63 Amendments of Marie-Christine VERGIAT related to 2012/2145(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1
Heading 1
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000 (A/Res/55/2 ) and the resolutions adopted by its General Assembly,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
- having regard to the European Parliament’s report of 11 September 2012 on Alleged transportation and illegal detention of prisoners in European countries by the CIA1 __________________ 1 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0309,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the treaties commit the European Union to baseing its external action on the principled foundation of democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and on respect for fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, and the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of notably as defined and protected by the United Nations Charter and international law and in particular by the New York international covenants on civil and political rights, and on economic, social and cultural rights, and by the European Convention on Human Rights;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas economic, social and cultural rights are an integral part of human rights and their observance leads to full implementation of the eight Millennium Development Goals from the year 2000, namely: eradicate extreme hunger and poverty, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development; whereas an ambitious timetable was set for these goals to be achieved by 2015, but this is currently far from being achieved;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EU is bound to help countries with which it has signed international agreements, including trade agreements, to implement all these fundamental principles, and in particular by ensuring strict compliance with the human rights and democracy clauses in said agreements;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas democracy is the best safeguard of human rights and fundamental freedoms, tolerance of all groups in society and equality of opportunity for each personfor all;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the lessons learned from the Arab Spring events must continue, to provide impetus for the EU to review and improve its policies on, inter alia, human rights defenders, international humanitarian law, human rights dialogues with third countries, and social media, without losing sight of the fact that these revolutions came about for economic and social reasons;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas violations of freedom of religionthought, conscience or breliefgion, perpetrated by governmentpublic authorities and non- state actors alike, are increasing in many countries of the world, resulting in discrimination, and intolerance and violenceboth against certain individuals and religious communities, including religious minority representatiagainst certain groups which may be religious minorities but may also be non-believers;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in 2011; welcomes the fact that the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative (VP/HR) was able to present the Annual Report in the June plenary of Parliament and thereby return to the normal practice; regrets however that the 319 page report was only made available a few days before the debate in the European Parliament and in just one language; recalls that linguistic diversity is also a fundamental right which should be respected, including in the EU institutions;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Deplores the fact that the European Union’s human rights policy is restricted, and even contradicted, by diplomatic, political or economic considerations, creating double standards which damage all EU policies in this field and are in total contradiction to a universal vision of human rights; stresses the importance for the EU’s credibility of not exploiting any of these issues, not imposing restrictions on the people’s right to self- determination, and not interfering in the political life of third countries;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to check that companies which come under national or EU law do not disregard the human rights and social, health and environmental standards they are subject to when moving to or carrying out their activities in a third country;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Emphasises the need for particular attention to be paid by the European Union and its Member States to the human rights situation in the Western Sahara; recalls that any form of occupation should be strongly condemned by the international community, notably in Palestine and the Western Sahara;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. WelcomesTakes note of the mandate of the thematic EU Special Representative (EUSR) on Human Rights and, warns against any attempt to segregate the EU’s human rights policy through the establishment of this post, and takes note of the planned creation of a Brussels-based Council Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM); looks forward to their close co- operation with Parliament;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the adoption of local human rights strategies for individual countries to implement EU policies in the most appropriate and effective way; recognises the key role played by the local EU delegations in developing and following up on the country strategies tailored for the specific circumstances, but stresses the coordinating responsibility of the EEAS in ensuring the coherent application of EU human rights policy priorities set out in the human rights strategic framework and in the EU Guidelines; stresses the importance of completing the network of focal points on human rights and democracy in EU Delegations and CSDP missions and operations; urges the VP/HR and the EEAS and the Member States to adopt as best practice the method of working on human rights issues locally through human rights working groups formed among EU delegations and embassies of EU Member States; supports the EEAS aim to provide training on human rights and democracy for all EEAS, Commission, EU delegation and CSDP mission staff, and for European Union agencies, FRONTEX in particular, that have relationships with third countries; asks for great attention to be paid in particular to protecting human rights defenders;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the leadership shown by EU Member States to support the credibility of the UN human rights system by jointly extending a standing invitation to all UN Special Procedures on Human Rights, by initiating a UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Special Session on Libya, where the historic recommendation of Libya’s suspension from the HRC was made, and by taking the lead in efforts that led to the establishment of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in Syria; regrets that these efforts have not been crowned with success and that the number of victims in Syria continues to rise;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)
Paragraph 12 e (new)
12e. Is firmly opposed to any change in direction for the CFSP and believes that the European Union’s policies should be directed solely towards peace and political resolution of conflicts;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Is troubled by the fact that Colombia is one of the countries with the highest rates of judicial impunity in the world, that trade unionists in particular, but also students, farmers, women and children, are the victims of these acts of violence which go unpunished, believes as a consequence that ratification of the free trade agreement with Columbia ought to be made subject to conditions; recalls furthermore that people residing in the European Union, and notably members of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and leading members of NGOs, have been the victims of schemes by the Colombian secret services under the direct control of the former President of the Republic of Columbia; is amazed that these serious acts remain unpunished and calls on the European Union to enforce the recommendations concerning Columbia contained in the 2009 report by the Committee against Torture;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reiterates its commitment to the principle of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P), stressing the importance of external actors, including the EU, addressing gross human rights violations in third countries when the governments of these countries are unable or unwilling to protect their own citizens; stresses the importance of engaging in R2P actions under the auspices or authorisation of the UN whenever possible; but considers that these must in no case serve as a pretext for military operations, as was notably the case in Libya; considers that the EU should be capable of opening its doors to refugees who fall victim to such crises and deplores the fact that this has not always been the case, including during the conflict in Libya, when only a small number of Member States were capable of doing so;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Believes that the EU’s response to global threats and challenges can in no case be of a military nature; underlines the importance of tackling the root causes of instability by means of development policies that are in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other socio-economic, political and cultural measures which can create an environment conducive to preventing the resurgence of conflict, and which aim to eliminate poverty, foster economic, social and cultural development, create institutional and administrative capacities, improve the quality of life of the population and consolidate the rule of law;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Argues thatCondemns the wholesale recourse to private military and security companies (PMSCs) and calls on the EU and Member States to step up their efforts in this area; argues that PMSCs should be held accountable for any violations of human rights and humanitarian laws committed by their personnel; calls on the EU and the Member States, in light of the widespread use of PMSCs, to step up their efforts to find a credible regulatory solution to avoid legal loopholes in terms of accountability;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Emphasises the significance of the 2011 uprisings in the Arab world both as an expression of the desire for freedom, justice, including social justice, and dignity and as a major challenge to EU policy in the region and beyond; recognistresses that the EU hlessons of past stepped up its political engagement in both the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood, but stresses the need to learn from past policy mistakes and chart arategy errors have not always been learned and that there is an urgent need to frame a genuinely new policy aligned with respect ofor human rights and support of democratic valufor young democracies;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Considers that, in view of its responsibilities and those of some of its Member States in the economic, social and political situation that led to the popular uprisings in the ‘Arab Spring’ countries, the European Union should help the institutions in those countries to carry out audits of their debts, and particularly their European debts, in order to ascertain what proportion of those debts illegitimately did not benefit the people of those countries, and that it should do its utmost to ensure that those debts are swiftly written off; expresses its concern at the lack of continuity between the partnership guidelines and those in previous discussions;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Deplores particularly the policies of the European Union and Member States aimed at ensuring the policing of the EU’s immigration and asylum policy by third countries participating in its Neighbourhood Policy, which is very often done with contempt for the rights of persons trying to reach Europe; condemns severely the inability of the European Union and its Member States and their partner countries to uphold the right of asylum and ensure rescue at sea; considers these immigration policies to be indicative of prejudice towards the inhabitants of the countries of the South;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Remains extremely concerned at the lack of democracy, rule of law, fundamental freedoms and the respect for human rights in Belarus, the only European Neighbourhood country not to fully participate in the Eastern Partnership and the work of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, especially in the aftermath of the presidential elections in December 2010 and the subsequent violent crackdown on protesters and political opposition, including trials of activists 2011 which did not conform to international standards and saw disproportionately harsh sentences handed down; commends the EU’s unity in response to the expulsion of EU diplomats from Belarus in February 2012; urges the Union and all of its Member States to remain coherent and consistent in their policies towards Belarus, and to keep up the pressure on the political regime, including through sanctions, while reaching out to civil society through such tools as enhanced visa facilitation and increased education opportunitiall third countries and to respond with similar firmness and vigilance in all countries in which serious human rights violations are committed, and calls for the pressure to be maintained on the Belarus political regime, including through sanctions, while reaching out to civil society through such tools as enhanced visa facilitation and increased education opportunities; makes reminder that Ales Bialetski, the President of the Viasna Human Rights Centre and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights has been in prison since 4 August 2011; deplores the lack of cooperation between the Polish and Lithuanian Governments, which allowed Ales Bialetski to be arrested through the forwarding of banking information, and calls for everything possible to be done to prevent a repetition of such mistakes;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Urges the EU to apply the same consistent approach towards human rights abuses in all third countries, both partner countries and countries with which the EU has a less-developed relationship; insists that the EU be vocal in pointing out and condemning human rights violations, regardless of the political allegiances of the governments of the countries concerned, whenever and wherever they occur, regardless of the level or strategic importance of partnership with the country concerned, including in terms of the importance of the economic interests of European companies in the country concerned;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Recognises that the current economic and financial crisis is having a severe social impact on communities within and outside the EU, notes that the various austerity plans adopted by the EU and other international institutions such as the IMF have led to an erosion of social and democratic rights and a significant deterioration in living conditions, particularly for the most vulnerable and susceptible groups;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Stresses the importance of providing electoral assistance and observation together with the United Nations; considers that this assistance should never become a form of EU interference in the political affairs of third countries;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Reiterates its concern, however, with the persistently disappointing lack of progress in a number of human rights dialogues, and the lack of transparent benchmarks to genuinely assess improvements or deterioration in human rights; notes the continued EU difficulties to negotiate improved modalities for the dialogue with China and Russiaseveral third countries; calls on the newly appointed EUSR on Human Rights to inject new momentum into these and other dialogues;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 d (new)
Paragraph 42 d (new)
42d. Stresses that while clauses concerning democracy and human rights have been included in political framework agreements with third countries since 1995, and in agreements concluded with more than 120 countries, these clauses have mostly remained a dead letter; is convinced that these clauses, which should constitute a legally binding commitment on the part of the EU and partner countries, must be complemented by an operational enforcement mechanism to give them concrete form; considers there is a need for ex-ante monitoring mechanisms prior to the conclusion of a framework agreement, and on which such conclusion is made conditional as a fundamental part of the agreement, and for ex-post monitoring mechanisms which enable tangible action to be taken in response to infringements of these clauses, including the possible suspension of an agreement;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 e (new)
Paragraph 42 e (new)
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Reiterates that the consistent application of the human rights clause of agreements is fundamental in relations between the European Union and its Member States and third countries; stresses the importance of reviewing how Member States have cooperated in the field of police cooperation in terms of police training, which should comprise a human rights facet, and deplores that more often than not this has amounted to nothing more than cooperating with the apparatus of repression, and that in the name of countering terrorism the most fundamental of rights have been ignored; underlines, in this respect, the need for the newly revised European Neighbourhood Policy to focus on providing support for security sector reform and, in particular, to ensure a clear separation of intelligence and law enforcement functions; calls on the EEAS, the Council and the Commission to step up their cooperation with the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and with other relevant Council of Europe mechanisms, in the planning and implementation of counter-terrorism assistance projects with third countries, and in all forms of in this field, especially with regard to counter- terrorism dialogues, and in all forms of dialogue in this field with third countries;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43a. Emphasises the importance of continuing the work on global practices relating to secret detention in the context of countering terrorism; stresses that combating terrorism can under no circumstances be used as a justification for violations of human rights, either in third countries or in the EU; welcomes in this respect the adoption of the European Parliament resolution of 11 September 2012 on alleged transportation and illegal detention of prisoners in European countries by the CIA: follow-up to the European Parliament TDIP Committee report at the request of the Member States and implementation of its recommendations;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Calls once again on the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission and the Member States to endeavour to establish a common position for the European Union concerning the action to be taken on the report by the UN fact-finding mission headed by Judge Goldstone on the Gaza conflict in the south of Israel, and to endeavour to ensure the effective implementation of its recommendations, including those concerning the assignment of responsibilities for all violations of international law, including alleged war crimes; calls in this connection for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 a (new)
Paragraph 49 a (new)
49a. Welcomes the rejection by the European Parliament of the ACTA Agreement since, in the guise of fighting counterfeiting and protecting intellectual property rights, which is legitimate and necessary but only within bounds that guarantee freedom of choice for all, it carried severe threats, inter alia, to internet neutrality, access to high-quality, safe and affordable medicines as well as to generic medicines; strongly hopes that the Commission and Council will pay full heed to this no-appeal vote in Parliament;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Notes with concern the worrying trend of increased attacks and intimidation against journalists and media workers in the OSCE area; calls for a stepping up of EU efforts to promote their safety in dialogues with the Union’s partners and other countries; expresses particular concern at the growing number of journalists being arrested in Turkey, which has the worst record in this area of all the member states of the Council of Europe;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 a (new)
Paragraph 53 a (new)
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 b (new)
Paragraph 53 b (new)
53b. Regrets that the international community has still not carried out negotiations for the conclusion of an international agreement on the protection of personal data for which Convention 108 of the Council of Europe could serve as a model; invites the European Commission to ask the national Commissioners responsible for the protection of personal data and the European bodies involved in this field to develop a framework, in cooperation with their international counterparts;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
Paragraph 57 a (new)
57a. Is particularly concerned by the deterioration of the situation in Turkey and the increasing repression faced by human rights defenders and government opponents, including elected representatives, trade unionists, journalists, artists and, in particular, against the Kurdish community; specifically condemns the arbitrary arrests carried out in the context of the KCK trial and the fact that those arrested spend long months in prison without any judicial acts being performed;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Regrets that persecution and marginalisation of Kurdish human rights defenders remain a widespread practice in Turkey. Expresses concern at the large number of criminal cases launched against writers and journalists writing on the Kurdish issue and the arrest of several Kurdish politicians, locally elected mayors, members of municipal councils and human rights defenders in connection with the KCK trial;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. WStresses that evidence shows that the death penalty first and foremost affects underprivileged people; welcomes the assessment by human rights organisations that the use of the death penalty in 2011 broadly confirms the global trend towards abolition; regrets, however, that there was a significant increase in executions in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia; expresses serious disappointment at the refusal of China to disclose credible information about its use of death penalty and executions that, according to Amnesty International, number in the thousands; welcomes the abolition of the death penalty in the US state of Illinois but regrets that the United States continues to execute people despite being the only G8 country to do so in 2011; condemns the decision by the Supreme Court of South Korea to declare the death penalty legal again when this country was considered de facto as one in which it was abolished; recalls European Parliament resolution P7_TA(2010) 0068 on South Korea; recalls with concern that Belarus is the only European country to continue use the death penalty; urges the EU and its Member States consistently to bring this issue up in their dialogues with these countries;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)
Paragraph 66 a (new)
66a. Highlights that the definition of slavery provided by the UN is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised; deplores the fact that modern forms of slavery survive including within the EU; calls therefore for the Commission to have a much stronger policy on this subject, particularly with regard to domestic staff, the socio-professional group most affected by these forms of slavery;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 a (new)
Paragraph 67 a (new)
67a. Reiterates its condemnation of the practices of extraordinary rendition, secret prisons and torture, in which the USA and some EU Member States were involved, which are prohibited under domestic and international human rights law and which breach, inter alia, the rights to liberty, security, humane treatment, freedom from torture, presumption of innocence, fair trial, legal counsel and equal protection under the law; regrets that thus far no responsibility has been apportioned, either in the USA, or at EU level; sincerely hopes that, in accordance with the promises made, the detention and torture centre at Guantánamo be closed as soon as possible;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)
Paragraph 68 a (new)
68a. Regrets that human rights violations still remain a painful problem in the occupied areas of Cyprus. Thousands of refugees, who have been forced to abandon their homes and properties, are being denied by the Turkish military forces to live in their homeland until today. Moreover, the families and relatives of missing persons are still denied the right to have an answer about the fate of their loved ones as Turkey does not facilitate the access to military zones and relevant reports from archives for the investigations of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus.
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Strongly regrets that homosexuality remains criminalised in 78 states, including five in which it is subject to the death penalty; calls on these states to decriminalise homosexuality without delay, to free those imprisoned on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity and not to execute them; calls on the EEAS to make full use of the LGBT Toolkit to protect the rights of LGBTI people; calls on the Council to work towards binding guidelines in this area; calls on the EEAS and Member States to assist LGBTI human rights defenders in countries where they are at risk, and calls on the VP/HR to continue making clear the European Union's firm commitment to equality and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the world, including by launching and supporting initiatives at bilateral, international and UN level on these matters; repeats its call on the Commission to issue a roadmap for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Calls on Member States to grant asylum to people fleeing persecution in countries where LGBT people are criminalised, on the basis of applicants' well-founded fears of persecution, and relying on their self-identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 b (new)
Paragraph 70 b (new)
70b. Reasserts that the principle of non- discrimination, including on grounds of sex and sexual orientation, is a fundamental element in the ACP-EU partnership;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 c (new)
Paragraph 70 c (new)
70c. Underlines that for the EU's foreign policy to be credible and coherent in the field of fundamental rights, equality and anti-discrimination, the Council should adopt the directive on equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and enlarge the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia to cover other targeted groups, such as LGBT persons;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. CondemnNotes the continued human rights violations committed against people suffering from caste-based discrimination on grounds of actual or suspected membership of a particular group on account of their beliefs or culture; condemns specifically those on grounds of caste, including the denial of equality and access to justice, continued segregation and caste- induced barriers to the achievement of basic human rights; requests the Council, the EEAS and the Commission to take joint action on caste-based discrimination, including in EU human rights communications, frameworks and country- based strategies and dialogues, wherever appropriate;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. Considers that natural resources are essential to life and offer collective benefits which allow them to be considered as global public goods; observes however that many local populations do not always have access to these resources or have difficulties in receiving remuneration for the services they help create; emphasises, consequently, the importance of defining the tools designed to measure the unequal access to natural resources; welcomes the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 28 July 2010 of the resolution recognising the basic right to water and sanitation; hopes that the European Union and the Member States implement the recommendations of this resolution by providing financial resources, building capacity and transferring technology, particularly for developing countries;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 b (new)
Paragraph 72 b (new)
72b. Points out that the World Bank estimates that 60 million people are totally dependant on forests and that deforestation constitutes a major impediment to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals owing to the loss of ecosystem services provided by forests (particularly rainfall, prevention of soil erosion and water purification); points out that 70 % of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend directly on natural resources for their survival and well-being, and that the urban poor also rely on these resources for ecosystem services such as the maintenance of air and water quality and the breakdown of waste; regrets that these issues do not lie at the heart of the European Union’s development strategies with the countries concerned;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 c (new)
Paragraph 72 c (new)
72c. Notes that a significant number of individuals and cultural minorities do not or no longer have access to certain resources because those resources are monopolised by companies or private entities benefiting from the support of the political authorities in the countries concerned; highlights the consequences of this situation in terms of food shortage owing to the expulsion of farmers, increases in food prices and restricted access to basic goods, such as water; calls, therefore, on the European Union and the Member States to take the necessary measures to put an end to the monopolisation of resources, particularly land, by European undertakings and to put forward proposals in international and regional fora and conferences (World Bank, WTO, UNCTAD, IMF, OECD, etc.) for recognising global public goods and including them in a specific UN convention;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Urges the EU to enhance its action to end the practices of female genital mutilation (FGM), early and forced marriages, and gender-selective abortion; insists that these policies should be essential elements in EU approach to development cooperation; stresses the importance of adequate access to medical means, and of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights, to the wellbeing of women in all countries;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Notes that there continues to be insufficient attention given to sexual and reproductive rights violations that undermine efforts towards the Cairo Programme of Action (ICPD) commitments; underlines that progress on reproductive health has been limited in some contexts by violations such as child, early and forced marriage and failure to enforce a legal minimum age of marriage, coercive practices such as forced sterilisation or FGM, as well as denial of autonomy to women and girls to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health free of discrimination, coercion and violence;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 18
Subheading 18
Freedom of religionthought, conscience or breliefgion
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. RStresses that freedom of conscience is a fundamental value for the EU, incorporating the freedom to believe or not to believe and the freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice; remains deeply concerned that discrimination based on religion or belief continues in many regions of the world, and that persons belonging to particular religious communities, including religious minorities, continue to be denied their human rights; is particularly concerned by the situation in China where individuals who practise their religion outside officially sanctioned channels, including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Falun Gong practitioners, often face persecution; urges China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as it has promised; urges the Chinese authorities to suspend and subsequently amend, through genuinely consultative processes with Tibetans, the policies that most negatively impact Tibetan Buddhism, culture and tradition;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Stresses the need for a toolkit to advance the right to freedom of religionthought, conscience or breliefgion as part of EU’s external policy; notes that this toolkit should include a checklist on the necessary freedoms pertaining to the right of freedom of religionthought, conscience or breliefgion, in order to assess the situation, as well as a methodology to help identify infringements of freedom of religionthought, conscience or breliefgion; encourages the EEAS to involve civil society organisations in the preparation of the toolkit;
Amendment 393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Stresses that international human rights law recognises freedom of religionthought, conscience or breliefgion regardless of registration status, so registration should not be a mandatory precondition for practising one’s religion; points out with concern, furthermore, that in China monks and nuns are required to register with the Government, and must operate under Government-controlled management boards, and that this interferes with their religious autonomy and restricts their activity; affirms, at the same time, its commitment to the freedom of expression which should not be curtailed in the name of religious principles; strongly condemns, therefore, the crime of blasphemy and the abuses made of it;