BETA

27 Amendments of Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL related to 2018/2154(INI)

Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
B. whereas, outside the territory of the EU, PMSCs have been accused of engaging in a number of human rights violations and incidents resulting in loss of life; whereas such incidents vary across time and country and amount in some cases to serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes; whereas some of these cases have been prosecuted;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
C. whereas over the years there were numerous incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan involving western private security companies (in particular CACI International, L-3 Services, Blackwater, Unity Resources Group and Xe) in which civilians were wounded or killed; whereas these incidents peaked between 2003 and 2009, and, since then, most of them have been thoroughly investigated and many of those responsible have been brought to justice;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
D. whereas in the aftermath of the 2010 presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire, there were numerous reports of Liberian contractors being involved in attacks against civilians;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
E. whereas in 2012 two Italians assigned to anti-piracy duties aboard an Italian commercial ship shot dead two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala; whereas it is controversial whether the killing occurred in Indian or international waters and whether India or Italy has jurisdiction; whereas the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague is expected to issue its ruling on the case later in 2018;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
F. whereas ranchers reportedly paid the Brazilian security firm Gaspem more than USD 10 000 each time it evicted Guarani Indians from their lands; whereas in 2014 Brazilian police shut down Gaspem on account of the reported killing of at least two Guarani leaders, and of brutal attacks against hundreds more;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
G. whereas Russian PMSCs have allegedly been involved in many human rights violations over the past 25 years; whereas, despite a legal prohibition on mercenary activities (Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), Russia has actively used military 'volunteers' since 1992 in Bosnia, Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabah, Georgia, Crimea, Donbass and Syria;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
H. whereas contractors with Russian- owned firm PMC Wagner (Private Military Company Wagner) were reported to be fighting alongside Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine and in Crimea; whereas there are reports that in 2015 Wagner began sending up to 3 000 contractors to Syria to fight alongside pro-government forces; whereas Wagner is reportedly associated with Russian company Evro Polis, which has signed a deal with the Syrian Government, including on oil and natural gas extraction business;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
I. whereas on 7 February 2018 Wagner Group tanks and artillery led an attack by Syrian forces on the base of US and Kurdish forces, which was guarding an oil refinery in Deir ez-Zor province of Syria and was decimated by US firepower 'in self defence';deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
J. whereas Malhama Tactical, the first jihadist PMSC, founded in 2016 by an Uzbeki jihadist, has been offering arm deals, elite warriors, consulting and training services to extremist groups, including Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham in Syria;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
K. whereas in recent years there has been an increase in Chinese PMSCs deployed abroad, mainly in Africa; whereas in 2017 around 3 200 Chinese employees of private security groups were based abroad, more than Chinese troops deployed under UN mandates; whereas most of the Chinese PMSC operatives are unarmed;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
L. whereas PMSCs have been providing equipment and services to prisons, detention centres and military checkpoints in the Palestinian territories;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
M. whereas many PMSCs are operating in Yemen, reportedly conducting military operations and supervising secret prisons in which Yemeni citizens have been subjected to torture;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
O. whereas good examples of legislation on PMSCs exist in South Africa, where it is illegal for any South African to render foreign military assistance, and in Switzerland, which has introduced strict legislation on all PMSC activity outside its borders and does not allow PMSCs based in Switzerland to actively participate in hostilities abroad;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
P. whereas Russia’s authorities opposed attempts to regulate the activities of Russian PMSCs; whereas the lack of a fully fledged legal and regulatory framework in Russia allows the Kremlin to better control these paramilitary organisations and to quickly deal with the undesirable elements;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Q. whereas the Montreux Document is the first major document to define how international law applies to PMSCs; whereas 54 states support the Montreux Document; whereas the EU endorsed the Montreux Document on 27 July 2012; whereas the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC) defines industry standards; whereas the EU contributes in the context of the Human Rights Council to the possible development of an international regulatory framework;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Qa. whereas the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers' Association (ICoCA) has the aim of promoting, managing and supervising the implementation of the ICoC and encouraging the responsible provision of security services and respect for human rights and national and international law, but whereas affiliation to ICoCA is brought about by a voluntary act, accompanied by a payment, and the high membership charges do not permit all private security companies to become members;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
R. whereas initiatives such as the Montreux Document and the ICoC have helped to clarify and raise awareness of states’ obligations with respect to PMSCs; whereas these initiatives are non-binding and voluntary, with no significant penalty for non-compliance or for the commission of human rights violations, beyond being expelled from the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association and losing out on valuable contracts;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that PMSCs play an important complementary role in aiding a state’s military and civilian agencies by closing capability gaps created by increasing demand for the use of forces abroad; underlines, however, that no activities should be outsourced to PSCs that would involve the use of force and/or active participation in hostilities, except for self-defence, and under no circumstances should PMSCs be allowed to take part in or conduct interrogations; points out that the work of armed forces and security forces abroad is of fundamental value for peace- keeping and conflict prevention, as well as for the social reconstruction and national reconciliation that follows;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
2. Expresses its concern aton the proliferation of PMSCs worldwide and the impact of the activitiespossible impact of PMSCs on the enjoyment of human rights in conflict and war zones; is alarmed by serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law possibly linked to the activities of PMSCs and the lack of accountability for many abuses;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
3. Is alarmed in particular by the outsourcing of inherent state functions to private entities; holds the view that such outsourcing creates great risks for human rights, especially when PMSCs are operating in armed conflicts or in privatised prisons or immigration-related detention facilities;deleted
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the existing regulatory gaps create potential risks to various fundamental human rights, such as the right to security, the right to life, the prohibition of the arbitrary deprivation of liberty, the prohibition of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and the right of victims to effective remedies; recalls that accountability and oversight mechanisms are crucial in order to ensure that the potential benefits of PMSCs are fully obtained;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
8. Highlights the importance of regular independent monitoring, including through randomised field visits, to ensure oversight and put an immediate end to abuse; calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) delegations in countries where PMSCs are operating to monitor their activities and provide regular feedback on their actions;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that certain human rights abuses can be so serious that onlyonly be tackled via judicial remedies, including criminal sanctions, awhere appropriate;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Human Rights Council to form a special committee to investigate the most serious crimes committed by PMSCs’ employ under its established committees;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate grave human rights abuses committed by PMSCs’ employees when the relevant State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC is unable or unwilling to investigate or prosecute;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the importance of ensuring that no gaps exist in protection from human rights abuses; sees a need to improve regulation of PMSCs so as to close any existing gaps; recommends that the definition of PMSC be clarified before effective regulation of their activities is introduced, as the lack of such a definition can create legislative loopholes; believes that as a first step, the EU should define relevant military and security services in a precise way;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises that such a framework should, as a minimum, impose clearly defined human rights obligations on PMSCs, including mandatory human rights training, make a distinction between private military activity and private security activity, limit the use of force and firearms in the course of duty, establish civil liability of individuals and corporate actors, as well as laying down a requirement for civil liability insurance for risks related to the activities of PMSCs, call for penal accountability of personnel responsible for violations, provide effective access to remedies for victims, set out dissuasive penalties for violations by PMSCs, provide for independent monitoring of PMSCs' activities and for oversight by the authorities, and require a vetting mechanism to ensure that personnel are properly trained and comply with international human rights and humanitarian law standards;
2018/09/19
Committee: AFET