16 Amendments of Urmas PAET related to 2017/2122(INI)
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Article 21 of the TEU commits the EU to developing a common foreign and security policy (CFSP) guided by the principles of democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principle of equality and solidarity, including women's rights and gender equality and compliance with the UN Charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and international law;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas today’s worldwide abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocides, necessitate determined efforts on the part of the whole international community;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas children and women face increasing threats, discrimination and violence, especially in war zones and authoritarian regimes;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Article 207 of the TFEU stipulates that the EU’s commercial policy is to be based on the principles and objectives of the Union’s external action; whereas trade and human rights reinforce each other, and whereas the business community has an important role to play in offering positive incentives in terms of promoting human rights, democracy and corporate responsibility;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M 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 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its firm belief that the EU and its Member States must actively pursue the principle of mainstreaming human rights and democracy in all EU policies, including those with an external dimension, such as development, migration, security, counter-terrorism, enlargement and trade, in particular through the implementation of human rights conditionality; reiterates, in this regard, the crucial importance of ensuring increased coherence between the EU’s internal and external policies;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses grave concern about the increasing number of attacks against religious minorities, in particular Christians, which are often committed by non-state actors such as ISIS/Daesh; deplores the attempts of state actors to limit freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression by adopting and implementing blasphemy laws; calls for the EU and its Member States to step up their efforts to enhance respect for freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief and to promote interreligious dialogue when engaging with third countries; requests concrete action towards the effective implementation of the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, including by ensuring the systematic and consistent training of EU staff at headquarters and in delegations; supports fully the EU practice of taking the lead on thematic resolutions on freedom of religion and belief at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN General Assembly (UNGA); supports fully the work of the EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU, Mr Ján Figel;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is deeply concerned that civil society is increasingly under attack worldwide, through, inter alia, a growing number of repressive laws adopted throughout the world, under the pretext of combating terrorism or disclosing "foreign agents"; recalls that independent civil society plays an essential role in the defence and advancement of human rights and in the functioning of democratic societies; deeply regrets the fact that human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists are victims of harassment, intimidation and killings; calls for the EU and its Member States to constantly monitor and raise cases of violations of freedom of assembly and association, including the various forms of bans and limitations on civil society organisations (CSOs) and their activities, such as laws aiming at shrinking civil society space or the promotion of NGOs sponsored by governments (GONGOs) which mimic a functioning and free civil society space; calls, in addition, for the EU and its Member States to use all available means, such as human rights dialogues, political dialogues and public diplomacy, to systematically raise individual cases of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society activists at risk, particularly those in prison;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers it deeply regrettable that torture, ill-treatment and the death penalty continue all over the world, and calls for the EU to intensify its efforts to eradicate these serious human rights violationsm; urges the EEAS and the VP/HR to engage more strongly in the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, including the death penalty, through increased diplomatic efforts and more systematic public positioning; recommends that the EEAS, the EU delegations and the Member States use all existing instruments, such as the EU Guidelines on Torture, to their full potential; welcomes the fact that the UN’s resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty was adopted by the UNGA in December 2016 with the support of 117 countries; calls on countries that still retain this practice to adopt a moratorium and abolish the death penalty;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 which sets out a comprehensive list of measures to improve the situation of women in terms of equal rights and empowerment; emphasises the importance of ensuring its effective implementation; welcomes, in addition, the adoption of the Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality 2016-2019, which promotes gender equality and women’s rights worldwide; requests that the Commission, the EEAS and the VP/HR step up their fulfilment of the obligations and commitments in the area of women’s rights under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); reiterates the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security; believes that the EU should continue mainstreaming support for women within common security and defence policy (CSDP) operations, conflict prevention and post- conflict reconstruction; recalls that the 2016 Sakharov Prize was awarded to Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar, survivors of sexual enslavement perpetrated by ISIS/Daesh; strongly condemns all forms of abuse and violence against women and girls in this connection;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Condemns the fact that women’s sexual and reproductive rights are frequently violated;emphasises that proper, affordable health care and universal respect for and access to sexual and reproductive rights and education should be ensured to all women;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reaffirms the urgent need for the universal ratification and effective implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols; underlines that children are often exposed to specific abuses, such as child marriages or genital mutilation, and therefore are in need of enhanced protection; requests that the EU systematically consult relevant local and international child rights organisations, and raise, in its political and human rights dialogues with third countries, States Parties’ obligations to implement the Convention; welcomes the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021); requests that the EU continue to promote the EU-UNICEF Child Rights Toolkit for integrating child rights in development cooperation through its external delegations, and to train the EU delegation staff adequately in this field; reiterates its request for the Commission to propose a comprehensive children’s rights strategy and action plan for the next five years, in order to prioritise children’s rights within EU external policies; welcomes the fact that under the 2016 Development Cooperation Instrument, resources were allocated to support UN agencies in carrying out measures targeted to children’s rights;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly condemns the heinous crimes and human rights violations committed by state actors, as well as non- state actors such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and, ISIS/Daesh in Syria and Iraq and Houthi in Yemen, among others; is horrified at the vast range of crimes committed, including murder, torture, rape as a weapon of war, enslavement and sexual slavery, the recruitment of child soldiers, forced religious conversions and the systematic killing of religious minorities, including Christians, Yazidis and others; emphasises that the EU and its Member States should support the prosecution of state actors, as well as members of non-state groups such as ISIS/Daesh by seeking a consensus within the UN Security Council to confer jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court (ICC);
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Roundly condemns the human rights violations in North Korea, the Philippines, and elsewhere, as well as the persecution and killings of Rohingya in Myanmar; points out that states have an obligation to observe the principle of non- refoulement;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its full support for the ICC, the Rome Statute, the Office of the Prosecutor, the Prosecutor’s proprio motu powers, and the progress made in initiating new investigations as an essential means to fight impunity for atrocity crimes; points out that it is vital that states should cooperate in the arrest of persons wanted by the ICC, whatever their status; welcomes the meeting of 6 July 2016 between EU and ICC representatives in Brussels in preparation for the 2nd EU-ICC round table meeting, enabling relevant staff at the ICC and the EU institutions to identify common areas of interest, exchange information on relevant activities and ensure better cooperation between both parties; notes, with profound regret, the recent announcements of withdrawals from the Rome Statute, which represent a challenge in terms of victims’ access to justice and which should be firmly condemned; reiterates its call for the VP/HR to appoint an EUSR for International Humanitarian Law and International Justice with a mandate to promote, mainstream and represent the EU’s commitment to the fight against impunity and to the ICC across EU foreign policies;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Acknowledges that Human Rights Dialogues with third countries can be an efficient tool for bilateral engagement and cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights; welcomes the establishment of Human Rights Dialogues with a growing number of countries; urges the EEAS to ensure that women’s rights are included in all agendas and to systematically hold consultation meetings with civil society, including local civil society, before and after each Dialogue; praises and further encourages the involvement of civil society in preparatory dialogues; reiterates its call for the development of a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring and reviewing the functioning of Human Rights Dialogues;