Activities of Jörg LEICHTFRIED related to 2012/2145(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world 2011 and the European Union's policy on the matter - EU's human rights strategy (debate)
Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world 2011 and the European Union's policy on the matter - EU's human rights strategy (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the annual report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2011 and the European Union’s policy on the matter PDF (546 KB) DOC (695 KB)
Amendments (52)
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the positive steps taken in recent years to develop the Annual Report, but stresses the potential for further improvement; reiterates its call for a more systematic approach and an analysis of the EU's policy performance; welcomes, as an important step in this direction, the commitment made in the EU Human Rights Action Plan of 25 June 2012 to present EU performance in meeting the objectives of its human rights strategy in the Annual Report; recommends development of the individual country sections by using indices and benchmarks to assist in the follow-up to the human rights country strategies;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the appointment of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, which mandate should be based on the principles guiding the EU´s HR policy in particular on EU guidelines, including the promotion of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in light of their agreement in 2011 and the priority given to them in the European Commission Communication on Corporate Social Responsibility (COM(2011) 681 final);
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses that, for the European Union (EU) to be a credible actor in external relations, it must act consistently, in accordance with Treaty and acquis obligations and avoid double standards between its human rights policy and other external policies, between internal and external policies, and in the conduct of its relations with third countries, combining this approach with the challenge of developing the human rights Country Strategy Papers and implementing action plans, which must also cover democratisation, reflecting the specificity of each country as regards impact, and making full use of the EU's relevant instruments;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Stresses that appropriate measures must be taken to ensure that civil rights and fundamental freedoms are not compromised or diminished in times of economic crisis;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 d (new)
Paragraph 8 d (new)
8d. Calls on the EU, that the Union's policies should also be consistent and exemplary within the EU, as well as coherent and in line with fundamental values and principles in order to maximise the EU's credibility globally and the effectiveness of human rights policies;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Recalls that economic and social rights have been an integral part of human rights since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948; believes, therefore, that the EU must help to implement these rights in less advanced and developing countries with which it signs international agreements, including trade agreements;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes EU efforts to support and revitalise the human rights work within the UN system, including the conclusion of the review of the UN Human Rights Council in 2011; stresses the continued importance of supporting the independence of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the role of the thematic and country-specific UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights; recalls the need for sufficient funding to keep regional OHCHR offices open; emphasises the significance of the European Union accession of 22 January 2011 to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as the first UN human rights convention ratified by the European Union as a legal entity;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. stresses the need that the EU speaks with one voice, takes a firm and clear stand concerning human rights violations as well as to occur closed outwards the EU; encourages the EEAS, particularly the EU´s delegations in Geneva and New York, to increase its coherence, based on timely and substantive consultation, and the visibility of the EU´s action in order to enhance its credibility in the world; takes note, in this light, of the development of the capacity of the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM) and the efforts to identify key priorities as well as efforts to clarify the division of labour which will help developing gross regional outreach and collaboration and on lobbying all moderate States including between Geneva and New York;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. stresses the importance and the strong support for the EU´s active participation in the work of the UNHRC, through the co-sponsoring of resolutions, the issuing of statements and its intervention in interactive dialogues and debates;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. reiterates its call to the EU and its Member States to ensure that human rights are also fully respected in internal policies, in order to avoid double standards and to increase consistency between internal policies and to enhance their moral authority on the international scene;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. recalls the adoption by the UN General Assembly of Resolution 65/276 on the participation of the EU in the work of the UN as a modest start to the greater endeavour of upgrading the role of the Union in the human rights work of this organisation; stresses the need, that the EU must now forcefully insist on exercising its rights and seek an ambitious strategy to further enhance its status at the UN-level.
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates its recommendation that the Rome Statute be added to the package of international treaties on good governance and the rule of law to be ratified by third countries admitted to the System of Generalised Preferences Plus (GSP+); supports consistent inclusion of an ICC clause in EU agreements with third countries; welcomes the ratification to the ICC by Cape Verde and Vanuatu; emphasizes the need for a close and permanent cooperation between HR/VP, EU Special Representative on Human Rights, the Commissioner on Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, the EEAS and the Member States.
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33b. is deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Libya, notably regarding the conditions of detention and the treatment of detainees held by various militias without effective and serious control by the Interim Government over these brigades, and requires increased alertness and sustained assistance by the international community, as stated by the High Commissioner for Human Rights before the UN Security Council on 25 January 2012;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Welcomes the strengthened consultative role of the European Parliament's Election Coordination Group (ECG), exercised for the first time in 2011, in the identification and planning of EU Election Observation Missions; expects Parliament's democracy support activities, including the political groups to be further enhanced by the creation of an administrative directorate for democracy support under the political supervision of an enlarged Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DSECG);
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Rreiterates its concern, however, with the persistently disappointing lack of progress in a number of human rights dialogues, and the lack of transparent benchmarks to genuinely assess improvements or deterioration in human rights; notes the continued EU difficulties to negotiate improved modalities for the dialogue with China and Russia; calls on the newly appointed EUSR on Human Rights to inject new momentum into these and other dialogues; stresses the need to relaunch the dialogue with Iran, including the human rights dialogue, which was interrupted since 2006
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Calls on the Commission to use free trade agreements to promote the four core labour standards, like freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced labour; the abolition of child labour; and the elimination of discrimination in the area of employment.
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 b (new)
Paragraph 42 b (new)
42b. Stresses the importance of the anchoring of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in free trade agreements between the EU and third or developing countries, to promote human rights, social and environmental standards; welcomes the fact the EU Special Representative on Human Rights in line with his mandate has the power to monitor the compliance and implementation of the concept of the CSR.
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 c (new)
Paragraph 42 c (new)
42c. Demonstrates that the EU has to monitor the fulfilling of the provisions in line with the free trade agreements between the EU and third or developing countries, especially in the field of employment, labour relations, human and fundamental rights, environment, consumer interests and transparency vis- à-vis consumers.
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 d (new)
Paragraph 42 d (new)
42d. Expects a comprehensive human rights chapter, in addition to social and environmental chapters, in all future Free Trade; calls for the chapter on sustainable development in agreements to be strengthened through the inclusion of a complaints procedure open to the social partners and civil society, the establishment of an independent body to settle pertinent disputes and the possibility of recourse to a dispute settlement mechanism with provision for fines and the suspension of trade benefits in the event of an aggravated breach of the environmental and labour standards concerned, equivalent to mechanisms for market access provisions; stresses that the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms of the GSP+ scheme should be further strengthened
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Reiterates that the consistent application of the human rights clause of agreements is fundamental in relations between the European Union and its Member States and third countries; stresses the importance of reviewing how Member States have cooperated with the apparatus of repression in the name of countering terrorism; underlines, in this respect, the need for the newly revised European Neighbourhood Policy to focus on providing support for security sector reform and, in particular, to ensure a clear separation of intelligence and law enforcement functions; calls on the VP/HR, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, the EEAS, the Council and the Commission to step up their cooperation with the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and with other relevant Council of Europe mechanisms, in the planning and implementation of counter-terrorism assistance projects with third countries, and in all forms of counter- terrorism dialogues with third countries;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Welcomes the commitment of the EU Human Rights Action Plan to develop new public guidelines on freedom of expression online and offline, including the protection of bloggers and journalists;, human rights defenders and opposition-parties.
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Notes with concern the worrying trend of increased attacks and intimidation against journalists and media workers in the OSCE areaworld; calls for a stepping up of EU efforts to promote their safety in dialogues with the Union's partners and other countries;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a (new)
Paragraph 52 a (new)
52a. Is gravely concerned by developments which restrict freedom of expression and assembly based on the basis of misconceptions about homosexuality and transgenderism; recalls that these laws and proposals are inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which precludes discriminatory laws and practices based on sexual orientation; calls on the High Representative/Vice- President of the Commission and the Special Representative for Human Rights to raise these concerns systematically;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 a (new)
Paragraph 53 a (new)
53a. Refers to the position of the European Parliament, adopted at first reading on 27th September 2011 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) No .../2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items (EP-PE_TC1- COD(2008)0249; points out that the authorisation in line with the Regulation does not authorise the export of items for use in connection with a violation of human rights, democratic principles or freedom of speech as defined by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, by using interception technologies and digital data transfer devices for monitoring mobile phones and text messages and targeted surveillance of internet use (e.g. via Monitoring Centres and Lawful Interception Gateways;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Acknowledges EU efforts to step up support to civil society organisations; values particularly the ability of the European Union to engage directly with civil society through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR); regrets, however, that EU does not have a stronger systematic policy to persuade partner countries to abolish undue legal and administrative restrictions that limit the universal rights of assembly and association; stresses the importance of trade unions; refers to the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union, especially to article 12 (freedom of assembly and of association), article 27 (workers' right to information and consultation within the undertaking), article 28 (right of collective bargaining and action) and article 29 (right of access to placement services); calls for such policy guidelines be developed;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Regrets that persecution and marginalisation of human rights defenders remain a widespread tendency in China, Russia and all othver countries that still mistake high human rights standards for an imposition of the EU, the UN and global human rights organisations; regrets that disbarred lawyers in China and politically persecuted journalists and media workers are regarded as an internal affairthe world;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Regrets the general assessment in the EU Annual Report that in many countries, there is a contranotes the restrictions of democratic space, and civil society in general and human rights defenders (HRDs) in particular are increasingly victims of repression, and fundamental freedoms are still massively violated;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Notes that it is the human rights defenders working in remote areas and conflict zones that are the most exposed to threats and dangers, and in least contact with EU staff; urges all EU delegations to develop local human rights strategies for maintaining regular contacts with human rights defenders on the ground and for providing them with necessary assistance and protection, as required by the EU Guidelines on HRDs;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. Reiterates its unfaltering stance against the death penalty in all cases and circumstances, and strongly supports EU efforts to pass a strong resolution on the death penalty moratorium at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, also with a view to gaining momentum in the run-up to the World Congress against the Death Penalty; underlines the fact that the EU is the leading actor and largest donor to the fight against death penalty
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. Welcomes the assessment by human rights organisations that the use of the death penalty in 2011 broadly confirms the global trend towards abolition; welcomes the abolition of death penalty in Thailand for offenders younger than 18 years old; regrets, however, that there was a significant increase in executions in Iran, Iraq and, Saudi Arabia and the United States; expresses serious disappointment at the refusal of China to disclose credible information about its use of death penalty and executions that, according to Amnesty International, number in the thousands; welcomes the abolition of the death penalty in the US state of Illinois but regrets that the United States continues to execute people despite being the only G8 country to do so in 2011; recalls with concern that Belarus is the only European country to continue use the death penalty; urges the EU and its Member States consistently to bring this issue up in their dialogues with these countries;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)
Paragraph 66 a (new)
66a. Welcomes the Commission´s decision of 20 December 2011 to amend Regulation (EC) No 1236/2005 and thereby tighten export controls on certain drugs that can be used for executions and equipment that can be used for torture or executions; calls on the Commission to tackle the remaining loopholes in the regulation by introducing an end-use catch-all clause that would prohibit the export of any drug that could be used for torture or executions;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 b (new)
Paragraph 66 b (new)
66b. Calls again on the Commission to insert into Council Regulation (EC) No 1236/2005 concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, a 'torture end-use' clause, enabling Member States, on the basis of prior information, to license and thus refuse the export of any items which pose a substantial risk of being used to these ends by their destined endusers;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Regrets that the political abuse of psychiatry still remains a painful problem in a number of countries, including Russia, which have a history of using violent psychiatric methods in support of antidemocratic regimes trying to intimidate and stop dissenting segments of society and individuals; emphasises with concern that this tendency goes hand in hand with vague and elusive forms of torture, including psychological terror and degrading conditions of prisons;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Calls attention to the significance of the report of the UN Special Rapporteur of 5 August 2011 (A/66/268) on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, focusing on the effects of solitary confinement, including the use of that method in psychiatric clinics; expresses serious concern over the evidence from different countries that psychiatric hospitals are being used as de facto detention centres; calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, the EEAS and the Commission to pay appropriate attention to this problem;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 14
Subheading 14
Discrimination of societal groups
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Srequires the Member States to vigorously oppose any attempt to undermine the concept of universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights and to actively encourage the UNHRC to pay equal attention to the question of discrimination on all grounds, including gender, race, age, sexual orientation religion or belief; strongly regrets that homosexuality remains criminalised in 78 states, including five in which it is subject to the death penalty; calls on these states to decriminalise homosexuality without delay, to free those imprisoned on the basis of their sexual orientation and not to execute them; calls on the EEAS to make full use of the LGBT Toolkit to protect the rights of LGBTI people; calls on the Council to work towards binding guidelines in this area; calls on the EEAS and Member States to assist LGBTI human rights defenders in countries where they are at risk, and calls on the VP/HR and the EU Special Representative on Human Rights to continue making clear the European Union's firm commitment to equality and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the world, including by launching and supporting initiatives at bilateral, international and UN level on these matters; repeats its call on the Commission to issue a roadmap for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Underlining the conclusion by the EU of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and the adoption of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, in particular area of action 8; condemns all forms of discrimination based on disability, and calls for all states to ratify and implement the UNCRPD; points out that the EU also needs to monitor the implementation of the UNCRPD on its own territory;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Calls on Member States to grant asylum to people fleeing persecution in countries where LGBT people are criminalised, on the basis of applicants' well-founded fears of persecution, and relying on their self-identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 b (new)
Paragraph 70 b (new)
70b. Reasserts that the principle of non- discrimination, including on grounds of sex and sexual orientation, is a fundamental element in the ACP-EU partnership;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 c (new)
Paragraph 70 c (new)
70c. Underlines that for the EU's foreign policy to be credible and coherent in the field of fundamental rights, equality and anti-discrimination, the Council should adopt the directive on equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and enlarge the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia to cover other targeted groups, such as LGBT persons;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. calls on the Commission and the Council to promote an official, judicial legitimisation of the term "climate refugee" (intended to describe people forced to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad as a consequence of climate change), which is not recognised yet in international law or in any legally binding international agreement.
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74 a (new)
Paragraph 74 a (new)
74a. highlights its big concern regarding the Great Lake region of Africa, where rape is a weapon of warfare to eradicate a whole population group.
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Urges the EU to enhance its action to end the practices of female genital mutilation (FGM), early and forced marriages, honour killings, and gender- selective abortion; insists that these policies should be essential elements in EU approach to development cooperation; stresses the importance of adequate access to medical means, and of information about sexual and reproductive health, to the wellbeing of women in all countries;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Calls on the EU to work closely with UN Women and with the institution at international, regional and national level to enforce women´s rights; stresses in particular the need not only to promote health education and appropriate programmes for sexual and reproductive health and rights, which are a prominent part of the EU´s development and human rights policy towards third countries, but also to ensure that women have fair access to public health care systems and adequate gynaecological and obstetric care as defined by the World Health Organisation.
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 b (new)
Paragraph 75 b (new)
75b. Requires that the UN Human Rights Council resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights and the Millennium Development Goals reaffirm that access to information, to education and to health care are basic human rights; stresses that the EU must therefore play an important role in ensuring that women do not die in pregnancy; calls for the Cairo Programme of Action to be implemented in its human rights and development policy aspects, to promote gender equality and women´s and children´s rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Notes that in their Trio Presidency programme, Poland, Denmark and Cyprus made a commitment to actively supportwelcomes all EU-initiatives relating to effortof several Member States to combat violence against women, domestic violence and female genital mutilation, in particular its cross- border aspects; reiterates the need for coherence on EU internal and external policies on these issues, and urges the Commission to make it a priority to end violence against women and girls and, through the allocation of appropriate financial resources, to support targeted and innovative programmes both within the EU and in third countries;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 a (new)
Paragraph 78 a (new)
78a. Draws attention to the serious problem that exists in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa of children being accused of witchcraft, resulting in grave consequences ranging from social exclusion to infanticide, and to the ritual murder of children as sacrifices; notes that the State has a responsibility to protect children from all forms of violence and abuse and, consequently, urges the HR/VP, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, the Commission and the EEAS to pay particular attention to the protection of children from all forms of violence and to the fate of these children in the human rights dialogues with the governments of the countries concerned and in the programming of the external financial instruments;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. Remains deeply concerned that discrimination based on religion or belief continues in many regions of the world, and that persons belonging to particular religious communities, including religious minorities, continue to be denied their human rights; is particularly concerned by the situation in China where individuals who practise their religion outside officially sanctioned channels, including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Falun Gong practitioners, often face persecution; urges China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as it has promised; urges the Chinese authorities to suspend and subsequently amend, through genuinely consultative processes with Tibetans, the policies that most negatively impact Tibetan Buddhism, culture and tradition;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81 a (new)
Paragraph 81 a (new)
Amendment 391 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Stresses that international human rights law recognises freedom of religion or belief regardless of registration status, so registration should not be a mandatory precondition for practising one's religion; points out with concern, furthermore, that in China monks and nuns are required to register with the Government, and must operate under Government-controlled management boards, and that this interferes with their religious autonomy and restricts their activitysupports the EU´s efforts to sponsor a resolution in the UN 67 General Assembly on freedom of religion and belief;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission; the HR/VP, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, and the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the candidate countries, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the governments of the countries and territories referred to in this resolution.