violations of freedom of assembly and association, including the various forms of bans and limitations on civil society organisations (CSOs) and their activities, such as laws aiming at shrinking civil society space or the promotion of NGOs sponsored by governments (GONGOs) which mimic a functioning and free civil society space; calls, in addition, for the EU and its Member States to use all available means, such as human rights dialogues, political dialogues and public diplomacy, to systematically raise individual cases of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society activists at risk, particularly those in prison;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Calls for the establishment of a system to effectively monitor civil society space with clear benchmarks and indicators, to fill in the gaps in the overall framework under which the EU deals with the issue of civil society space, notably as regards the use and definition of terms around the enabling, conducive, legal environment for civil society;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Strongly condemns the increasing number of human rights defenders facing digital threats, including compromised data through confiscation of equipment, remote surveillance and data leakages;condemns the practice of online surveillance and hacking to gather information, which can be used in legal cases or defamation campaigns;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers it deeply regrettable that torture, ill-treatment and the death penalty continue all over the world, and calls for the EU to intensify its efforts to eradicate these serious human rights violations; welcomes in this regard the update of the EU legislation on trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other treatment or punishment; urges the EEAS and the VP/HR to engage more strongly in the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, including the death penalty, through increased diplomatic efforts and more systematic public positioning; recommends that the EEAS, the EU delegations and the Member States use all existing instruments, such as the EU Guidelines on Torture, to their full potential; welcomes the fact that the UN’s resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty was adopted by the UNGA in December 2016 with the support of 117 countries;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers it deeply regrettable that torture, ill-treatment and the death penalty continue all over the world, and calls for the EU to intensify its efforts to eradicate these serious human rights violationsm; urges the EEAS and the VP/HR to engage more strongly in the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, including the death penalty, through increased diplomatic efforts and more systematic public positioning; recommends that the EEAS, the EU delegations and the Member States use all existing instruments, such as the EU Guidelines on Torture, to their full potential; welcomes the fact that the UN’s resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty was adopted by the UNGA in December 2016 with the support of 117 countries; calls on countries that still retain this practice to adopt a moratorium and abolish the death penalty;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Expresses its concern about the increasing privatisation of the rule of law online, where private companies make decisions about the limitations of fundamental rights such as freedom of speech on the basis of their term of services as opposed to democratically adopted laws;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Calls on the Commission to adopt a notice-and-action directive which increases the transparency and proportionality of takedown procedures, while providing effective remedies for users whose content has been wrongly taken down;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Expresses its concern about the ever-increasing use of certain cyber surveillance dual-use technologies that are being used against politicians, activists and journalists;welcomes in this regard the ongoing work of the EU institutions to update the dual-use export control regulation;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Condemns the fact that women’s sexual and reproductive rights are frequently violated;emphasises that proper, affordable health care and universal respect for and access to sexual and reproductive rights and education should be ensured to all women;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reaffirms the urgent need for the universal ratification and effective implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols; underlines that children are often exposed to specific abuses, such as child marriages or genital mutilation, and therefore are in need of enhanced protection; requests that the EU systematically consult relevant local and international child rights organisations, and raise, in its political and human rights dialogues with third countries, States Parties’ obligations to implement the Convention; welcomes the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021); requests that the EU continue to promote the EU-UNICEF Child Rights Toolkit for integrating child rights in development cooperation through its external delegations, and to train the EU delegation staff adequately in this field; reiterates its request for the Commission to propose a comprehensive children’s rights strategy and action plan for the next five years, in order to prioritise children’s rights within EU external policies; welcomes the fact that under the 2016 Development Cooperation Instrument, resources were allocated to support UN agencies in carrying out measures targeted to children’s rights;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Reaffirms the fact that the activities of all companies, including European ones, operating in third countries should be in full compliance with international human rights standards; reaffirms, moreover, the importance of promoting corporate social responsibility and of European enterprises playing a leading role in promoting international standards on business and human rights; acknowledges that global value chains contribute to enhancing international core labour, environmental and social standards, and represent an opportunity for sustainable progress, especially in developing countries; outlines, however, that in case of business-related human rights abuses, the effective access to remedies for victims should be ensured;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls for the EU to provide support to organisations (including NGOs, open source investigation organisations, Iraqi and Syrian civil society) that collect, preserve and protect evidence, digital and otherwise, of crimes committed in Iraq and Syria by any party to these conflicts, in order to facilitate their prosecution internationally;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Expresses concern over YouTube deleting video evidence relating to potential war crimes in Syria as part of its work to remove terrorist content and propaganda from the platform;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Expresses grave concern over the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya; notes that of the world’s 38 endangered cultural heritage sites, 22 are in the Middle East; supports the activities of the Cultural Heritage Initiative and its fact-finding activities in Syria and Iraq related to the destruction of archaeological and cultural heritage;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Welcomes the EU’s efforts to support the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) set up by the UN to assist in the investigation of serious crimes committed in Syria; emphasises the need to set up a similar independent mechanism in Iraq; calls on the EU and on EU Member States that have not already done so to contribute financially to the IIIM;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly condemns the heinous crimes and human rights violations committed by state actors, such as the Syrian regime in Syria and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and non-state actors, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and, ISIS/Daesh in Syria and Iraq, Iraq and Libya, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, amongst others; is horrified at the vast range of crimes committed, including murder, torture, rape, enslavement and sexual slavery, the recruitment of child soldiers, forced religious conversions and the systematic killing of religious minorities, including Christians, Yazidis and others; emphasises that the EU and its Member States should support the prosecution of members of non-state groups such as ISIS/Daesh by seeking a consensus within the UN Security Council to confer jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court (ICC);
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly condemns the heinous crimes and human rights violations committed by state actors, as well as non- state actors such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and, ISIS/Daesh in Syria and Iraq and Houthi in Yemen, among others; is horrified at the vast range of crimes committed, including murder, torture, rape as a weapon of war, enslavement and sexual slavery, the recruitment of child soldiers, forced religious conversions and the systematic killing of religious minorities, including Christians, Yazidis and others; emphasises that the EU and its Member States should support the prosecution of state actors, as well as members of non-state groups such as ISIS/Daesh by seeking a consensus within the UN Security Council to confer jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court (ICC);
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Reiterates its condemnation, in the harshest terms, of the crimes perpetrated by the Syrian regime against its population and the Saudi-led coalition against the population in Yemen; calls for more EU leadership towards a negotiated end to violence, and in ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Believes that exports to Saudi Arabia are non-compliant with at least criterion 2 regarding the country's involvement in grave breaches of humanitarian law as established by competent UN authorities; reiterates its call from 26 February 2016 on the urgent need to impose an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its full support for the ICC, the Rome Statute, the Office of the Prosecutor, the Prosecutor’s proprio motu powers, and the progress made in initiating new investigations as an essential means to fight impunity for atrocity crimes; strongly condemns any attempts to undermine its legitimacy or independence, and calls on the EU and Member States to consistently support ICC examinations, investigations and decisions, in order to end impunity of the most serious international crimes; welcomes the meeting of 6 July 2016 between EU and ICC representatives in Brussels in preparation for the 2nd EU-ICC round table meeting, enabling relevant staff at the ICC and the EU institutions to identify common areas of interest, exchange information on relevant activities and ensure better cooperation between both parties; notes, with profound regret, the recent announcements of withdrawals from the Rome Statute, which represent a challenge in terms of victims’ access to justice and which should be firmly condemned; reiterates its call for the VP/HR to appoint an EUSR for International Humanitarian Law and International Justice with a mandate to promote, mainstream and represent the EU’s commitment to the fight against impunity and to the ICC across EU foreign policies;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Expresses profound concern at and solidarity with the large number of refugees and migrants who suffer grave human rights violations as the victims of conflicts, persecution, governance failures and illegal migration, trafficking and smuggling networks; stresses the urgent need to tackle the root causes of migration flows and therefore to address the external dimension of the refugee crisis, including by finding sustainable solutions to conflicts in our neighbourhood by developing cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned; underlines the need for a comprehensive human-rights- based approach to migration and calls for the EU to collaborate further with the UN, regional organisations, governments and NGOs;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Expresses profound concern at and solidarity with the large number of refugees and migrants who suffer grave human rights violations as the victims of conflicts, persecution, governance failures and illegal migration, trafficking and smuggling networks; stresses the urgent need to tackle the root causes of migration flows and therefore to address the external dimension of the refugee crisis, including by finding sustainable solutions to conflicts in our neighbourhood by developing, among others, cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned; underlines the need for a comprehensive human-rights-based approach to migration and calls for the EU to collaborate further with the UN, regional organisations, governments and NGOs;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the EU and the Member States to establish full transparency concerning the funds allocated to third countries for cooperation on migration and to ensure that such cooperation does not benefit, directly or indirectly, security, police and justice systems involved in human rights violations;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Warns against the instrumentalisation of EU foreign policy as ‘migration management’ and emphasises that any attempt to work with third countries on migration must go hand in hand with improving human rights conditions within these countries;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2015; cConsiders that the Annual Report is an indispensable tool for scrutiny, communication and debate on the EU’s policy on human rights and democracy in the world;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Recognises the key role of the EUSR for Human Rights, Mr Lambrinidis, in enhancing the EU’s visibility and effectiveness in protecting and promoting human rights and democratic principles around the world, and highlights his role in promoting the consistent and coherent implementation of the EU’s human rights policy; welcomes the extension of the EUSR’s mandate until 28 February 2019 and reiterates its request for this mandate to be made permanent; recommends, in this regard, that the EUSR be given own- initiative powers, higher public visibility and adequate staff and financial resources to work at his full potential; further recommends the EUSR to increase the transparency of his activities, plans, progress reports and reviews;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Acknowledges that Human Rights Dialogues with third countries can be an efficient tool for bilateral engagement and cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights; welcomes the establishment of Human Rights Dialogues with a growing number of countries; urges the EEAS to ensure that women’s rights are included in all agendas and to systematically hold consultation meetings with civil society, including local civil society, before and after each Dialogue; praises and further encourages the involvement of civil society in preparatory dialogues; reiterates its call for the development of a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring and reviewing the functioning of Human Rights Dialogues;