93 Amendments of Hilde VAUTMANS related to 2022/2049(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 (new)
Citation 1 (new)
- having regard to Articles 2 and 3(1) ofthe Treaty on European Union (TEU), and Articles 8 of the Treaty on theFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Citation 2 (new)
Citation 2 (new)
- having regard to the European Pillar ofSocial Rights and, in particular, its principles 2, 3, 11 and 17,
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Citation 3 (new)
Citation 3 (new)
- having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW) of 18 December 1979,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Citation 5 (new)
Citation 5 (new)
- having regard the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Citation 6 (new)
Citation 6 (new)
- having regard to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women on 15 September 1995;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Citation 8 (new)
Citation 8 (new)
- having regard to its Resolution of 7 July 2022 on the US Supreme Court decision to overturn abortion rights in the United States and the need to safeguard abortion rights and women’s heath in the EU
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Citation 10 (new)
Citation 10 (new)
- having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (‘Istanbul Convention’),
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Citation 12 (new)
Citation 12 (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy,
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Citation 13 (new)
Citation 13 (new)
- having regard to the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2021
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Citation 14 (new)
Citation 14 (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 7April 2022 on the EU’s protection of children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine,
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Citation 15 (new)
Citation 15 (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 5 May2022 on the impact of the war against Ukraine on women,
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Citation 16 (new)
Citation 16 (new)
- having regard the joint communication of the Commission and the High representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III – An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action’ (JOIN(2020)0017), having regard to the Resolution on the impact of the war against Ukraine on women of 5 May 2022,
Amendment 17 #
- having regard to its report of 22 June 2022 on intersectional discrimination in the European Union: the socio-economic situation of women of African, Middle-Eastern, Latin-American and Asian descent,
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Recital A (new)
Recital A (new)
A. whereas gender equality is a core value of the EU; whereas the right to equal treatment and non-discrimination is a fundamental right enshrined in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and should be fully respected; whereas the right to the integrity of the person is paramount under Article 3 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; whereas gender mainstreaming and intersCectional approach should therefore be implemented and integrated as a horizontal principle in all EU activities and policies;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Recital C (new)
Recital C (new)
C. whereas theCOVID-19 crisis and its consequences have clear gender perspectives as they affect women and men differently all over the world; whereas the pandemic has exacerbated existing structural gender inequalities; whereas its consequences disproportionately affect lives of vulnerable groups including women, people of colour, LGBTQIA+ persons, people with disabilities, older people and others, for example preventing them from access to essential health and care services including SRHR services and gender based violence support;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Recital D (new)
Recital D (new)
D. whereas since the pandemic violence against women has increased; whereas more than 45% of women reported that they or a woman they know has experienced a form of violence since 2019 and 65% of women reported experiencing it in their lifetime; whereas globally, 245 million of women and girls aged 15 years or over have been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months; whereas more than 4 in 10 women feel more unsafe in public spaces than before and 1 in 2 women feel unsafe walking alone at night, whereas 6 in 10 women say they think sexual harassment in public has worsened;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Recital F (new)
Recital F (new)
F. whereas countries all around the world are facing a backlash against gender equality, women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights, especially in the sphere of access to sexual and reproductive rights; whereas the Supreme Court of the US decided on 24 June 2022 to overturn the Roe v Wade ruling, putting an end to the federal constitutional right to abortion in US, allowing states to ban abortion at any point during pregnancy and opening up the possibility of complete bans on abortion; whereas since then, there had been a growing number of states in US and worldwide, who decided to ban abortions or limit the right to abortion;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Recital G (new)
Recital G (new)
G. whereas racialised women, women from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, women from minorities, women with disabilities, migrant women and LGBTIQ+ people faceadditional and multiple violations of their human rights; whereas they are often restricted from participating fully and effectively in economic, social and political life; whereas women subjected to intersecting types of discrimination all around the world face multiple obstacles in accessing the formal labour market, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination, poverty, economic exploitation, social exclusion and gender-based violence, including sexual harassment and mistreatment; whereas they face racism and discrimination in access to health care, support services in the case of violence and other services, denying their human rights; whereas afrophobia, antigypsism, antisemitism and islamophobia are widespread forms of racism all around the world;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Recital H (new)
Recital H (new)
H. whereas all around the world religion and ideology are used against women' and girls' rights and against gender equality in general; whereas women, girls and LGBTQIA+ persons experience gender-based violence and discrimination that impedes their ability to fully enjoy their human rights by state and non-state actors relying on religious ‘justifications’ for their actions; whereas women expressing their religion and beliefs by their clothing or physical appearance are more often victims of violence and discrimination;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Recital I (new)
Recital I (new)
I. whereas between2021-2022 1a, a total of fourteen female journalists were killed worldwide, marking an increase from the number given for 2020; whereas whilst more male journalists are killed each year, women generally experience more online and sexual harassment and are targeted more frequently in this regard; whereas women are engaging in politics in record numbers around the world, by seeking office and by voting, whereas in many countries this increased participation of women in politics is accompanied by a violent backlash; whereas physical, moral and cyber violence targeting women in politics is creating dangerous obstacles to women’s participation in political processes; whereas women activists, human rights defenders, and social leaders face worsening violence all around the world, _________________ 1a https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety- journalists/observatory
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Recital J (new)
Recital J (new)
J. whereas significant number of women serve in the Ukrainian armed forces in combat and non-combat roles; whereas more than 22.8% of Ukraine's military are female; whereas at least 12 million people have fled their homes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, most of them women and children, whereas wars and armed conflicts impact women, including those facing intersectional discrimination, in specific ways and exacerbate pre-existing inequalities; whereas women and girls are particularly at risk during humanitarian and displacement crises as they continue disproportionately to be victims of discrimination based on gender norms, of gender-based violence and deprived of access to health care and other services; whereas rape and sexual violence are used as a war weapon; whereas massive displacement and refugee flow due to wars and armed conflicts lead to a spike in human trafficking; whereas women and unaccompanied children are main victims of traffickers, often abusing their vulnerable situation;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Recital L (new)
Recital L (new)
L. whereas climate change is undermining the enjoyment of human rights and increasing existing gender inequalities; whereas women and girls are more affected by climate change due to their unequal access to resources, education, political power, job opportunities and to land rights than man and due to the existing social and cultural norms such as their role as primary caregivers and often providers of water, food and fuel;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Recital N (new)
Recital N (new)
N. whereas protecting women and girls and other vulnerable persons from violence and discrimination, in particular with regard to education, information and health services, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, is especially important for ensuring the full enjoyment of their human rights; whereas violations of SRHR, such as forced sterilization, forced abortion, forced pregnancy, criminalization of abortion, denial or delay of safe abortion and/or post-abortion care, abuse and mistreatment of women and girls seeking sexual and reproductive health information, goods and services, female genital mutilations, gynaecologic and obstetrical violence are forms of gender- based violence that, depending on the circumstances, may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Recital O (new)
Recital O (new)
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Recital R (new)
Recital R (new)
R. whereas gender-based violence constitutes a serious breach of human rights, undermining social stability and security, public health, women’s educational and employment opportunities, as well as the well-being and development prospects of children and communities;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on global actors to take all necessary legislative and administrative steps and measures to promote a culture of acceptance, mutual respect and human dignity for men and women at all stages of development and agingIs deeply concerned about the increase of gender inequalities resulting from the successive crises all around the world; notes with concerns the alarming growth of violence against women worldwide during crises; highlights the vulnerable position of women and girls in many parts of the world resulting from the COVID-19pandemic, such as access to healthcare, including SRHR and in particular accesso abortion and contraception, fertility treatment, HIV and STI testing, reproductive cancer screenings, sexuality and relationship education and maternal healthcare;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Highlights that the displacement and refugee flow from wars is always largely gendered; strongly condemns the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war and stresses that this constitutes a war crime; expresses its deep concerns about the growing number of reports of human trafficking, sexual violence, exploitation, rape and abuse faced by women and children fleeing Ukraine; call son all host and transit countries receiving refugees to address the specific needs of women and girls and to ensure that gender based violence services and referral pathways and complaints mechanisms are immediately available within communities in languages and formats accessible to all groups; calls on guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services, particularly emergency contraception, abortion care, including for survivors of rape; encourages the fast inclusion of women and children fleeing the war or armed conflicts in host countries;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Recognizes the courage and the strength of Ukrainian female soldiers, who defend their country in large numbers, and all Ukrainian women who provide support and assistance on the ground, as well as those who have decided to flee the country to protect their families;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Stresses that human trafficking for sexual exploitation and other purposes remains one of the biggest risks for women and children fleeing wars and armed conflicts who are in a particularly vulnerable situation; urges the EU and all global actors to identify and prosecute the trafficking networks profiting from the sexual exploitation of refugee women and girls;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3 d. Underlines that women and girls need continued access to sexual and reproductive health services throughout conflict and displacement, including access to safe delivery, family planning services, legal and safe abortion or clinical management of rape; calls for funds to be made available for the provision of essential and lifesaving SRHS in line with the UN Minimum Initial Service Package;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3 e. Recalls the difficult situation of and obstacles to transgender persons including transwomen or transgender and intersex women with the male gender marker fleeing wars and armed conflicts; stresses that transgender people whose identity documents do not correspond with their identity should be allowed to pass borders and through internal checkpoints and may not be excluded from civil protection measures; stresses that transgender refugee persons have difficulties to access hormonal treatments; underlines that such treatments another specific medicines for transgender and intersex people are classified as essential by the WHO and thus should be included in humanitarian aid packages;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on global actors and the Member States to forcefully tackle the plight of women and girls throughout the world who are subjected to human trafficking and sexual exploitation; supports efforts to rescue and rehabilitate victims and to rigorously prosecute and reform male and female offenders, including by dismantling criminal gangs who prey on those duped into taking deadly journeys to enter the EU illegallyDenounces the fact that gender- based violence is one of the most widespread forms of violence in the world; points out that gender-based violence is a form of discrimination and a violation of fundamental rights, as well as the result of genderstereotypes, structural and institutional inequalities, underlines the importance of applying a gendered, intersectional and victim-centred approach to all policies and measures to address gender-based violence; calls on the Commission to advance their efforts through the EU foreign policy in that direction;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Strongly condemns all forms of gender-based, physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, stalking, mobbing, human trafficking, child and forced marriage, forced sterilisation, forced abortions, femicide, female genital mutilation, rape as a weapon of domination and of war, as well as cyber violence;underlines that all these forms of violence constitute a serious violations of human rights and dignity, is deeply concerned about the growing phenomenon of femicide in Europe and all around the world;
Amendment 74 #
4 b. Calls on the Council to urgently conclude the EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention and to advocate its ratification by all the Member States; welcomes Commission's proposal for a directive on combatting violence; is concerned by the Turkish withdrawal from the convention; condemns the attempts in some States to revoke measures already taken in implementing the Istanbul Convention and in combating violence against women; calls on EU and Council of Europe to continue to encourage states to join the Convention in order to combat and eliminate gender based violence together;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Calls on global actors to protect and prevent gender based violence and protect vulnerable groups, children, minority groups, LGBTQIA+ and refugee and migrant women, and to investigate and punish acts of violence and hate crimes; welcomes and encourages the efforts and investments of the EU together with its international partners aimed at eliminating all forms of gender based violence;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Highlights the use of threats and violence targeting female journalists or politicians, as well as women engaged in defence of human rights; reminds the state’s primary responsibility to ensure an enabling a safe environment for these publicly exposed women and a protection from threats and attacks; calls for prompt investigations of intimidation, threats, violence and other abuses against these women;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4 e. Stresses that women and girls from ethnic, religious and belief minorities are even more vulnerable to gender-based violence and discrimination; strongly condemns the discrimination and violence against women from minorities in the world, such as Romani women ; considers that right to education, social rights, the right to the healthcare should in no case be diminished or taken away; is deeply concerned about the situation of Uyghurs minority and condemns all violations of human rights such as arbitrary detentions, torture, ill treatment, including forced medical treatment, sexual and gender-based violence which may constitute international crimes;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Member States to promote healthcare practices that benefit women and girls at all stages of development and agingUrges the EU and global actors to reject any further attempts at rolling back gains for women's human rights, equality, right to self-determination and full control over their own bodies; calls on the international society to renew its support for sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to safe and legal abortion, age appropriate, evidence-based comprehensive sexuality education, comprehensive family planning care including contraception and unbiased information, antenatal, childbirth and post natal care both within and beyond the European Union;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expresses deep concerns at the grave threats to human rights and democracy worldwide, noting that the number of democracies has continued to decline, while the number of authoritarian regimes has grown and nearly 75 % of the world’s population have experienced a deterioration in the situation of human rights in their country in the past year; underlines with concern the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in an increasing number of places around the world;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses the need for universal access to quality and affordable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care including the access to safe and legal abortion, both within and beyond the European Union; reaffirms that the denial of quality and affordable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services is a form of gender based violence; reiterates that the need to universal accesso quality and affordable sexual and reproductive health care embraces the right to information, including comprehensive sexuality education,
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Condemns all threats, attacks and punishments of activists helping women to access to abortion or contraception; stresses the need to support civil society organisations engaged in the promotion of gender equality and especially reproductive justice;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus by enabling Russia to launch deadly attacks against Ukraine from its territory; urges to take all necessary measures to make sure that those who committed violations against human rights and war crimes in Ukraine are held accountable; expresses, in this regard, its deep grief at the human suffering and serious human rights violations, including sexual and gender based violence caused by the Russian armed forces at the EU’s bordersnd its proxies in Ukraine; welcomes the joint efforts of the EU and its Member States in response to the war; welcomes, moreover, the solidarity shown by a great number of countries towards Ukraine, as highlighted by their stance during the sessions and votes of the UN General Assembly on the crisisillegal war in Ukraine; calls for the EU and its Member States to give the Ukrainian people the support they need to defend democracy, human rights and international law; welcomes the unprecedented ambition of the sanctions imposed in the context of the war and calls for their coordinated implementation; calls for the EU and its Member States to continue to use all of the instruments at their disposal to support the Ukrainian people in their fight to free Ukraine from its occupiers and people fleeing Ukraine seeking support in the EU Member States;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Condemns the actions of anti- gender and anti-feminist movements, regimes and religions that systematically attack women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights; urges Commission to ensure that governments, civil society organisations supported and funded by the Union do not promote policies against women and LGBTQIA+ individuals, gender discrimination, gender inequality, hate crimes and violence against women and LGBTQIA+ people;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5 d. Stresses that over the past 12 months, human rights violations against women and girls have increased disproportionately in Afghanistan despite initial promises to guarantee the right to work and to education for women and girls; condemns that the Taliban is systematically excluding women and girls from public life and political participation; Welcomes that the EU has re-established minimal presence in Kabul ensuring the delivery of assistance and prioritises direct engagement with the Afghan people, including through the Afghan Women Leaders’ Forum which aims to ensure that Afghan women have a voice in international fora;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5 e. Is deeply concerned and saddened by the death of Mahsa Amini, died on September 16th after morality police beat her, apparently for wearing a loose hijab; calls for a prompt, impartial and effective investigation by an independent competent authority; is concerned by the repressive answer and use of power by Iranian government against people who manifest for women’s rights and equality; calls all national authorities to stop targeting, harassing, and detaining women who do not abide by the hijab rules;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)
Paragraph 5 f (new)
5 f. Condemns all forms of violence against LGBTIQIA+ and gender non conforming people; calls on global actors to take into account the increased risk and specific challenges of LGBTQIA+ people, who are particularly vulnerable and often victims of discrimination and violence, and to prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence and hate crimes against them; furthermore calls global actors to take all necessary steps to ensure that gender identity or sexual orientation may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties; calls on respect for the bodily autonomy of all people, in particular by banning intersexgenital mutilation, so-called ‘conversion therapy’ practices, and the forced sterilisation of trans people as a precondition for being granted legal gender recognition; reiterates that gender recognition laws should be adopted in accordance with international human rights standards, thereby making gender recognition accessible, affordable, administrative, quick and based on self-determination;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)
Paragraph 5 g (new)
5 g. Calls on the EU and all global actors to adopt a gender-sensitive response including an intersectionality perspective to all crisis, especially the incoming energetic and climate crises; calls to systematically integrate a gender mainstreaming and intersectionality perspective in the EU’s foreign and security, migration, enlargement, trade and development policy; calls for specific gender chapters in all future EU trade and investment agreements; deeply regrets, in this regard, the lack of an intersectional dimension in the EU's New Pact on Migration and Asylum;
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)
Paragraph 5 h (new)
5 h. Recalls that women in all their diversity, in particular those facing intersecting forms of discrimination, in marginalised situations and in conflict settings, are disproportionally affected by climate change and its consequences; calls on the EU and global actors to ensure that all climate action includes an intersectional perspective and that targeted funds and measures are implemented to that end and to guarantee the equal participation of women in all their diversity in decision-making bodies at international, national and local level;
Amendment 95 #
5 i. Stresses that the presence and contribution of women is particularly important in the time of crisis; recalls the EU commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment and the necessity of equal representation of women and men in leadership and in the decision- making;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 j (new)
Paragraph 5 j (new)
5 j. Welcomes the fact that efforts to advance the rights of women and girls have gained further prominence worldwide’ notes, however, that no country in the world has achieved gender equality yet; Regrets that fact that the overall progress in women's rights is far below the UN countries’ commitments included in the 1995 Beijing Convention;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to continue its efforts in its new EU action plan on human rights and democracy 2020-2024 to protect and empower women and girls by going beyond stereotypes; stresses that these efforts must,and the Member States to implement the gender equality strategy in a coherent manner both within and outside the EU, and to thake extent possible, be made while fully respecting the right of peoples to self- determination, as enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.ffective and concrete actions to counter the backlash against women’s rights and gender equality;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Highlights the importance of long- term planning and continuation of support for projects and initiatives under the NDICI - Global Europe, particularly when it concerns provision of humanitarian aid in areas affected by conflicts, war and natural disasters;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with regret that the post of the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU has remained vacant for more than a year; reiterates its call for the Council and the Commission to carry out a transparent and comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness and added value of the position of the Special Envoy as part of renewing and reinforcing its mandate, to provide the Special Envoy with adequate resources, and to adequately support the Special Envoy’s institutional mandate, capacity and duties; reiterates its calls for the Commission to guarantee transparency in the nomination, mandate, activities and reporting obligations of the Special Envoy; recalls that the Special Envoy’s duties should focus on promoting freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, and the rights to non-belief, apostasy and the espousal of atheistic views while also paying attention to the situation of non- believers at risk; recommends that the Special Envoy work closely and in a complementary manner with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM);
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that human rights dialogues with third countries represent a unique opportunity to focus on human rights challenges and calls for them to be harnessed to their full potential; reiterates its call for the human rights dialogues to be based from the outset on a clear set of benchmarks enabling their effectiveness to be monitored; calls for the EEAS to systematically carry out evaluations of the outcomes of the dialogues and to follow up on them accordingly; stresses that in order to be effective, the dialogues must not be used as a standalone tool, but should instead be integrated within the EU’s comprehensive set of activities with the third countries concerned, which would streamline the human rights dimension and reinforce the messages conveyed in the dialogues; draws attention to the importance of raising individual cases, in particular those highlighted by Parliament in its resolutions, in the context of human rights dialogues and of ensuring adequate follow-up to and transparency of these cases; stresses the importance of systemizing consultations with civil society organisations;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on the EU institutions, including the European External Action Service, to ensure that EU and Member States human rights obligations are consistently implemented in the EU’s foreign policy; in this regard, encourages the EU to raise human rights issues with partner country counterparts, including individual human rights defender cases;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 a (new)
Subheading 6 a (new)
EU Delegations
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 b. Reiterates its call for more involved work of the EU Delegations in support for human rights defenders, particularly in countries where human rights activists, political opposition, civil society organizations, trade unions and journalists, among others, are constantly persecuted, prevented from their activities and exposed to physical danger; urges the EU Delegations to thoroughly address topics and individual cases voiced in Parliament’s monthly resolutions on human rights abuses, as well as the cases of Sakharov Prize laureates and finalists at risk, by raising them to state authorities, engaging on a daily basis and providing support to the above mentioned oppressed and persecuted groups, including visiting those in prison and attending their trial procedures;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7
Subheading 7
EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (GHRSR-EU Magnitsky Act)
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act) has been increasingly used as an essential tool that strengthens the EU’s role as a global human rights actor through the use of targeted sanctions by the Council; calls for the restrictive measures that have already been adopted to be implemented effectively and in full, in full and in a coordinated manner, and for the adoption of additional measures if necessary; reiterates its request for a legislative proposal to extend the scope of the GHRSR to include acts of corruption or, alternatively, for a proposal for a new thematic sanctions regime against serious acts of corruption in order to effectively target the economic and financial enablers of human rights abuserswelcomes the commitment by the President of the European Commission in her 2022 State of the Union Address to present measures to update the EU legislative framework for fighting corruption and to include corruption in the GHRSR (EU Magnitsky Act), which is in line with the Parliament’s position; reiterates its call for the introduction of qualified majority voting for the Council’s decisions and implementation of sanctions under the GHRSR (EU Magnitsky Act); reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to strive to incorporate Parliament’s recommendations for future targeted sanctions, as stipulated in its resolutions and elsewhere;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls on the European External Action Service and Member States to develop a strategy to improve the interplay between the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act) and geographical sanction regimes, in particular through making a better use of the global regime to tackle violations that cannot directly be linked to a state, e.g. in cases of mercenaries committing human rights violations in territories outside of government control or cross-border cases such as human trafficking;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on the EU to lead a pact with other democracies to strengthen multilateral organisations to defend the rules-based multilateral order against rising authoritarian powers;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Strongly condemns and is deeply concerned by the war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law including sexual violence, torture and killings of civilians and prisoners of war committed by Russian armed forces and its proxies in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly welcomes the continuous contribution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the fight against impunity; calls for the EU and its Member States to provide the ICC with sufficient support to enable it to carry out its work; reiterates its condemnation of continuous efforts to undermine the legitimacy and work of the ICC by authoritarian and illiberal regimes and calls for the EU and its Member States to continue their efforts to counter them; welcomes the fact that the EU has provided support for the very first time to the ICC’s investigation capacities to help it scale up its investigations into war crimes committed by Russian armed forces in Ukrainecalls on the EU to support the ICC Prosecutor in investigating and prosecuting suspected perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and, possibly, genocide, by providing political support, making available any evidence in their possession, including open source intelligence, information and data, satellite imagery and intercepts of communications, and providing adequate human and financial resources to the general budget of the Court in order to fully protect its independence and impartiality;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its call on the Commission to develop a comprehensive EU action plan on fighting impunity, which should include a chapter on Ukraine including measures to fight impunity for gender-based and sexual and reproductive rights violations in conflict settings; calls for the EU and its international partners to make full use of all relevant instruments to fight impunity, including support for universal jurisdiction at national level, special tribunals at a national and international level including for the crime of aggression, as well as establishing flexible cooperation and funding mechanisms to swiftly collect and analyse evidence of crimes; calls on the Commission to ensure that these instruments are applied in a coordinated and complementary manner with other relevant EU and Member State instruments; reiterates its commitment to providing all possible assistance to ensure accountability for atrocities committed by Russian armed forces and its proxies in Ukraine and provide effective remedies for the damages suffered by Ukrainian civilians;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its principled opposition to the death penalty, which is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and is irreversible; stresses that the EU must be relentless in its pursuit of the universal abolition of the death penalty as a major objective of its human rights foreign policy; calls on all countries that have not yet done so to abolish the death penalty or establish an immediate moratorium as a first step towards its abolition; meanwhile calls on countries that apply the death penalty to reduce the list of crimes subjected to this inhumane punishment; condemns any incidents of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment and deplores the fact that they continue to be common in many countries; notes with great concern the trend of increasing instances of torture worldwide and widespread impunity of its perpetrators;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Urges for continuous EU funding to development and global supply of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as to educate about the benefits of vaccination, and to increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of vaccination in order to avoid vaccine-preventable diseases;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for the EU and its international partners to strengthen their efforts to ensure full enjoyment of human rights by women and their equal treatment with men; underlines that women continue to be the main victims in violent crises and that sexual and gender-based violence has continued in many places around the world, notably being used in armed conflicts as a weapon of war; calls for more concerted efforts to eliminate the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and fight impunity of the perpetrators of such violence; stresses the need to pursue efforts to fully eradicate the practice of female genital mutilation; stresses that women human rights defenders, activists, journalists and lawyers have been particularly targeted, with online harassment and intimidation increasing rapidly; highlights the increase in domestic violence and setbacks to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in both developing and developed countries and calls for the EU and its Member States to fully support the right of women to bodily integrity, dignity and autonomous decision-making; reiterates the need for robust action to ensure full implementation of GAP III;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25 b. Recalls States on their obligation to guarantee access to comprehensive SRHR services, including modern contraceptive methods, safe and legal abortion, maternal, prenatal and postnatal healthcare, assisted reproduction, and access to SRHR information and education, including comprehensive sexuality education, without any form of discrimination; strongly condemns roll backs of existing SRHR entitlements in both developing and developed countries, which are contrary to human rights obligations under the principle of non-retrogression; welcomes the publication of the updated World Health Organization guidelines providing key recommendations to health systems for provision of abortion care;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses that the right to education has suffered particular setbacks, with unparalleled disruptions to education due to COVID-19 but also to religious extremism and gender discrimination against girls being Afghanistan a dramatic example; calls for the EU to step up its work to provide access to education, including innovative ways to circumvent the obstacles imposed by national authorities; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to step up their support for third countries to help them adapt to the challenges they have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of education; stresses that support could take the form of an increased funding allocation through NDICI – Global Europe, but could also include providing capacity-building and best practices based on the lessons learned through the EU delegations worldwide;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Deplores forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian children, including those from institutions, to the Russian Federation and the Russian- occupied territories and their forced adoption by Russian families; calls for the EU and Member States support in locating these children and reuniting them with their families or legal guardians;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the adopCalls for systematic implementation of the EU strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021- 2030 as a tool to improve the situation of persons with disabilities, particularly poverty and discrimination, but also problems with access to education, healthcare and employment and participation in political life; underlines that the duty of caring for persons with disabilities is commonly borne by their families and calls for the EU to assist third countries in the development of policies in support of carers for persons with disabilities;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Underlines its opposition to and condemnation of intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, social class, disability, caste, religion, belief, age, sexual orientation or gender identity, which in many of the world’s regions leads to killings and persecution; stresses that racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance continue to be a major problem worldwide leading to rights violations in all spheres of life, and have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic; calls for the EU and its Member States to lead the global fight against antisemitism and welcomes the adoption of the EU strategy to this end;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Underlines the utmost importance of freedom of expression both online and offline and access to reliable information for democracy and flourishing civic space; expresses deep concern about the growing limitations to freedom of expression in many countries around the world, particularly for journalists, through censorship or the need for self-censorship and the abuse of counter-terrorism laws, anti- money laundering, defamation or anti- corruption laws to silence journalists and civil society organisations; expresses deep concern, moreover, about the physical safety of journalists and their being targeted in conflicts attacks against them and the fact that more than 50 journalists and media workers have been killed in 2022, most of which in Mexico and Ukraine;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to fund projects to assist journalists on legal and practical issues, including outside the EU, through the European democracy action plan; calls for the EU to intensify its efforts to assist targeted journalists worldwide, to ensure their safety, including by providing safe haven and means to continue their work in case they have to leave their place of residency; welcomes the role played by programmes such as Media4Democracy and the EU-funded activities of the European Endowment for Democracy to this end;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 25
Subheading 25
Human rights defenders and civil society organisations (CSOs)
Amendment 405 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Strongly supports the work of human rights defenders and highlights the risks they face in their endeavours to protect human rights, including threats against them and their families, harassment and violence; condemns the fact that hundreds of human rights defenders have been killed for their work, the majority of whom were environmental defenders; welcomes the EU’s efforts to support human rights defenders in their work, including the ProtectDefenders.eu mechanism; calls for such efforts to be intensified in order to mitigate the growing risks faced by human rights defenders around the world, including arbitrary detention and imprisonment, verbal and physical attacks, legal harassment and restrictions; calls for the EU and its Member States, in particular the EUSR for Human Rights and EU ambassadors, to be more active in the publication of public statements in support of human rights activists at risk and those imprisoned for long periods, as well as helping to conduct prison visits for the latter and facilitating external visits to their families;
Amendment 407 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36 a. Deplores the widespread adoption of so-called “foreign agents” laws, which include provisions contrary to international law that force individuals and entities receiving funding from abroad to register themselves as foreign agents, in many countries; expresses particular concern over the use of these laws to stigmatise and restrict the work of civil society and human rights defenders (HRDs), including through restrictions of the right to access funding;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36 b. Expresses grave concern over the widespread use of counter-terrorism laws and policies to harm civil society and human rights defenders (HRDs), including numerous violations of the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of information and freedom of association and assembly;
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 d (new)
Paragraph 36 d (new)
36 d. Urgently calls for an EU-wide scheme for issuing short-term visas for the temporary relocation of human rights defenders at risk as well as a more coordinated EU policy regarding the issuing by Member States of emergency visas for human rights defenders;
Amendment 418 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 e (new)
Paragraph 36 e (new)
36 e. 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 CSOs and their activities, such as laws whose aim is to shrink civil society space or the promotion of NGOs sponsored by authoritarian governments (government- organised non-governmental organisations (GONGOs);
Amendment 419 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 f (new)
Paragraph 36 f (new)
36 f. Calls the EU to work with counterparts in order to obtain the repeal or the revision of legislative provisions which are used to silence and threaten civil society, and to bring them in line with international standards;
Amendment 438 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Recalls its commitment to the rights of refugees, as provided by international human rights and refugee laws, in particular the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereto; recalls the obligations of states to protect refugees and respect their rights in accordance with the relevant international law; notes with concern that the number of people forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order reached an unprecedented 89 million by the end of 2021, 36.5 million of whom are children; recalls that refugees and migrants, especially undocumented migrants, face barriers in access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare around the world; stresses, in this context, that international action and cooperation is more essential than ever to ensure protection for refugees;
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Notes that 5.38.8 million Ukrainians have entered the EU since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; underlines the importance of a proper and realistic assessment of the time that Ukrainians who have fled the war will probably need to stay outside their country, as long-term stays require different kinds of responses anenhanced funding from the host countries, including a greater focus on access to education, economic opportunities, housing, healthcare and integration in the host societies; underlines the need to support, among others, those victims of sexual, gender-based and reproductive violence;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Stresses the multitude of threats to human rights caused by modern warfare and conflicts around the world today; underlines that in addition to the states parties themselves, such conflicts often involve non-state agentctors including private military and security companies as well as terrorist organisations; stresses the disastrous humanitarian consequences of these conflicts and their devastating impact on civilians, who are directly targeted, have to endure grave human rights violations, and often have no or limited access to justice or legal remedies; calls for the EU to continue developing and implementing tools to enable it to respond swiftly and efficiently to such conflicts, to help put an end to the perpetration of human rights violations, and to provide assistance to the victims;
Amendment 466 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Strongly condemns the war crimes and grave violations of human rights committed by the Russian armed forces; underlines the utmost importance of ensuring accountability for these violations and calls for the EU and its Member States to continue to offer their full support for the actors, measures and mechanisms to this end, including the Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators and judiciary, the ICC, the Commission of Inquiry of the UN Human Rights Council, and national investigations under the principle of universal jurisdiction; stresses the importance of swiftly gathering and preserving evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity and welcomes the efforts of independent civil society to this end; calls on the Commission to provide all the necessary assistance in this process, including additional funding from the NDICI – Global Europe, and urges the Member States to engage in this process themselves whenever they are in a position to do so; welcomes the amended mandate of the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine and the Commission’s proposal to extend the mandate of Eurojust to support the fight against impunity; calls for an informed decision to be made about the most appropriate solution to hold to account the individuals and entities responsible for enabling Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the war crimes committed on Ukrainian territory, which cshould include the creactivation of a special international court or enabling the ICC to deliberate on these crimescrime of aggression in specially created international court or under jurisdiction of ICC;
Amendment 475 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41 a. Expresses deep concern regarding safety of nuclear installations in Ukraine and Belarus, which are in constant danger of military shelling; calls upon the EU, Member States and the international community to establish safety zones around these nuclear installations;
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Underlines that human rights, a healthy environment and combating climate change are dependent on one another; calls for progress towards the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as laid out in Resolution 48/13 of the UN Human Rights Council, and stresses its appreciation for the peaceful work undertaken by environmental human rights defenders including land defenders and their lawyers, as well as indigenous activists, to preserve and safeguard such an environment despite the threat of violence and the risk to their lives; recognises, moreover, the important role of civil society organisations, including environmental faith-based organisations, as well as indigenous peoples for their invaluable work in the preservation and protection of the environment;
Amendment 495 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Calls for the EU and its Member States to step up their contribution to the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss globally, in particular by ensuring that goods imported by the EU are produced in accordance with human rights protected under international law, including the rights of indigenous people, and do not contribute to deforestation or damage tothe destruction of natural ecosystems;
Amendment 515 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence as a step towards fostering responsible corporate behaviour with regard to human, labour and environmental rights; emphasises that the directive’s requirements as regards reporting on the sustainability and due diligence strategies should apply to all publicly listed undertakings and to small and medium-sized undertakings operating in high-risk economic sectors; calls on the Commission to draw up a strong and coherent strategy on forced labour as an accompaniment to its proposal, notably with a view to implementing a complete ban on EU imports of goods produced through forced labour;
Amendment 519 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47 a. Highlights that according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, forced labour has increased by 2.7 million in the number of people in forced labour between 2016 and 2021, up to 17.3 million in the private sector only; welcomes the European Commission Proposal for a regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market;
Amendment 532 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48 a. Deplores practices by authoritarian regimes to limit citizens’ access to Internet, including Internet black-outs during public assemblies and protests; calls upon the EU and Member States in cooperation with other democracies to invest into research and technology allowing undisturbed and affordable global access to the Internet;