Activities of Barbara LOCHBIHLER related to 2013/2152(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Human rights in the world 2012 and EU policy on the matter (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2012 and the European Union's policy on the matter PDF (506 KB) DOC (416 KB)
Amendments (67)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) Strategy Paper for 2011- 2013 and to the Commission's proposal for a new financial regulation for the EIDHR 2014-2020 (COM(2011)844),
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20
Citation 20
– having regard to the report on the EU indicators for the Comprehensive Approach to the EU implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions 1325, 1820 and 18202106 on women, peace and security, adopted by the EU Council on 13 May 2011,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the EU needs to effectively address internal human rights challenges, such as the situation of Roma, the treatment of migrants and refugees within the EU and at the EU's external borders, discrimination of LGBTI persons, detention conditions, media freedom and the accountability of secret services in Member States, in order to maintain credibility and consistency in internal and external policies;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers human rights to be at the centre of EU relations with all third countries, including its strategic partners; stresses that EU human rights policy needs to be consistent in complying with the Treaty obligations, ensuring coherence between internal and external policies and avoiding double standards in external policies;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises the crucial role played by civil society in the protection and promotion of democracy and human rights; calls on the VP/HR to ensure close cooperation with civil society; considers also that the EU should throw its full weight behind all advocates of libertyhuman rights, democracy, and human rightsliberty throughout the world;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls its determination to be closely associated with and consulted on the implementation of the EU Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its view that the country reports should containbe further strengthened and should reflect the implementation of the human rights country strategies, and thus refer to specific benchmarks based on a set of indicators to assess both positive and negative trends, evaluate the efficiency of EU actions and provide grounds for adapting the levels of EU support according to progress on human rights, democracy, the rule of law and good governance;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates its appreciation of the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy as an important milestone in integrating and mainstreaming human rights across all EU external policies; underlines the need for a general consensus and enhanced coordination of the EU's human rights policy between the EU institutions and the Member States; calls on the EEAS to step up its efforts to increase the sense of ownership of this Action Plan among Member States; calls for the inclusion of a section on the implementation of the Action Plan by Member States in the Annual Report;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the vital importance of efficient and credible implementation of the stated commitments, both in the Strategic Framework and in the Action Plan; points out that credibility requires adequate resourcing of dedicated human rights policies and consistent mainstreaming at a high political level, such as at ministerial and summit meetings with third countries, including with strategic partners;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Regrets that economic, social and cultural rights remain largely neglected by the EU's human rights policy in contrast with the EU's stated commitment to the indivisibility and interdependence of rights, and calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to step up their efforts in this direction, including in the field of labour and social rights;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recognises the importance of the mandate given to the first EU Special Representative (SR) for Human Rights; encourages the EU SR to enhance the visibility, mainstreaming, coherence and effectiveness of EU human rights policy and to strike the right balance between silent and public diplomacy in carrying out his mandate; repeats its recommendation that the EU SR provide Parliament with a regular report on his activities; while acknowledging the magnitude of his tasks and the versatility of the current mandate- holder, requests that the EU SR also provide Parliament with a clarification of his thematic and geographic priorities and objectives for the remainder of his mandate;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the EU SR on the openness of the dialogue conducted with the European Parliament and civil society, thus establishing an important practice that should be continued and consolidated to ensure due transparency and accountability; welcomes, furthermore, the attention given by the EU SR to a number of countries of concern, including Russia, Egypt and Bahrain; welcomes the EU SR's cooperation with regional bodies and in multilateral fora and encourages the EU SR to further expand such activities;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion and Belief, and on LGBTI rights; reminds the EEAS, however, to respect good inter- institutional practice and engage in a timely manner and with the proper political bodies within the European Parliament when developing any new strategic tools such as guidelines or when reviewing existing ones; commends the practice adopted by the EEAS and the Council of reviewing and revising older guidelines; encourages the EEAS to adopt a more rigorous review process involving the thorough consultation of stakeholders in order to adapt to changing circumstances;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Urges the EEAS and the Council to pay particular attention to the issue of proper implementation plans for the guidelines; recommends further training and awareness-raising among EEAS and EU delegation staff, as well as among Member State diplomats; expresses its particular concern regarding the inadequate implementation of the guidelines on international humanitarian law and the guidelines on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; requests that the EEAS and Member States take urgent corrective measures to fully comply with their commitments under both sets of guidelines;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Deplores the fact that most Member States have failed to meet their commitment under the Action Plan to support the UN Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture and the Special Fund of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture; calls on Member States to contribute in an adequate manner to these Funds and calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Council to take effective action to support National Preventive Mechanisms in line with the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes the continued difficulties in achieving concrete progress in several of the EU human rights dialogues and consultations; encourages the EU to seek new ways of making the dialogues with countries of concern more meaningful; underlines the need to pursue determined, ambitious, and transparent human rights policy in these dialogues; calls therefore on the EU to draw clear political conclusions when the human rights dialogue is not constructive and, in such cases, and in cases of persistent human rights violations, to put more emphasis on political dialogue, démarches and public diplomacy and ensure that its message is heard both by abusive governments and their people; warns furthermore against diverting human rights discussions away from high-level political dialogues;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Recalls its recommendation that as part of the human rights country strategies, the EU should agree on a list of "minimum items" that its Member States and the EU institutions should raise with their relevant counterparts in third countries during meetings and visits, including at the highest political level and during summits; insists that such an approach should also be followed in relation to strategic partners, such as Russia and China, including through the adoption of annual Council conclusions thereon; reiterates its recommendation that the priorities of the human rights country strategies should be reflected in the programming and implementation of assistance to third countries;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the efforts made by the EEAS to finalise the first cycle of EU human rights country strategies; rReiterates its support for the objective of giving ownership of the country strategy to the EU delegation and Member States' embassies on the ground, while ensuring quality control at headquarters level; regrets, however, the lack of transparency regarding the contents of the country strategies; reiterates its call for the key priorities of the human rights country strategies to be made public and for the European Parliament to have access to these strategies and to all information related to them; encourages the EU to produce a public assessment of the lessons learnt during the first cycle of EU human rights country strategies and to identify best practices for the next cycle;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Encourages a genuine partnership with civil society actors on the ground, including consultations on policy initiatives and dialogues on human rights and to ensure the effective support to civil society organisations; encourages the EEAS and Member States to further expand the practice of working through human rights working groups formed locally among EU delegations and embassies of Member States; encourages EU Delegations to continue to monitor human rights-related trials, notably those against human rights defenders; calls on the EEAS and Member States to develop a tool kit for EU trial monitoring and to support trial monitoring programmes by civil society organisations at regional level;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the nearly complete network of human rights focal points in EU delegations; calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to develop a plan on how this network can be used to realise its full potential; invites the EU Delegations to publish the contact details of all human rights focal points and EU Liaison Officers for HRDs; while welcoming the designation of human rights focal points as valuable contact persons notably for external actors, calls on the EEAS to appoint dedicated human rights officers within the political sections of EU delegations, which would substantially enhance the implementation of the EU's human rights policy in third countries as well as contribute to stronger and more detailed reporting and analysis, including in the Annual Report on Human Rights;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the practice of including enforceable and non-negotiable, legally binding human rights clauses in the EU'sall international agreements, and considers that these clauses should also be concluded by the EU with third countries, includeding in all sectoral trade agreements and calls for an effective monitoring of their application;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Reiterates that in the event that Parliament adopts a recommendation calling for the application of the human rights clause, the EEAS should carefully examine the situation in the country concerned and report to the Parliament's responsible committee on its assessment and suggested response;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Points out that Parliament may withhold its consent to international agreements on account of serious breaches of human rights, as in the cases of the conclusion of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Turkmenistan or the textile protocol of the EU-Uzbekistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement; regrets nonetheless the lack of progress in setting up a mechanism for monitoring human rights situations, which was agreed to be established as part of the conclusion of the PCA with Turkmenistan;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the continuation of the GSP+ scheme whereby countries can enjoy additional preferential tariffs as incentives for ratification and implementation of 27 core human rights, labour and environment conventions; stresses that GSP+ preferences must only be granted to countries that have ratified and effectively implemented the conventions; requests that the delegated act by which the Commission proposes the admission of an applicant country is done on an individual basis; calls on the Commission to request from future GSP+ applicants the extension of a standing invitation to UN Special Procedures and the submission of all pending periodic reports to the relevant UN human rights monitoring bodies, in order to ensure a level-playing field among GSP+ applicants and a common baseline against which to assess compliance with GSP+ requirements upon admission; recalls also the possibility of temporal withdrawal of GSP+ preferences for countries in violation of human rights; calls therefore on the European Commission, when conducting the monitoring exercise, to open genuine channels of communication and carry out broad and transparent consultations with a wide range of partners, including the European Parliament and local civil society and social actors; calls on the European Commission to make the assessments for GSP+ eligibility publicly available, in order to increase transparency and accountability;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls, furthermore, on the EURequests that the EEAS and the Commission report to Parliament on how they have complied with their commitment under the Action Plan to define and adopt specific policy guidelines on the effective inclusion of human rights in its trade and investment agreements in order to achieve methodological consistency and rigour in the human rights impact assessments;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Business and human rights
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on the EU to ensure the consistency of its policies with human rights, notably in the area of trade with regard to sensitive goods, such as arms and dual use surveillance technology where human rights concerns need to prevail over economic interests;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls on the EEAS to report on the EU priorities for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as on the state of play with regards the development of national strategies by Member States for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24c. Reminds the Commission of its commitment in September 2010 to examine the issue of forced prison labour in third countries and to review the EU response accordingly, and requests the Commission to report to Parliament on the outcome of this process; calls on the Commission to introduce legislation banning the import into the EU of goods manufactured by forced and prison labour;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 d (new)
Paragraph 24 d (new)
24d. Stresses the impact of large-scale acquisitions and leases (commonly referred to as "land grabbing") on the enjoyment of human rights, including the right to food; encourages the EU to develop a framework for addressing this issue in its relations with third countries;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 e (new)
Paragraph 24 e (new)
24e. Regrets the lack of progress by the Commission in answering the request of the European Parliament to propose legislation requiring EU companies to ensure that their purchases do not support perpetrators of conflicts and grave human rights violations;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 f (new)
Paragraph 24 f (new)
24f. Reaffirms that European businesses should undertake adequate due diligence to ensure that their operations respect human rights, wherever they are performed; stresses the importance for meaningful reporting on the human rights, social and environmental impact of projects supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB) or by export credits granted by European credit agencies; calls on the Commission to develop a methodology for non-financial reporting by European Credit Agencies and the European Investment Bank on compliance of their activities with Article 21 of the Treaty of the European Union, which inter alia contains an obligation to respect human rights;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes the overwhelming evidence from recent years indicating the crucial importance of EU foreign policy adequately addressing dynamic transition processes in third countries; encourages the EU to continue to learn from past experiences, both positive and negative, to avoid repeating certain policy mistakes, and to establish best practices in order to influence and consolidate democratisation processes; acknowledges the requirement for policy flexibility in diverging situations, and encourages the development of policy tools that could be applied in different transition scenarios in order to integrate human rights and democracy support measures into the EU approach in a flexible and credibleffective manner;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Emphasises that political transition and democratisation need to be bonded with respect for human rights, the promotion of justice, accountability, reconciliation, the rule of law and the establishment of democratic institutions; stresses the importance of redressing human rights abuses committed by former regimes; insists that the EU always advocate a context-sensitive approach to transitional justice while strictly upholding the principle of accountability for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and the right to redress;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Remains unconvinced by the impact and coherence of the EU's democracy support policy, beyond the holding of Election Observation Missions, as well by its interconnection with the EU's human rights policy; calls on the EEAS to carry out a comprehensive review of its activities in this area and to clarify the conceptual and practical linkages between both areas;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly encourages the EU to support an active and independent civil society worldwide, both politically and financially, through, for examplenotably, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR); regrets that freedom of assembly, as a fundamental condition for any democratic development and as a particularly sensitive issue in transition countries, appears to have been overlooked in the EU's Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy; calls on the EEAS and Member States to elaborate Guidelines on Freedom of Assembly;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the establishment of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) which aims to provide support for those striving for democratic change by offering them flexible funding tailored to their needs; recalls the critical importance of avoiding overlap between the mandate and activities of the EED and that of EU instruments in the field of human rights and democracy;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Notes with concern that respecting the rights of minorities is one of the key challenges identified in the Commission's Enlargement Strategy for 2012-2013; encourages the Member States to launch a general public debate on the acceptance of minorities through education, civil society engagement, and awareness-raising in general; regrets that the Roma community is particularly disadvantaged throughout the Western Balkans; condemns the generally negative societal attitudes towards vulnerable groups such as the LGBTI community and people with disabilities, which is a recurring issue in many enlargement countries;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Welcomes the new EU approach aimed at strengthening the partnership between the EU and the countries and societies of its Neighbourhood, based on mutual accountability and shared commitment to the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law; supports the ‘more for more’ and "less for less" approaches which should provide greater support to partners engaged in building deep and sustainable democracy and protecting human rights; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to ensure the efficient and transparent implementation of this approach, giving due consideration to Parliament's reports; encourages the EU to further develop working methods to ensure the best articulation between dialogue, targeted support, incentives and restrictive measures;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes with concern the fragile state of democratic processes and the deterioration of human rights and fundamental freedoms in manyost of the Neighbourhood countries; considers that this worrisome state of play requires a comprehensive and genuine reassessment of the EU's approach to transition processes in this region so far; emphasises that good governance, the freedom of association, expression and assembly, a free press and free media, the rule of law and an independent judiciary are essential for underpinning democratic transitions; reiterates the importance to uphold and promote gender equality and women's rights; recognises the key role of civil society in building public support for democratic reforms in the Neighbourhood countries;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Regrets that in somemany neighbourhood countries civil society organisations continue to face serious constraints such as obstacles to the freedom of movement, lawsuits against NGO leaders, cumbersome administrative procedures, the aggressive use of criminal defamation laws against NGOs or a complete ban on their operation, restrictive rules controlling foreign funding or making the acceptance of financial support subject to authorisation;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Underlines the importance of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) in the human rights architecture at national level, including in terms of human rights monitoring and awareness raising as well as ensuring redress for violations; urges the EEAS and the Commission to develop a policy in support of NHRIs, and to support the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs in line with the Paris principles as a priority in external assistance, notably under the ENPI;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 b (new)
Paragraph 38 b (new)
38b. Calls on the EU to ensure a human- rights-based approach and the protection of migrants and refugees at the EU's external borders; insists that human rights need to be mainstreamed and monitored in all activities carried out by Frontex, the independence of the Fundamental Rights Officer (FRO) should be ensured and the Fundamental Rights Strategy and corresponding Action Plan implemented; asks to be consulted by the Commission prior to the conclusion of any cooperation or readmission agreement with third countries; recalls the need to respect the non-refoulement principle to be respected in European and international waters, as was upheld by the ECHR;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Remains deeply concerned about the crisis in Syria; strongly deplores the excessive use of force and violence against the civilian population in the country, and abhors the scale of state abuses that may constitute crimes against humanity; reiterates its strong endorsement of the call by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for a referral by the UNSC of the situation in Syria to the ICC for a formal investigation; calls on all armed factions to put an immediate end to violence in the country; expresses grave concern at the on-going humanitarian crisis and the implications for neighbouring countries; believes that the key to solving the conflict lies in political mechanisms and diplomatic processes;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Considers accountability for past violations to be an integral element in the process of building sustainable reconciliation and stresses the vital importance of a systematic participation of women in peace processes; welcomes the intention of the EEAS to develop a dedicated policy on transitional justice to help societies deal with past abuses and fight impunity and encourages a timely development of such a policy; stresses the need to deal with transitional justice in a manner that is consistent with the EU's support for international criminal justice in general, and the ICC in particular; draws particular attention to the EU's experience in the Western Balkans as a source of inspiration; calls on the EU to actively support the newly created mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Condemns in the strongest terms serious human rights violations perpetrated in armed conflict situations in recent and on-going crises, such as Syria, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, and in particular summary executions, rape and other forms of sexual violence, acts of torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions, especially regarding the situation of women and children who are particularly vulnerable; calls on the EU to fight against impunity in all of these cases, and to support action by domestic judiciaries as well as the ICC to bring the perpetrators to justice; encourages the EU to integrate torture prevention mechanisms into all activities in EU external relations;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Calls on the EU to develop a common EU position on armed drones, addressing issues such as the legal framework, proportionality in the context of counter-terrorism actions, accountability, transparency and the protection of civilians and urges the EU to give utmost importance to the respect of human rights in the context of these considerations; calls on the EU to ensure that human rights are part of all dialogues with third countries on counter- terrorism;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Recalls that countries trapped in transition lack democratic reforms and political accountability; reiterates that all citizens have the right to fully and freely participate in political life in which free, fair and open elections take place with more than one party and different alternative and independent media sources;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Expresses its serious concerns about recent repressive laws and their arbitrary enforcement by the Russian authorities, often leading to the harassment of NGOs, civil society activists, human rights defenders and minorities; calls on the EU to express this concern at all political levels;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Expresses grave concern regarding the steadily deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, the continued repression of reformists, the growing number of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, the consistently high number of executions, including of minors, the widespread torture, the unfair trials and exorbitant sums demanded for bail, and the heavy restrictions on the freedom of information, expression, assembly, religion, education and movement;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
54a. Calls on the EU to continue to actively support human rights defenders, including by the timely provision of temporary shelter to those at risk; calls on the EU to expand their policy in support of human rights defenders to whistle- blowers and investigative journalists, who may significantly contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Welcomes the initiative of the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG)European Parliament to strengthen the follow-up to EOM recommendations by using them as part of the ‘road map for democracy’ in the country concerned, and to charge the Chief Observer with a special role to ensure follow-up and implementation of the recommendations with the support of Parliament's standing bodies;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Emphasises the importance of enhancing the operational capacity of parliaments between elections; recalls, in this context, the EU pledge in the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to base development co-operation on ‘democratic ownership’, with a particular reference to the strengthened role of parliaments; urges the EU to work towards a rights based approach with the aim of integrating human rights principles into EU operational activities and to advocate human rights issues on the global development agenda, as committed in the Action Plan;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Calls on the EU Member States to build upon the commitment they made in the EU Strategic Framework to ratify and implement the key international human rights treaties, by ratifying and implementing, in particular, the ten core UN human rights treaties and the optional protocols thereto, and to make the relevant declarations on ensuring the acceptance of all individual complaints and inquiry procedures; stresses the importance of these ratifications for the internal and external credibility of the EU's human rights policy; expresses its deep concern that the persistent failure of certain EU Member States to submit their periodic reports to the relevant UN human rights monitoring bodies in a timely manner also undermines the credibility of the EU's human rights policy towards third countries;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)
Paragraph 62 a (new)
62a. Calls on the EU to encourage third countries to fully cooperate with UN Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts on human rights, including through issuing standing invitations and receiving such experts;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Invites the EU and its Member States to emphasise the ratification and acceptance of the Statute in negotiations and political dialogues with third countries, regional organisations and other regional groups, and to include provisions concerning the ICC and international justice in EU agreements with third countries; expresses concern at the formal downgrading of the ICC clause by its insertion in the annex of the recently negotiated PCA with Thailand;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Calls on the EU delegations and EU Special Representatives to actively promote the ICC, the enforcement of its decisions, and the fight against impunity for Rome Statute crimes in all political dialogues and meetings with third countries; ;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 a (new)
Paragraph 67 a (new)
67a. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Toolkit on Advancing Complementarity and calls on the EEAS and the European Commission to take additional steps for an effective implementation; encourages the EU to ensure that the support for the ICC is appropriately mainstreamed in all relevant areas of EU foreign policy;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Calls on the EU Member States to fully implement the Rome Statute by aligning national legislation with all Statute obligations and to comply with the ICC's requests for assistance and cooperation at all stages of the Court's proceedings, particularly with regard to (preliminary examination, investigation, arrest and surrender, protection of victims and witnesses, interim release, and the enforcement of sentences); regrets that the contributions to the Trust Fund for Victims remain insufficient and calls on EU Member States to ensure the resources necessary for it to fully fulfil its mandate;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)
Paragraph 68 a (new)
68a. Calls on EU Member States to ratify the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute and to encourage its ratification by third countries;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Reiterates its univocal opposition to capital punishment, and considers the global abolition of the death penalty as a central objective of the EU's policy on human rights; emphasises that the death penalty has never been proved to be an effective deterrent to crime; applauds the efforts of the European Union and its Member States in the United Nations that led to the adoption of the General Assembly resolution regarding the moratorium on the use of death penalty in December 2012; calls on the EU to continue to undertake targeted campaigns on the death penalty and to intensify engagement with retentionist countries; expects to be appropriately consulted in the course of the review of the Regulation 1236/2005 on trade in goods which can be used for capital punishment or torture, which was planned for 2013;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 a (new)
Paragraph 73 a (new)
73a. Recalls that the right to conscientious objection to military service constitutes a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and urges the EEAS and Member States to call on countries with a system of compulsory military service to allow for an alternative service of a non- combatant or civilian character, in the public interest and not of a punitive nature, and to refrain from punishing, including through prison sentences, conscientious objectors for failure to perform military service;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Expresses its full support for the UN's work on ensuring the rights and empowerment of women; encourages the EU to undertake a targeted campaign on political and economic participation of women and to support initiatives against gender based violence and feminicide; supports the implementation of the Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development; calls on the EU delegations to introduce specific measures on the role of external assistance and development co-operation in their local strategies for the implementation of the EU guidelines on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 a (new)
Paragraph 76 a (new)
76a. Calls on the EU to prioritise the fight against trafficking in human beings; stresses the need to consider both internal and external aspects when addressing human trafficking, encourages the EU Member States to implement the EU Directive (2011/36/EU ) and Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Calls for a targeted campaign on the rights of the child with a specific focus on violence against children; looks forward to efficient implementation of the integrated EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016, which identified child labour as a root cause of trafficking in human beings;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
New subheading after paragraph 78
New subheading after paragraph 78
European Parliament
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 a (new)
Paragraph 78 a (new)
78a. Recalls its earlier recommendations to improve its own procedures in relation to human rights issues and step up its efforts to mainstream human rights effectively into its own structures and processes; regrets that no improvements have been made with regards to the plenary debates and resolutions on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and their follow-up; welcomes the efforts to improve cooperation on human rights issues with the national parliaments of the Member States;