Activities of Miriam LEXMANN related to 2020/2208(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy - annual report 2020 - Implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy - annual report 2020 - Human Rights and Democracy in the World and the EU policy on the matter - annual report 2019 (debate)
Amendments (25)
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas throughout the celebration of the 30th anniversary of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in November 2019, the EU stressed its commitment to developing a comprehensive strategy on children’s rights and parental rights and placing them at the heart of EU policies; whereas Parliament hosted a dedicated conference on 20 November 2019, which addressed a range of issues including challenges to the protection of the rights of the child in an ever-changing digital world, especially in regards to banning access to child pornography, harassment and violence, overcoming barriers to the full enjoyment of children’s rights and tackling the changing nature of armed conflicts and their impact on children’s futures;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the global recession caused by the pandemic creates the temptation for governments to respond by giving priority tosulted in understandable focus on stimulating economic activity and attracting investments, while lowering theirit also led to regretful lowering of governments' levels of ambition in terms of political objectives and standards for some other areas, such as the protection of human rights and, climate action and the fight against poverty, especially of children and their families;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic of those states which have placed the rights to life and health as their first imperatives, on the basis of the principle that precautionary measures, including lockdowns, must prevail over economic considerationthe protection of life as their first imperatives;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Expresses very serious concerns, however, about the decline in democratic and human rights standards that the crisis has caused in some countries; is of the opinion that this pushback primarily results from the devastating economic and social consequences of the crisis and their use as a pretext to manipulate state institutions and electoral timelines, suppress the activities of human rights defenders, political opponents, media or civil society representatives, and restrict fundamental freedoms for purposes unrelated to the pandemic; also stresses in this regard the rise of hate speech and disinformation, the targeting of vulnerable groups accused of spreading the virus, and the widespread use, in violation of human rights, of digital technologies aimed at containing the pandemic by tracking citizens and retrieving their private data;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Strongly denounces the many cases of discrimination and persecution linked to ethnicity, nationality, social class, caste, religion, belief, language, age, sex, sexuality and gender identityrace, religion, belief, language, age and sex that continue to occur in many countries and societies; deplores the targeting of individuals or communities with intolerant and hate-filled declarations and actions; considers the prevalence of racism and xenophobia in many countries to be unacceptable;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the growing aspirations and mobilisations of citizens, in particular the youngest citizens, for political and societal changes favourable to respect for human rights, democratic governance, equality and social justice, more ambitious climate action and better protection of the environment; highlights the emergence in 2019 of massive protest movements in every region in the world reflecting these aspirations, calling into question institutional and economic orders of societies and supporting the development of a more equitable global society and better protection of the environment;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that physical attacks, imprisonments, death threats, harassment, intimidation and restrictions on freedom of expression remain tools systematically used around the world against human rights defenders (HRDs), non- governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society activists and journalists; underlines the existence of political trends towards deeper nationalism and the misuse of religion for political gain, which are conducive to intolerance, in particular towards HRDs, women, LGBTI people and migrants;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that it is the duty of EU institutions to actively support organisations and individuals engaged in defending democracy and human rights; underlines in this regard the importance of Parliament’s action in making their voice heard and in obtaining the release of HRDs detained as a result of their activism; supports the work of European political foundations in strengthening democratic processes and fostering a new generation of political leaders around the world;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is seriously concerned at the persistence of the scourge of wars and military conflicts, amounting even to genocides against religious minorities, which give way to grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, in particular mass killings and forced displacements of civilian populations; strongly condemns the engagement of authoritarian powers in proxy wars and stresses that political solutions are a prerequisite for sustainable peace; expresses deep concerns at heightened international political tensions, and in certain regions of the world, at the increased activity of non-state armed groups and terrorist organisations and the development of communal violence;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the fact that efforts to advance the rights of women and girls have gained further prominence worldwide; stresses, however, the persistence of widespread gender-specific violence and discrimination in every region of the world, which often arises from cultural habits or long-established discriminatory legal systems; highlights, furthermore,denounces the exploitation of women through the practice of surrogacy, human trafficking and the use of sexual violence targeting women because of their opinions, faith, philosophical orientation or their activism in defence of human rights; condemns authoritarian regimes that are opposing or fanning a negative backlash against women’s demands for equal rights; underlines the prominent role that women play through their activism in political and social movements and deplores the heavy toll they have paid by being victims of violence caused by brutal repression;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses deep concern at the continuation of serious human rights abuses against children around the world in 2019, the year of the 30th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, namely trafficking and exploitation of children through child prostitution, child pornography and the practice of surrogacy, use of child soldiers in armed conflicts and family separation and detention of children for immigration- related reasons;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Express its deep sorrow at and condemnation of the terrorist attacks and bombings perpetrated in the first half of 2019 that targeted believers in particular inand their places of worship; is alarmed that these horrific acts coincided with hate campaigns ramped up by some political leaders and terror groups that aim to deny and limit the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the commitment by the Council to promote responses to the effects of the COIVD-19 pandemic by developing a global system of cooperation and dialogue and advancing rules- and rights- based multilateralism; stresses its view that international human rights law and the promise of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 should remain the cornerstones of all responses to the pandemic; recommends that the EU continue its efforts by engaging with countries and stakeholders which may or may not share the same values as the EU, in order to preserve or develop international standards in the field of human rights, but in line with the Union's values as defined in Article 21 of the Treaties (TEU);
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Asks the Member States to make the EU’s foreign and security policy more effective by using the rule of qualified majority voting in the Council; cCalls on the Member States to speak with a single, strong EU voice in multilateral forums, as this is the only way that the Union can play a leading role on the international scene and use its influence to bring about positive changes and better responses to global challenges including, primarily, the promotion and protection of democracy and human rights, ands well as environmental and climate related challenges;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates that the EU will only be recognised on the global scene if its core values, in particular those of respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law are credible externally, and this will only be possible if the EU ensures the internal and external coherence of its policies, and consistency in adhering to its values, on these matters;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Deplores the fact that Russia, China and other authoritarian regimes have abused multilateral institutions, seeking to neutralise multilateral human rights institutions and mechanisms in their ability to hold states accountable for human rights violations; calls on the Union and its Member States to work with like-minded democratic allies to support a reform of multilateral institutions so that they become more resilient against the malign influence of authoritarian regimes;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Takes the view that democratic governance and the rule of law are globally under attack due to a combination of factors including the rise of authoritarianism, increased inequalities and poverty, polarisation, the shrinking of space for civil society, disinformation campaigns and other hybrid threats conducted by internal and external actors, loss of credibility of public powerinstitutions and the weakening of collective organisations defending public interest; calls for the EU and its Member States to continue supporting the building up of democratic institutions and transparent and credible electoral processes, while going beyond this by providing further support to actions that encourage and unleash democratic debate, combat inequalities, empower civil society organisations, support dialogue between different segments of society, fight corruption and strengthen judiciaries;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Calls for the adoption of an ambitious EU Action Plan for gender equality and women’s empowerment in external relations for 2021-2025 (Gender Action Plan III); calls in this regard for the reinforcement of EU support for non-EU countries that are implementing new policies and legislative changes with a view to aligning national legal frameworks to international and SDG commitments concerning women’s rights and gender equality, to protecting women HRDs, to advancing women’'s sexual and reproductive health and rights, to providing young people with science- based and comprehensive sexual educand young people's health and access to education, the labour market, information, and to preventing sexual and gender-based violence and female genital mutilation;
Amendment 448 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Considers regrettable the growing divergent developments between countries which are moving towards a better protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons, notably by de- criminalising homosexuality, and those which undermine them and leave the field free for persecution, discrimination and stigmatisation against LGTBI persons; bBelieves that practices and acts of violence against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation should not go unpunished and must be eradicated; calls for the EU to play a leading role in defending the human rights of LGBTI persons and to set an example in tackling violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and develop a new and ambitious LGBTI+ equality strategy;
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Is seriously concerned at the suffering and vulnerability of indigenous communities that results from the consequences of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which are worsened by the loss of their lands and livelihoods due to corporate activities and related damages; regrets the fact that indigenous peoples continue to face widespread and systematic discrimination and persecution worldwide, including forced displacements, arbitrary arrests and the killing of human rights defenders; recommends that the EU and its Member States include references to indigenous peoples and the rights contained in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the relevant and emerging frameworks for due diligence, and ensure that EU-based companies be held to account in the event of a breach of their obligationsthe obligations are clearly set and defined, and that EU-based companies understand and apply their corporate responsibility accordingly;
Amendment 493 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Is appalled by the number of killings, attacks and acts of persecution, discrimination, harassment and incitation to antagonism that took place, and the number of restrictions on rights that were imposed in 2019 against individuals and groups targeted because of their religion or belief; reaffirms its support for victims of violence based on religion or belief and its commitment to eradicating such violence; welcomes the Global Exchange on Religion in Society, launched by the Vice- President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) in Brussels on 6 September 2019; recommends, however, that equal attention be paid to both intra-religious and inter- religious relationships; calls in this regard for the development of EU support to intra- religious dialogue at local level with the aim of fighting extremism and hate speech; calls furthermore for the objectives of promoting and protecting freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief to be mainstreamed into a wider range of EU activities related to human rights; calls on the Commission to renew as soon as possible the post of the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU;
Amendment 555 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Calls for the setting up of an EU mandatory human rights due diligence instrument that requires companies to engage actively in the identification, assessment, mitigation, prevention and notification of any adverse impacts of their businesses and supply chains on human rights, setting civil and criminal liability for corporate bodies, business leaders and executives in the event of a breach and providing victims with access to justice and remedy; recommends that a legal duty of care be included as a specific element of this instrument in order to prevent the use of modern slavery and child labour by businesses in their overseas supply chains; calls on EU-based companies to live up to their corporate responsibility by moving towards the adherence of ethical rules and standards embraced within the EU's Single Market;
Amendment 569 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Is deeply concerned at the disproportionate negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrants and refugees; uUrges governments to engage in responses based on respect for human rights and dignity and solutions to address migrants’ and refugees’ vulnerability and their need for protection, in line with the principles of solidarity and partnership and allowing for adequate and accessible legal pathways for migration; stresses the importance of upholding the right to asylum worldwide;
Amendment 596 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Calls on the Commission and the Council to strengthen the Union's democracy support programmes globally, by fostering pro-democratic bottom-up processes, building institutional resilience and supporting rules-based global free market economy,