20 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2021/2181(INI)
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted economic and social rights in most of the countries in the world whilst the health and subsequent economic crisis triggered the growth of inequality within and between countries; whereas, to address this twin crisis, it is imperative to ensure international cooperation and solidarity, including in terms of equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. Whereas climate change and environmental degradation are two urgent and interlinked challenges underpinning sustainable development as well as the enjoyment of human rights globally;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is extremely concerned by the challenges to human rights and democracy, resulting in the weakening of the protection of democratic institutions and of universal human rights, as well as the shrinking space for civil society, observed around the world; calls for the EU and its Member States to make stronger efforts to address the challenges to human rights within the EU and in third countries, both individually and in cooperation with like- minded international partners;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law is a cross-cutting objective in the whole NDICI – Global Europe Instrument as stipulated in Article 3 (objectives) of the Regulation; underlines the importance of the Human Rights and Democracy thematic programme adopted under the NDICI – Global Europe Instrument for the promotion of human rights around the world; and calls upon the European Commission and European External Action Service to integrate democracy support as a cross-cutting priority in all thematic and geographic NDICI programmes;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the contribution of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR) to defending and advancing human rights in the world; underlines the EUSR’s important role in enhancing the effectiveness of the EU’s human rights policies through engagement with third countries, cooperation with like-minded partners to advance the human rights agenda and increasing the coherence of the EU’s policies in the field; reiterates that the appointment of the EUSR should be subject to a prior hearing in Parliament;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. encourages the EUSR to pursue diplomatic efforts to enhance the EU support for international humanitarian law and international justice; believes that making the most of its expanded mandate will require added human and financial resources, as well as political backing from the EU High Representative and EU member states at the highest level of government; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that adequate resources are provided to the new special representative and his team; suggests to keep under review whether a dedicated position for an EU Special Representative on International Humanitarian Law and International Justice may be necessary in the future;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that all civil society actors, in particular independent civil society organisations, have a vital role to play in the dialogues, in terms of providing input both to the dialogues and to evaluation of their outcomes; underlines that such organisations should therefore be consultedthe EU and its member states should ensure genuine consultation and participation of such organisations within the framework of official and informal dialogues, as well as exploratory talks; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to improve communication and transparency with regard to civil society organisations and ensure that the consultations are accessible and inclusive of all most excluded groups in society; to this end, calls on the EEAS and the Commission to appoint human rights focal points at the geographical divisions of their headquarters;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, an essential universal forum for international consensus-building on peace and security, sustainable development and respect for human rights and international law; calls for the EU and its Member States to maintain their vital support to the UN and to continue their efforts to speak with one voice in the UN and other multilateral forums; stresses that the challenges to the universal enjoyment of human rights call for even stronger multilateralism and international cooperation; highlights the vital role of UN bodies as the forum for advancing peace, conflict resolution and the protection of human rights, and welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Human Rights;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses the link between human rights violations and widespread impunity and the lack of accountability in regions and countries affected by conflicts; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to explore ways and present new tools to contribute to the fight against international crimes and end impunity, to help the victims of violations of international human rights law and of international humanitarian law to access international justice and obtain remedy and reparation, including through building the capacity of Member States and non-EU countries to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction in their domestic legal systems;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines that COVID-19 has significantly strengthened the recent trends of authoritarian regimes weakening democracy; deplores the abuse of the epidemiological crisis by these regimes to further constrain the freedom of expression and of assembly through restricting the functioning of democratic institutions, the repression of dissent, including limiting media freedom both online and offline and targeting critics with defamation campaigns, the discrimination against marginalized populations and particularly indigenous populations and other minorities, the mass use of surveillance tools, disinformation campaigns, limiting access to information through blanket internet shutdowns, bandwidth throttling and content blocking, emergency measures implemented without clear criteria for their revocation and the restrictions placed on the democratic exercise of elections;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is seriously concerned at the precarious situation of human rights defenders and deplores the fact that they are the victims of increasing violence, including targeted killings; underlines the particularly severe situation, further aggravated by COVID-19, of femalewomen, environmental, labour, environmental and indigenous human rights defenders; deplores the increased use of techniques such as harassment, criminalisation and defamation campaigns, arbitrary arrests and unlimited detention in inhumane conditions used to silence human rights defenders, often on the basis of ill-defined terrorism charges; reiterates its call to EU Delegations and Member States’ embassies in third countries to study developments and challenges on the right to promote and protect human rights and seek, receive and respond to information on the situation of human rights defenders, regularly visit activists in prison, monitor their trials and advocate their access to justice and protection;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly condemns the killing of human rights defenders around the world and demands justice and accountability at the highest level of decision making for those attacks; stresses that most of them were engaged in the protection of their land and the environment and the defence of the rights of indigenous peoples; reiterates its call to ensure that the principle of free, prior and informed consent is fully respected, in line with International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples; stresses the need to improve access to justice throughout the world with a view to combating the widespread impunity for such killings; notes, however, that greater efforts are needed not only on reparation and redress, but also in prevention through, inter alia, the strengthening of national plans for the protection of human rights defenders in third countries;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. HAcknowledges that climate change is one of the greatest threats to human rights of our generation, posing a serious risk to the fundamental rights to life, health, food and an adequate standard of living of individuals and communities; highlights the interdependence between human rights, a healthy environment and combating climate change, and welcomes the UN’s call for global recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; underlines the vital role played by environmental human rights defenders and local and indigenous populations in preserving such an environment, despite the threats of violence that they often face from those responsible for, and profiting from, environmentally harmful practices; encourages the EU and the Member States to promote the recognition of ecocide as an international crime under the Rome Statute of the ICC, and requests that the Commission study the relevance of ecocide to EU law and EU diplomacy;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. DAcknowledges the disproportionate impact that the pandemic has had on women, particularly in regard to the increase in domestic violence as a result of COVID-19 lockdown measures; deplores the fact that women continue to make up the majority of victims of gender- based violence, such as domestic violence and sexual violence and abuse, including female genital mutilation, and that they face discrimination in political and professional life, as well as in access to education and healthcare; stresses that the provision of care, protection and access to justice for victims of gender- based violence and trafficking has significantly decreased as a result of the pandemic, and calls for the EU to promote the development of emergency assistance plans and protocols both at UN level and in partner countries, with the aim of adapting assistance programmes to the circumstances of the pandemic, its aftermath and future crises;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Regrets the fact that the overall progress in women’s rights is far below the UN countries’ commitments included in the Beijing Convention in 1995 and is concerned at the trend of backsliding in progress achieved; in this regard, is extremely concerned about the deterioration of the right of every individual to have full control over matters related to their sexuality, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), without coercion and discrimination, in particular with regard to safe and free access to abortion; condemns the ongoing backlash against gender equality and women’s rights, including all attempts to roll back existing entitlements and protections in the area of SRHR, as well as legislation, policies and practices that continue to deny or restrict these rights in many countries in the world; calls for the EU and its Member States to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights as part of their international commitments and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. calls for the EU to ensure the integration of a gender perspective throughout its efforts in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and post- conflict reconstruction operations, transitional justice and the promotion of human rights and democratic reforms;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Expresses grave concerns over the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war; stresses that sexual crimes and gender-based violence are considered by the Rome Statute as war crimes, crimes against humanity or constitutive elements of genocide or torture; calls for concerted action to put an end to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war; calls for the EU to combat impunity for sexual and reproductive rights violations in conflict settings and supports the rights of women and girls to truth, effective remedies and reparations for violations of these rights;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Strongly condemns the discrimination, stigmatisation, arbitrary detention, torture, persecution and killings of LGBTIQ persons; believes that practices and acts of violence against individuals on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics should not go unpunished and must be eradicated; calls for the EU to play a leading role in defending the human rights of LGBTIQ persons, including the use of all diplomatic tools at its disposal to advocate towards de- criminalisation of sexual relations between consenting same-sex partners; calls on the EU and Member States to thoroughly and consistently apply the EU guidelines on protection of human rights of LGBTIQ persons across its external policy;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Considers that corruption also constitutes a major violation of human rights and that the EU and its Member States must address it as such in their external action by applying the highest transparency standards to their funding to third countries, as well as by supporting anti-corruption civil society organisations, journalists and whistle-blowers; reiterates its call for abuses and acts of systemic corruption related to grave human rights violations to be also considered within the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Stresses the multi-faceted threat to the enjoyment of human rights brought about by modern armed conflicts, which, in addition to states, often involve non-state agents and terrorist organisations and have disastrous humanitarian consequences; reiterates its call for the EU to strengthen its response to conflicts in collaboration with partner countries and regional organisations, including a strong focus on conflict prevention, mediation and good offices efforts, addressing the root causes of the conflicts, humanitarian aid, providing the necessary support to the international peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions, as well as EU missions in the framework of the common security and defence policy, and post- conflict reconstruction operations supporting and applying strong integration and scrutiny of human rights and a robust gender perspective;