34 Amendments of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS related to 2018/2098(INI)
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 a (new)
Citation 34 a (new)
- having regard to the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 b (new)
Citation 34 b (new)
- having regard to the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders,
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas respect for and the promotion, indivisibility and safeguarding of the universality of human rights are the cornerstones of the EU’s ethical and legal acquis and its common security and defenceforeign and security policy (CFSP); whereas the EU should continue to strive to be athe leading playeglobal actor in the universal promotion and protection of human rights, including at a multilateral level, in particular through an active and constructive role in diverse UN bodies;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas human rights and democracy support policies should be mainstreamed across all other EU policies with an external dimension, such as development, migration, security, counter- terrorism, women's rights and gender equality, enlargement and trade in particular through the implementation of human rights conditionality;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas appropriate resources must be made available and deployed in the most efficient manner in order to enhance the promotion of human rights and democracy in third countries;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas illegal occupation of a territory or a part of it, is an ongoing violation of international law, which triggers the responsibility of the occupying power towards the civilian population under the international humanitarian law;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. whereas in 2017, civil society and human rights defenders, including environmental activists, around the world have faced shrinking civil society space and have under increasing attacks; whereas ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU human rights defenders mechanism, has effectively assisted hundreds of activists but faces ever increasing needs; whereas the European Union and its Member States must dedicate greater attention and resources to countering shrinking space, and investing in greater protection and support to human rights defenders at risk;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses profound concern about the pushback against democracy, human rights and the rule of law worldwide in 2017 and reiterates thaturges the EU and its Member States must more actively pursue the principle of mainstreamingto pursue unconditionally the mainstreaming of international standards of human rights and democracy, a to which they are bound ensureing increased coherence between the EU’s internal and external human rights policies and greater coordination between the external policies of the Member States, as the EU’s influence as a credible and legitimate international actor is greatly shaped by its ability to advance respect for human rights and democracy both internally and externally;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the vital and central role played by human rights defenders and NGOs in promoting and supporting the application of the fundamentalhuman rights enshrined in the core international human rights treaties; underlines, in this respect, the importance of the EU’s capacity to maintain adequate support, through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and in the upcoming 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, for human rights defenders and NGOs in situations where they are most at risk, while devoting special attention toand emphasises the importance of the ProtectDefenders.eu mechanism;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Praises the work done by the EU’s Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR), Stavros Lambrinidis, in increasing the effectiveness, cohesion and visibility of human rights in EU foreign policy and recalls its request for his mandate to be made permanent and to be granted to make public statement denouncing human rights violations in the world; welcomes the recent approach on the EU’s Good Human Rights Stories initiative, which focuses on the best practices employed by various countries;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates the importance of an overview of key positive and negative trends in order to evaluate the efficiency of the EU’s actions; considers, in this sense, that more thorough public reporting, based in particular on the priorities and indicators identified in the EU’s human rights country strategies, inter alia, would encourage greater consistency in implementing human rights conditionality and assessing and adjusting the human rights impact of EU policies; emphasizes the need to monitor and fully implement the existing EU Guidelines;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges that the EU Human Rights Dialogues (HRDs) constitute a valuable mixed diplomacy tool for the promotion of human rights and democracy in bilateral relations with third countries; notes, however, the enduring obstacles to the achievement of concrete results via HRDs, such as the prevalence of double standards, a lack of a unified stance and divergent interests among the Member State; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to seek ways to make human rights dialogues more effective and meaningful and to react swiftly when they are not constructive, by utilising political dialogue or public diplomacy, in order to keep human rights concerns high on the political agenda; encourages the Commission and the EEAS to use clear benchmarks for the purposes of evaluating the success of each dialogue; advises the EU institutions, moreover, to provide adequate training and resources on human rights for EU delegation officials and staff including the ones in decision making positions;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Emphasises the importance of the EU raising at the human rights dialogues the cases of individual human rights defenders at risk, pressing for the release of imprisoned defenders, and protection for those under threat;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Underlines the need for strong EU coordination on engagement with third country authorities regarding human rights defenders and civil society, but nevertheless strongly urges individual Member States to continue taking decisive action in cases where EU agreement cannot be reached and in addition to EU action;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls, in this regard, the crucial support provided by EIDHR in the implementation of the EU’s Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and its Human Rights Guidelines and country strategies, which has enabled the EU to act more strategically in this area and has ensured, accountability, visibility and effectiveness; therefore, calls for the EIDHR to remain a separate and independent instrument;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Proposes to launch, within the first trimester of 2019, an internal task force to carry out a review of the promotion and mainstreaming of human rights by its committees with an external mandate and by its delegations for relations with third countries during the 2014-2019 term; intends to draw recommendations from this review for enhanced parliamentary action in the field of human rights in the next parliamentary term, including in terms of scrutiny of the activity of the EEAS and Commission, internal institutional set-up and mainstreaming of human rights within its bodies;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Believes that the role of the urgency resolutions, based on the Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure, can be further developed to strengthen human rights and democracy through increased timely reflection, targeting and efficiency;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses its grave concern at the gradual shrinking of civil society space in 2017 and deplores the fact that human rights defenders and NGOs are too often the target of violence, harassment and intimidation; condemns the diffusion of public narratives that increasingly undermine the role of civil society organisations and their contribution to the protection of human rights and democracy; is concerned about the continued imposition of travel bans on human rights activists who wish to attend sessions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and other international institutions and calls for the governments involved to lift these bans; emphasises that it is unacceptable that representatives of civil society and the media are prevented from participating in the work of international bodies, and insists that the fundamental human and political rights of civil society representatives be respected;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Considers that interference in other countries’ elections through cyber operations undermines or violates the right of people to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and when done by other states it constitutes a violation of international law also when there is no use of military force, threat to territorial integrity, or threat to political independence;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Calls for the VP/HR to appoint an EU cyber envoy who should coordinate the EU’s diplomatic efforts to advance an open, interoperable, secure and reliable Internet in external policies where human rights are respected and norms for responsible state behaviour online are promoted;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly condemns all heinous crimes and human rights violations committed by state and non-state actors; urges the EU and its Member States to fight crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and to ensure that their perpetrators are brought to justice; calls for the EU to provide support for organisations that collect, keep and protect evidence – digital or otherwise – of the crimes committed by any parties to these conflicts, in order to facilitate their prosecution at an international level; expresses concern over platforms including YouTube deleting video evidence relating to potential war crimes as part of its work to remove terrorist content and propaganda; supports the key role played by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in cases where the states concerned are unable or unwilling to exercise their jurisdiction; calls on all the signatories of the Rome Statute to coordinate and cooperate with the ICC; reiterates its call for the VP/HR to appoint an EUSR on International Humanitarian Law and International Justice with a mandate to promote, mainstream and represent the EU’s commitment to the fight against impunity;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly condemns all heinous crimes and human rights violations committed by state and non-state actors; urges the EU and its Member States to fight crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and to ensure that their perpetrators are brought to justice; calls for the EU to provide support for any organisations that collect, keep and protect evidence – digital or otherwise – of the crimes committed by any parties to these conflicts, as well as to support the UN Investigative Teams in order to facilitate their prosecution at an international level; supports the key role played by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in cases where the states concerned are unable or unwilling to exercise their jurisdiction; calls on all the signatories of the Rome Statute to coordinate and cooperate with the ICC; reiterates its call for the VP/HR to appoint an EUSR on International Humanitarian Law and International Justice with a mandate to promote, mainstream and represent the EU’s commitment to the fight against impunity;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Welcomes the EU’s efforts to support the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) set up by the UN to assist in the investigation of serious crimes; emphasises the need to set up a similar independent mechanism in other countries; calls on the EU and on EU Member States that have not already done so to contribute financially to the IIIM;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Reiterates that under the principle of universal jurisdiction, a national court may prosecute individuals for any serious crimes in violation of international law; welcomes the steps taken by a number of Member States under this principle and encourages all other Member States to do the same;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18 d. Reiterates that States can bring other States before the International Court of Justice for violations of international treaties, such as the Torture Convention, in order to establish state liability as an indirect means for judicial determination of individual criminal responsibility at a later stage;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on the HR/VP and the EU member states to expand the EU's regime for restrictive measures to include an EU human rights sanctions regime to allow for CFSP sanctions decisions to be based on grave human rights violations, similar to the Magnitsky Act;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses that corruption undermines the rule of law, democracy and the competitiveness of economies, and puts human rights at risk; calls for improvements to anti-corruption mechanisms and practices, such as the imposition of sanctions on those individuals and countries that commit serious corruption offences; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to devise joint programming on human rights and the fight against corruption, in particular initiatives for improving transparency, fighting impunity and strengthening anti- corruption agencies; emphasises the need for support for human rights defenders fighting corruption who are at risk due to their work;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Expresses concern over the destruction, illicit looting and vandalism aimed against cultural heritage sites and strongly supports fact-finding, heritage protection and rescue initiatives;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. CEmphasises the significance of free and fair elections for democratic processes and is concerned about a growing number of illegitimate elections around the world; calls the EU not to recognise the results of rigged or falsified elections and to use all the diplomatic, economic and policy tools at its disposal to uphold credibility of elections around the world and compel countries to meet the free and fair election criteria; considers that the support the EU provides for electoral processes and democracy around the world – its electoral missions and subsequent follow-up, its electoral assistance and, in particular, the active role played by Parliament in this regard – is of the utmost importance; stresses the importance of electoral observation in the context of peaceful democratic transitions, of strengthening the rule of law, of political pluralism and increasing the participation of women in electoral processes, and of transparency and respect for human rights;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the EU’s signature of the Istanbul Convention and urges the EU, as well as Member States who didn`t do so yet, to ratify it without delay; stresses the need to combat by all means all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic violence; supports, in this connection, the joint EU- UN Spotlight Initiative; urges countries to step up their legislation in order to tackle, at the earliest possible stage, gender-based violence, as well as harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriages. and sexual violence, while promoting gender equality; condemns the frequent violation of women’s sexual and reproductive rights; emphasises that proper, affordable healthcare and universal respect for and access to sexual and reproductive rights and education should be guaranteed for all women and girls;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the EU and its Member States to establish full transparency as regards the funds allocated to third countries for cooperation on migration and to ensure that such cooperation should not benefit, either directly or indirectly, security, police and justice systems involved in human rights violations; warns against the instrumentalisation of EU foreign policy as ‘migration management’ and emphasises that all attempts to work with third countries on migration must go hand in hand with improving human rights conditions within these countries; calls on the Commission to continue to treat the protection and promotion of the rights of migrants and refugees as a priority in its policies; insists on the need to develop and better implement protection frameworks for migrants; calls for the European Parliament to have oversight of migration agreements; welcomes the UN initiative on the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular Migration and the UNHCR Global Compact on Refugees and the pivotal role assigned to Human Rights; recommends that the EU takes part to negotiations both as a regional entity and as a figure of coordination of its Member States;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly condemns all forms of discrimination, including that carried out on the grounds of race, caste and similar systems of inherited status, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other status; is alarmed by the many manifestations of racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance and a lack of political representation for the most vulnerable groups, such as ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, the LGBTI community, women and children; calls for the EU to enhance its efforts to eradicate, without distinction, all forms of discrimination and to promote awareness, a culture of tolerance and inclusion, and special protection for the most vulnerable groups by means of human rights and political dialogues, the work of EU delegations and public diplomacy; calls on all countries to ensure that their respective institutions provide effective legal protection within their jurisdictions;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Condemns the arbitrary detention, torture, persecution and killings of LGBTI people; acknowledges that sexual identityorientation and gender identity can increase the risk of discrimination; notes that in a number of countries around the world, LGBTI people still face persecution and violence on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics; notes that 72 countries still criminalise same-sex relationships and urges these states to immediately change their legislation; welcomes the EU’s efforts to improve the rights of and legal protection for these peopleLGBTI people, urges EU delegations and Member State Embassies to fully implement the EU`s LGBTI Guidelines and calls on the Commission to carry out annual reporting on the implementation of Council conclusions to this end;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Underlines that the HR/VP, EU and Member States should issue public condemnation of the killings of human rights defenders in individual cases, and to proactively work with third countries to ensure that these killings stop, that safety of human rights defenders is ensured, and that perpetrators are brought to justice;