Activities of Tineke STRIK related to 2022/2049(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter - annual report 2022 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2022
Amendments (61)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
— having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted on 13 December 2006,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration of 2016 and the Global Compact on Refugees of 2018,
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 40 a (new)
Citation 40 a (new)
— having regard to the EU Ombudsman Strategic Initiative of 7 July 2021 on how the European Commission ensures respect for human rights in the context of international trade agreements,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 50 a (new)
Citation 50 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2022 on global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturning of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the Union’s action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation and which it seeks to advance in the wider world, as enshrined in Article 21 TEU;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas consistency between the EU’s internal and external policies is an indispensable part of an credible and effective EU human rights policy;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the rise in authoritarianism, illiberalism and far-right populism around the world threatens the global rules- based order and the values and principles on which the Union is founded;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores the fact that despite the need to concentrate on responses to the threats posed by climate change and the recovery from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through global solidarity, some authoritarian leaders have intensified repression, fuelled and expanded existing conflicts, and sparked new ones with devastating effects on human rights, in several cases misusing the effects of the pandemic as an argument to tighten their repressive policies;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Underscores that the ambitious commitment and rhetoric of the EU's external human rights policy requires it to be consistent and exemplary; regrets therefore that in practice, the EU continues to be regularly denounced by the human rights community as being inconsistent towards comparable human rights situations worldwide and of placing energy, security, migration or trade interests, before its stated commitment to universal human rights; deplores, as well, the deterioration of the human rights and rule of law situation in a number of its own Member States which undermines the credibility of the EU when opposing the global democratic decline; calls on the EU and its Member States to lead by example and strictly uphold human rights, ensure an enabling environment for their civil society and to address any negative trends in this field;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Calls for the EU to take particular care to assess and prevent any violation linked to the Union’s own policies, projects and funding in third countries, including by creating a complaints mechanism for individuals or groups whose rights may have been violated by EU activities in these countries;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Stresses the importance of Member States taking ownership of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and publicly reporting on their action under this strategic document; encourages national and regional parliaments, national human rights institutions and local civil society organizations to engage with their authorities at Member State level on their contribution to the conduct of the EU's external human rights policy;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. CWelcomes the invaluable assistance provided to civil society organizations and activists worldwide under the former European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and currently under the thematic human rights and democracy programme of the NDICI, and under the European Endowment for Democracy; calls for the EU to reflect on how to promote a human rights-based approach in all EU instruments and strategies in order to strengthen the EU’s human rights foreign policy; underlines that the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe), including its thematic programme on human rights and democracy, is one of the main tools at the EU’s disposal to improve the human rights situation around the world and help foster resilient, inclusive and democratic societies; stresses that the engagement of local civil society actors is vital to protect human rights and democracy in their countries and reiterates its call to fully engage them in all of the EU’s relevant external activities; highlights the importance that NDICI – Global Europe attaches to the promotion of human rights and democracy with strategic international and local partners; underlines Parliament’s role in the instrument’s programming process and calls onregrets the degree in which the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to share all thehave in the past shared relevant information in a timely manner in order to enable Parliament to playfulfil its role, accordinglys enshrined in the treaties, in particular during high-level geopolitical dialogues with the Commission; calls on the Commission and EEAS to engage in a dialogue with the Parliament to ensure improvement in this regard;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Reiterates its call for greater transparency regarding human rights- related provisions in financing agreements under the NDICI - Global Europe and a clarification of the mechanism and criteria for the suspension of such agreements in the event of a breach of human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law as well as in grave cases of corruption; calls on the Commission to strictly refrain from using budget support to third countries’ governments as an operational modality for aid delivery in countries witnessing widespread violations of human rights and repression of human rights defenders;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Calls on the Commission to establish, in cooperation with the EEAS, a framework for annual reporting by the European Financial Institutions (EFIs), notably the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), on their operations outside of the EU with regard to compliance with the general principles guiding the Union's external action as referred to in Article 21 TEU and the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Human Rights; urges the Commission to ensure that the projects supported by the EFIs are in line with EU policy and commitments on human rights and that there are accountability mechanisms for individuals to raise violations related to the activities of the EFIs; calls on the EFIs to further develop their policy on social standards into a human rights policy in the area of banking; calls for the inclusion of human rights benchmarks in their project evaluations;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Fully supports the work of the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Human Rights in defending and advancing human rights in the world through engagement with third countries and cooperation with like-minded partners, and his important role in enhancing the effectiveness of the EU’s human rights policies through efforts to increase their coherence; underlines the need for close cooperation between the EUSR for Human Rights and other EUSRs on countries and regions in order to further improve this consistency, and calls for greater visibility for the role of the EUSR for Human Rights; calls for more public engagement of the VP/HR and the EUSR on individual human rights defenders and to closely cooperate with Brussels and country-based civil society; underlines the importance that EU Special Representatives on country and regional situations engage with national authorities on the protection of human rights and individual cases;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with regret that the post of the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU has remained vacant for more than a year; reiterates its call for the Council andgrets the failure of the Commission to carry out athe transparent and comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness and added value of the position of the Special Envoy as part of renewing and reinforcing its mandate, to provide the Special Envoy with adequate resources, and to adequately support the Special Envoy’s institutional mandate, capacity and duties; recalls that the Special Envoy’s duties should focus on promoting freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, and the rights to non-belief, apostasy and the espousal of afor Freedom of Religion and Belief prior to the renewal of the mandate, as requested by the Parliament in its resolution of January 2019; reiterates its call for the Council and the Commission to carry out theistic views assessment;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that human rights dialogues with third countries represent a unique opportunity to focus on human rights challenges and calls for them to be harnessed to their full potentialmay constitute a useful tool for bilateral engagement in the promotion and protection of human rights, provided they are carried out in a result- oriented manner and are regularly reviewed; believes that in a number of cases, the impact of such dialogues is hardly worth the substantial resources that are dedicated by the EEAS and the EU delegation concerned; reiterates its call for the human rights dialogues to be based from the outset on a clear set of benchmarks enabling their effectiveness to be monitored; calls for the EEAS to systematically carry out evaluations of the outcomes of the dialogues and to follow up on them accordingly, and to ensure that in the absence of tangible progress, the EU should either adjust its aims, or suspend the human rights dialogue with the country concerned; stresses that in order to be effective, the dialogues must not be used as a standalone tool, but should instead be integrated within the EU’s comprehensive set of activities, including on trade, migration and energy cooperation, with the third countries concerned, which would streamline the human rights dimension and reinforce the messages conveyed in the dialogues; draws attention to the importance of including civil society in the preparations as well as raising individual cases, in particular those highlighted by Parliament in its resolutions as well as the Sakharov Prize laureates at risk, in the context of human rights dialogues and of ensuring adequate follow- up to and transparencyreporting to Parliament on action taken ofn these cases; insists that the EEAS and Commission establish civil society segments to complement each inter-governmental human rights dialogue;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime has been increasingly used as an essential tool that strengthens the EU’s role as a global human rights actor through the use of targeted sanctions by the Council; calls for the restrictive measures that have already been adopted to be implemented effectively and in full, and for the adoption of additional measures if necessary; reiterates its request for a legislative proposal to extendEU to make a more dynamic use of this tool, as an integral component of its external and human rights policy; calls for the listing of NSO and other private companies supplying or facilitating the uscope of the GHRSR to include acts of corruption or, altechnology that allows to persecute civil society, journalists, lawyers and social movements worldwide; reiternatively, for a proposal fores its request for a legislative proposal to establish a new thematic sanctions regime against serious acts of corruption in order to effectively target the economic and financial enablers of human rights abusers; reiterates its call for the introduction of qualified majority voting for the Council’s decisions and implementation of sanctions under the GHRSR; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to strive to incorporate Parliament’s recommendations for future targeted sanctions, as stipulated in its resolutions and elsewhere;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that corruption seriously hinders the enjoyment of human rights worldwidefacilitates, perpetuates and institutionalises violations of human rights and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable and marginalised individuals and groups in society; calls for the fight against corruption to be a part of all of the EU’s efforts and policies to promote human rights and democracy, by formulating a dedicated global anti- corruption strategy, including programmes under the EU’s external financial instruments and enhancing Parliament’s role of scrutiny; underlinesdeplores that EU-based individuals and entities are regularly reported to be directly involved in grave acts of corruption in third countries, including as initiators, enablers or end- receivers; calls on the EU to acknowledge and address the complicity of EU-based actors in the global phenomenon of corruption; underlines therefore the utmost importance for the EU and its Member States to lead by example by applying the highest transparency standards to their external funding and by stepping up their support for civil society organisations, activists and investigative journalists engaged in the fight against corruption, as well as by promoting the establishment of effective anti-corruption institutions and the adoption of robust regulatory frameworks and addressing secrecy jurisdictions and tax havens, notably within their own jurisdictions;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates its call to include robust clauses on human rights in agreements between the EU and third countries, supported by a clear set of benchmarks and procedures to be followed in the event of violations; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to actively reflect on how to ensure that the human rights clauses in existing international agreements are monitored and effectively enforced; stresses that the EU should react swiftly and decisively to persistent breaches of human rights clauses by third countries, including by suspending the relevant agreements if other options prove ineffective;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls on the EU and Member States to support the strengthening of regional human rights systems, including through financial assistance and cross- regional experience sharing; highlights in particular the critical role of monitoring bodies and judicial mechanisms established under these regional systems and their complementarity with the UN human rights system; calls on Morocco to ratify the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in order to ensure the full ratification of this foundational instrument at the level of the African continent;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Recalls that the right to self- determination is a human right, enshrined inter alia in the UN Charter and the International Convenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as an erga omnes obligation, as recalled by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion on the Chagos Archipelago of 2019 and the recent rulings of the EU Court of Justice on Western Sahara; calls on the EU and Member States to uphold this human right in their dealings with the relevant territories;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on all members of the UN General Assembly Committee on Non- Governmental Organizations that reviews applications by NGOs for Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consultative status to be guided by the sole consideration of the general interest rather than politicised objectives of restricting access by reputable organizations; urges the EU and Member States to participate in the General Debate and urge the ECOSOC members to continue to address the unjustified obstacles for NGOs to obtain their ECOSOC accreditation, in particular those whose applications have been pending for an extended period;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Deplores that a number of members of the UN Human Rights Council display a blatant disregard for their human rights obligations and a deplorable track record in cooperating with the United Nations human rights mechanisms; calls on the EEAS to initiate and spearhead an effort towards a coordinated EU and Member States position on UN HRC membership, which would promote: - greater transparency in the election process, notably by making EU Member States' votes public as well as provide the rationale for that vote, - a genuinely competitive process by ensuring that the three regional blocks in which the EU Member States are present, do present more candidates than seats and - accountability of candidates by scrutinizing their voluntary pledges and track record in cooperating with the UN HRC, UN treaty bodies and Special procedures;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17 c. Strongly condemns all attacks against UN Special Procedure mandate holders and against the independence of their mandates; calls on the EU Member States and the EU’s democratic partners to decisively counter these attempts and to take all possible measures to help provide safe and open spaces for interaction by individuals and civil society organizations with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms; reiterates its call on the EU and Member States to step up their financial support to these Special procedures and treaty bodies;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Insists on the importance of ensuring the coherence of EU policy in relation to situations of occupation or annexation of territory, including in cases of protracted occupation such as Palestine, Western Sahara, Northern Cyprus and the multiple frozen conflicts in the Eastern Partnership countries; recalls that international humanitarian law should guide EU policy in relation to all such situations, including in cases of protracted occupation; highlights the responsibility of EU-based corporations to apply the most stringent due diligence policy towards any economic or financial activity in or with these territories, and to ensure strict compliance to international law as well as to EU sanctions policy when applicable towards these situations;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Strongly condemns and is deeply concerned by the serious violations of international humanitarian law by Russian armed forces and their proxies in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly welcomes the continuous contribution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the fight against impunity; calls for the EU and its Member States to provide the ICC with sufficient support to enable it to carry out its work; reiterates its condemnation of continuous efforts to undermine the legitimacy and work of the ICC by authoritarian and illiberal regimes and calls for the EU and its Member States to continue their efforts to counter them, including when these attacks come from close partner countries; calls upon the USA to ratify the Rome Statute and recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC; welcomes the fact that the EU has provided support for the very first time to the ICC’s investigation capacities to help it scale up its investigations into war crimes committed by Russian armed forces and their proxies in Ukraine;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its call on the Commission to develop a comprehensive EU action plan on fighting impunity, which should include a chapter on Ukraine; calls for the EU and its international partners to make full use of all relevant instruments to fight impunity, including support for universal jurisdiction at national level, special tribunals at a national and international level including for the crime of aggression, as well as establishing flexible cooperation and funding mechanisms to swiftly collect and analyse evidence of crimes; in particular, urges the Commission to develop an ambitious programme to build the capacity of Member States but also of third countries to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction in their domestic legal systems; calls on the Commission to ensure that these instruments are applied in a coordinated and complementary manner with other relevant EU and Member State instruments; reiterates its commitment to providing all possible assistance to ensure accountability for atrocities committed by Russian armed forces and their proxies in Ukraine and provide effective remedies for the damages suffered by Ukrainian civilians;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for the EU and its international partners to strengthen their efforts to ensure full enjoyment of human rights by women and their equal treatment with men, girls and vulnerable groups and ensure equal opportunities for all; deplores in particular the ongoing rollback and regression on sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls and rights of LGBTI persons, notably under the guise of religious principles or doctrine; underlines that women and girls continue to be the main victims in violent crises and that sexual and, gender-based and reproductive violence has continued in many places around the world, notably being used in armed conflicts as a weapon of war; calls for more concerted efforts to eliminate the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and fight impunity of the perpetrators of such violence; stresses the need to pursue efforts to fully eradicate the practice of female genital mutilation; stresses that women human rights defenders, activists, journalists and lawyers have been particularly targeted, with online harassment and intimidation increasing rapidly; highlights the increase in domestic violence and setbacks to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in both developing and developed countries and calls for the EU and its Member States to fully support the rights of women and girls to bodily integrity, dignity and autonomous decision-making; and to effectively fight gender-based and domestic violence; reiterates its call for the EU to adopt a feminist foreign policy and for resolute action to ensure the full implementation of GAP III;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Notes with concern the rollback of sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls and rights of LGBTI persons in some EU Member States, harming the credibility of the EU position towards third countries in this regard; calls upon the Commission and EEAS not to take the middle ground between the positions of Member States and always fiercely defend these fundamental rights when engaging in dialogue or negotiations with third countries;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25 b. Recalls that States are required to guarantee access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, including modern contraceptive methods, safe and legal abortion, maternal, prenatal and postnatal healthcare, assisted reproduction, and access to SRHR information and education, including comprehensive sexuality education, without any form of discrimination; praises the important work of civil society and human rights defenders in that regard; strongly condemns roll backs of existing SRHR entitlements in both developing and developed countries; expresses concern regarding laws, policies and practices that continue to deny or restrict SRHR in many countries worldwide; calls for further strengthening of legal rights and protections and removal of barriers to access SRHR globally and in the EU and its Member States, and reiterates its call to include the right to safe and legal abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights; welcomes the publication of the updated World Health Organization guideline providing key recommendations to health systems for provision of abortion care; deplores that women human rights defenders working on SRHR are particularly targeted worldwide, and calls on the EU and its Member States to publicly and privately condemn attacks and threats against human rights defenders working in this area, proactively ensure adequate representation of SRHR defenders in consultations, and financially support their work; calls for the EU and its Member States to fully support and promote SRHR, including access to abortion, in multilateral and bilateral relations in accordance with international human rights law and standards;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for a systematic and consistent approach to promoting and defending children’s rights throughout the EU’s external policies; calls for more concerted efforts to protect children’s rights in crisis or emergency situations and welcomes the Council conclusions on this subject; expresses concern that the growing number of such crisis situations around the world, coupled with the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to increasing violations of child rights around the world, including violence, early and forced marriage, sexual abuse including genital mutilation, trafficking, child labour, recruitment as child soldiers, a lack of access to education and healthcare, malnutrition and extreme poverty; stresses the disproportionate and long-term effects of food insecurity on children, which directly affects not only their health and development but also their education, as well as increasing the outrageous practice of child marriage; stresses that 2021 was the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour and recalls the EU’s zero tolerance policy on this practice; calls on the USA, as the only remaining country not to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to do so as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Notes with great concern the scale and consequences of caste-based hierarchies, discrimination and human rights violations, including the denial of access to the legal system or employment, continued segregation, poverty and stigmatisation, and caste-related barriers to the exercise of basic human rights and human development, and regrets the lack of determined action on the part of the European Commission and EEAS to help eradicate these practices and act on previous Parliament's recommendations, such as developing an EU policy on caste- based discrimination;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30 b. Recommends that the European Parliament address caste-based discrimination in all its relevant Committees (AFET/DROI/DEVE/INTA) and delegations, appoint a focal point on caste-based discrimination, and when visiting Asian countries concerned by the issue (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka), consult with Dalit organisations and raise caste-based discrimination with Parliament's counterparts and with the authorities and hold a hearing to review EU actions and progress on the occasion of the International Day on Racial Discrimination;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)
Paragraph 30 c (new)
30 c. Calls on EU Delegations and Member States' missions to develop specific local strategies to help fight caste- based discrimination in the countries most affected by it (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka), in dialogue with local Dalit representatives and civil society organisations, and to invite these to consultations deriving from EU agreements or instruments, including GSP+ or human rights dialogues;
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 d (new)
Paragraph 30 d (new)
30 d. Recalls the obligations of States to protect the rights of their national, ethnic, cultural, religious or linguistic minorities within their respective territories; calls on the Commission to support the protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities worldwide, including as a priority under the human rights and democracy thematic programme of the NDICI - Global Europe;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls for the EU to step up its efforts to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer persons (LGBTIQ); stresses that LGBTIQ persons and their defenders around the world continue to face human rights violations, including discrimination, persecution, violence and killings and calls on the Member States and all institutions to lead by example by proactively defending their rights and protect them from discrimination at home, and across the globe; calls for the full implementation of the LGBTIQ equality strategy 2020- 2025 as the EU’s tool for improving the situation of LGBTIQ people around the world;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Underlines the utmost importance of freedom of expression and access to reliable information for democracy and flourishing civic space; expresses deep concern about the growing limitations to freedom of expression in many countries around the world, particularly for journalists, through censorship or the need for self-censorship and the abuse of counter-terrorism laws or anti-corruption laws to silence journalists and civil society organisations, as well as the use of technologies such as spyware to hinder or control their work; expresses concern, moreover, about the physical safety of journalists and their being targeted in conflicts;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Expresses its serious concern about the restrictions on academic freedom and the increase in the censorship and imprisonment of scholars worldwide, which has important consequences for the right to education; urges the EU and the Member States to step up their diplomatic efforts through bilateral and multilateral engagement in relation to threats or attacks on academic freedom by state and non-state actors; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to revisit existing support and protection mechanisms for HRDs, in order to develop the capacity to identify and provide assistance, including emergency protection and support, in cases involving attacks on academic freedom; calls on the Commission to ensure continued high- level support to the Global Campus of Human Rights, as a flagship of the EU’s support to human rights education worldwide;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Notes that 2021 marked the 40th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief; notes with grave concern that the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, to hold a belief, or not to believe is still violated in many countries around the world; stresses the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as some governments still use it as a pretext for further discriminatory practices including violence against and scapegoating religious minorities; calls for the EU and its Member States to step up their efforts to protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, to raise these issues at UN human rights forums and to work with the relevant UN mechanisms and committees; observes that atheism and the non-religious population are growing rapidly worldwide and should not be neglected in the EU policy framework on freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief;
Amendment 392 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35 a. Deplores that 22 countries still criminalize apostasy, including 13 where it is punishable by death; deplores as well that blasphemy is criminalized in 79 countries and is punishable by death in 7 countries; recalls with concern that at least 14 EU Member States maintain criminal blasphemy or religious insult laws; denounces the recourse to blasphemy, apostasy or other accusations based on religious grounds, in order to crack-down on human rights defenders in relation to their legitimate activities, including on the Internet and social media, and more broadly to restrict civil society space; in this context, calls on the Saudi authorities to unconditionally lift all restrictions against Sakharov Prize laureate Raif Badawi and to allow him to travel and carry out his legitimate activities;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)
Paragraph 35 b (new)
35 b. Observes with deep concern that non-religious, and secular and humanist organizations are facing growing persecution, including unprecedented waves of incitement and hatred and killings, in a number of countries; denounces the attacks against countless individuals and civil society organisations for peacefully questioning, criticizing or satirizing religious beliefs and that this ongoing violation of their freedom of thought and of expression occurs across geographic and cultural borders, including within EU Member States;
Amendment 396 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)
Paragraph 35 c (new)
35 c. Recalls that the right to express critical or satirical opinions on religions and religious authorities is a legitimate expression of freedom of thought or artistic creation;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36 b. Insists that the EEAS and EU delegations pay particular attention to the situation of the Sakharov Prize laureates and finalists at risk and take resolute action, in coordination with Member States and Parliament, to ensure their well-being, safety or liberation; in particular, highlights the situation of Sakharov Prize laureates Alexei Navalny, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Maryia Kalesnikava, Mikola Statkevich and Alex Bialiatski, Ilham Tohti, Nasrin Sotoudeh and Jafar Panahi who are detained in Russia, Belarus, China and Iran; Sakharov Prize laureate Razan Zaitouneh kidnappped in 2013 and whose whereabouts in Syria remain unknown; Sakharov Prize finalist Dawit Isaak who is reportedly detained incommunicado in Eritrea; Sakharov Prize laureate Raif Badawi who in spite of his liberation remains under travel ban in Saudi Arabia; welcomes the release of Sakharov Prize finalists Porfirio Sorto Cedillo, José Avelino Cedillo, Orbin Naún Hernández, Kevin Alejandro Romero, Arnold Javier Aleman, Ever Alexander Cedillo, Daniel Marquez and Jeremías Martínez Díaz in Honduras; calls for the release of Sakharov Prize finalist Nasser Zefzafi in Morocco; calls on the EEAS to report back annually on action taken on each of these cases;
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Reaffirms the inalienable human rights of migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced persons, which must be reflectefully upheld in the EU’s migration policy and in its cooperation with third countries in this area; reiterates its call on the Commission to integrate pre-assessment as well as monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the human rights impact of cooperation on migration with third countries; urges for the abolishment of the practice of concluding informal arrangements with third countries in relation to migration cooperation, in order to ensure transparency and allow for parliamentary scrutiny and democratic oversight over its activity in this area; stresses that the EU should step up its efforts to acknowledge and develop ways to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, building the resilience of migrants’ communities of origin and helping them offer their members the possibility to enjoy a decent life in their home country; calls for the EU and its Member States to continue and where possible step up their support for countries hosting most refugees, as well as transit countries; reiterates that close cooperation and engagement with third countries remain key to preventing migrant smuggling; stresses, in this regard, that the dissemination of information and awareness-raising campaigns on the risks of smuggling is crucial, as well as by taking on their fair share of responsibility by hosting refugees; reiterates that close cooperation and engagement with third countries on migrant smuggling must strictly conform to international law standards; reiterates its call on the EU to ensure that all migration cooperation and readmission agreements with non-EU states strictly comply with international human rights, refugee and maritime law, particularly with the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; emphasises as well the need to delink development cooperation from cooperation on readmission or migration management; insists that human rights need to be mainstreamed and monitored in all the activities carried out by Frontex and the European Union Agency of Asylum (EUAA); stresses that the dissemination of information and awareness-raising campaigns on the risks of smuggling do not in themselves suffice to discourage migrants from taking life- threatening journeys in order to escape their hardships at home; calls for EU- funded humanitarian operations to take into consideration the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and other vulnerable groups and to ensure their protection while they are displaced; underlines the importance of developing an effective framework of safe and legal pathways to the EU and welcomes, in this regard, the Commission communication on attracting skills and talent to the EU13 , including the development of Talent Partnerships with partner countries; _________________ 13 Commission communication of 27 April 2022 on attracting skills and talent to the EU (COM(2022)0657).
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Recalls its commitment to the rights of refugees, as provided by international human rights and refugee laws, in particular the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereto; recalls the obligations of states to protect refugees and respect their rights in accordance with the relevant international law; notes with concern that the number of people forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order reached an unprecedented 89 million by the end of 2021, 36.5 million of whom are children; stresses, in this context, that international action and cooperation is more essential than ever to ensure protection for refugees; highlights the importance of the EU Member States leading by example and strictly upholding their obligations under international refugee law including by putting an immediate end to violent and illegal pushbacks at its external borders and substantially increasing their hosting capacity as well as resettlement pledges;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. Welcomes the triggering of the Temporary Protection Directive in order to provide for immediate protection and rights for displaced Ukrainians arriving into the EU; stresses that all refugees should have equal rights and calls upon the Commission and Member States to harmonise rights between refugees from other countries compared to Ukrainian refugees, including by facilitating access to the job market, education and adequate housing;
Amendment 458 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Stresses the multitude of threats to human rights caused by modern warfare and conflicts around the world today; underlines that in addition to the states parties themselves, such conflicts often involve non-state agents including private military and security companies as well as terrorist organisations; stresses the disastrous humanitarian consequences of these conflicts and their devastating impact on civilians, who are directly targeted, have to endure grave human rights violations, and often have no or limited access to justice or legal remedies; calls for the EU to continue developing and implementing tools to enable it to respond swiftly and efficiently to such conflicts, to help put an end to the perpetration of human rights violations, and to provide assistance to the victims; calls for the adoption of a gender-sensitive perspective to comprehend how conflicts affect women and the LGBTIQ+ community differently and act accordingly;
Amendment 461 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40 a. Reiterates its call on the Member States to help contain armed conflicts and serious violations of human rights or international humanitarian law by strictly abiding by the provisions of Article 7 of the UN Arms Trade Treaty on Export and Export Assessment and of the EU Common Position on Arms Exports, including by refusing any transfer of arms and surveillance equipment which would result in the risk that the importing state or non-state actors may commit or facilitate violations of human rights or international humanitarian law; reiterates its calls for stricter EU-wide controls on EU arms exports, better end-use control of exported arms, more coordination of national decisions on arms exports, a publicly accessible database on national arms exports and, for arms subsidised through the European Defence Fund, an EU monitoring and sanctions mechanism for breaches of the eight EU export criteria;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40 b. Recalling its resolution of 27 February 2014 on the use of armed drones, expresses its continued concern over the use of armed drones outside the international legal framework; calls once again for the EU to urgently develop a legally binding framework for the use of armed drones to ensure that the Member States, in keeping with their legal obligations, do not perpetrate unlawful targeted killings or facilitate such killings by third states; calls further on the Commission to keep Parliament properly informed about the use of EU funds for all research and development projects associated with the construction of drones; calls for human rights impact assessments in respect of further drone development projects; recalls its resolution of 12 September 2018 on autonomous weapon systems and urges the VP/HR and the Member States to ban the development, production and use of autonomous weapons which lack meaningful human control over the critical functions of selecting and attacking targets; insists on the launch of international negotiations on a legally binding instrument that would prohibit lethal autonomous weapons without meaningful human control; urges the VP/HR and the Member States to adopt a common position for international negotiations in this respect;
Amendment 468 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Strongly condemns the grave violations of human rights committed by the Russian armed forces and their proxies; underlines the utmost importance of ensuring accountability for these violations and calls for the EU and its Member States to continue to offer their full support for the actors, measures and mechanisms to this end, including the Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators and judiciary, the ICC, the Commission of Inquiry of the UN Human Rights Council, and national investigations under the principle of universal jurisdiction; stresses the importance of swiftly gathering and preserving evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity and welcomes the efforts of independent civil society to this end; calls on the Commission to provide all the necessary assistance in this process, including additional funding from the NDICI – Global Europe, and urges the Member States to engage in this process themselves whenever they are in a position to do so; welcomes the amended mandate of the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine and the Commission’s proposal to extend the mandate of Eurojust to support the fight against impunity; calls for an informed decision to be made about the most appropriate solution to hold to account the individuals and entities responsible for enabling Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the war crimes committed on Ukrainian territory, which could include the creation of a special international court or enabling the ICC to deliberate on these crimes;
Amendment 484 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Underlines that human rights, a healthy environment and combating the climate changerisis are dependent on one another; calls for progress towards the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as laid out in Resolution 48/13 of the UN Human Rights Council, and stresses its appreciation for the peacefuessential work undertaken by environmental human rights defenders including land defenders and their lawyers, as well as indigenous activists, to preserve and safeguard such anthe environment despite the threat of violence against them and the risk to their lives; recognises, moreover, the important role of civil society organisations, including environmental faith-based organisations, as well as indigenous peoples for their invaluable work in the preservation of the environment as well as indigenous peoples for their invaluable work in the preservation and protection of the environment; stresses that biodiversity and human rights are interlinked and interdependent and recalls the human rights obligations of States to protect the biodiversity on which those rights depend, including by providing for the participation of citizens in biodiversity-related decisions and providing access to effective remedies in cases of biodiversity loss and degradation;
Amendment 492 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Urges the EU to seek to counter the effects of the global climate crisis inter alia by introducing effective and sustainable policy actions and to comply with the goals of the Paris Agreement; Calls for the EU and its Member States to step up their contribution to the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss globally, in particular by ensuring that goods imported by the EU are produced in accordance with human rights protected under international law, including the rights of indigenous people, and do not contribute to deforestation or damage to natural ecosystems;
Amendment 506 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Calls for the EU to use the full potential of conditionality on human rights to grant preferential access to its market to third countries; calls, in particular, for a closer link between preferential treatment and progress on human rights in the updated Regulation on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) and for greater transparency throughout all steps of the procedure for granting GSP+ status, including following up on any possible violations; calls for a standing invitation for the EU and improved engagement with civil society; calls for a standing invitation for UN Special Procedures to visit, and for the EU and other international organizations to observe national elections in third countries to be established as a condition for granting those countries GSP+ status; reiterates its calls for the Commission to systematically carry out human rights impact assessments focused on the risks of human rights violations prior to granting any preferential regime to a country and to swiftly investigate and respond to any violations, including the revocation of GSP+ status if warranted; calls on the Commission to examine caste-based discrimination in its reviews of the implementation of GSP+ commitments in relevant Asian countries;
Amendment 510 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46 a. Calls on the EU and Member States to condemn in the strongest terms crackdowns against civil society in particular when they happen in countries with which the EU has concluded Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and engage effectively with the national authorities in those countries, including at the highest level, to ensure civil society may act freely, participate in public affairs, and monitor and document the implementation of the FTAs; urges the EU to raise concerns pointing expressly to the violation of the FTA commitments, including those laid out in the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters and in the essential elements clauses of Partnerships and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) read in conjunction with the FTAs; in cases of serious or widespread violations, urges the EU to trigger the human rights clauses, envisaging dedicated conditionality and adequate measures on this basis, including the setting up of a dedicated human rights monitoring body to assess the respect of human rights commitments under FTAs and to provide recommendation to the parties, as previously requested by this Parliament in its non-legislative resolution of 12 February 2020 on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; requests that the EU keeps civil society, including the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG), regularly informed and updated of the demarches undertaken and the progress made;
Amendment 513 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence as a step towards fostering responsible corporate behaviour and corporate accountability with regard to human, labour and environmental rights; emphasises that the directive’s requirements as regards reporting on the sustainability and due diligence strategies should apply to all publicly listed undertakings and to small and medium-sized undertakings operating in high-risk economic sectors; stresses the need to establish and enforce sanctions to make the legislation effective; calls for the inclusion of a specific article on consultation of stakeholders in the Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence directive, in particular affected persons and communities, trade unions, workers’ representatives, and human rights defenders; calls on the Commission to draw up a strong and coherent strategy on forced labour as an accompaniment to its proposal, notably with a view to implementing a complete ban on EU imports of goods produced through forced labour; calls on the Commission to insure that caste-based forced, bonded and child labour are included in the categories used in the upcoming EU Forced Labour Instrument;.
Amendment 523 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47 a. Denounces the increasing practice by authoritarian states of hosting mega sports or cultural events in order to boost their international legitimacy whilst further restricting domestic dissent; calls on the EU and Member States to engage with national sports federations, corporate actors and civil society organizations on the modalities of their participation in such events; calls for the development of an EU policy framework on sports and human rights;
Amendment 527 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Stresses that human rights must fully encompass the digital sphere and must be protected from the improper use of technology; underlines the risks posed by digital technologies to personal liberty and democracy at large and condemns the role of digital technologies in human rights violations; calls for more intensive efforts to establish a comprehensive legal framework on digital technologies, which should balance the need to protect human rights with taking advantage of the possible gains such technologies can offer for human well-being; in particular, stresses the specific threat that the new digital technologies pose for human rights defenders, opposition figures, journalists and others in controlling, restricting and undermining their activities, including within EU Member States, as illustrated recently by the NSO/Pegasus revelations; calls on the EU to take an initiative to promote an immediate, global moratorium on the sale, transfer and use of spyware technology and the adoption of a robust regulatory framework in this field; calls on the EU and Member States to ensure full due human rights diligence and proper vetting of exports of European surveillance technology and technical assistance; calls on the EU and Member States to engage with third country governments to end repressive cybersecurity and counter-terrorism legislation practices and legislation;