Activities of Ana GOMES related to 2011/2185(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Human rights in the world and the European Union's policy on the matter (debate)
Amendments (33)
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 a (new)
Citation 34 a (new)
- having regard to the 13 January 2012 report of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children which reaffirms the human rights normative foundation of children's freedom from violence and calls for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and for the enactment of national legislation banning all forms of violence against children,
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas lessons must be learned from the European Union's past failures in promoting transition in countries with authoritarian regimes and de facto support for those regimes, in particular where stability and security concerns have compromised a principled policy of promoting democracy and human rights;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas the enforcement of human rights clauses and human rights conditionality in partnership agreements between the EU and third countries entailing EU development aid remains unsatisfactory;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses, too, that the Union's policies must not only be consistent, but also exemplarycoherent and in accordance with fundamental values and principles, in order to maximise its moral authority globally; insists that a clear indication that the recommendations made in the 2007 Fava report on the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners will be implemented by Member States, and welcomes the initiative to draw up a follow-up Parliamentary report;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the crucial role played by civil society in the protection and promotion of democracy and human rights; stresses that EU contacts with civil society should be built on a genuine partnership, including systematic, timely and regular dialogue on an equal footing;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Warmly welcomes the HR/VP's statement to Parliament on 13 December 2011 following up on Parliament's long- standing call for the creation of an EU Special Representative on Human Rights; endorses her view that this would ‘'act as a catalyst and raise our profile internationally’', and urges the creation of this function forthwith; calls for the post- holder to be expert in, and represent the HR/VP in relation to, international humanitarian law and international justice; further recommends that an 'EUSR on International Humanitarian Law and International Justice' be appointed to advance EU policy and actions supporting the ICC effectively, and to give it the prominence and visibility it deserves, as well as to assist in ensuring the effective mainstreaming of justice and the fight against impunity in EU foreign policies, and that these matters are weighed consistently and appropriately in policy discussions;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers it vital that international agreements, namely on trade, energy, readmission, security and technical cooperation, do not contradict the EU's commitment to fundamental rights; proposes that human rights impact assessments with benchmarks be undertaken during the negotiation stage, to be followed up by regular progress reports comprising the assessments made by the EU institutions and services responsible for implementation and evaluations provided by local and international civil society organisations as part of institutionalised civil society monitoring mechanisms;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Insists that the goals of development, democracy, human rights, good governance and security are intertwined; takes the view that a consistent policy for the promotion of democracy and human rights must integrate the EU instruments and partnership agreements established with third countries to eradicate poverty; adds in this context that EU development aid programmes should include concrete and substantial reforms to ensure respect for human rights, transparency, gender equality and the fight against corruption in beneficiary countries; notes, furthermore, that stricter conditionality and suspension of aid should be applied in beneficiary countries which manifestly disregard basic human rights and freedoms and which fail to enact legislation which fulfils international obligations;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Highlights the importance of drawing up adequate follow-up programmes to the EU Election Observation Mission Reports in close cooperation with the European Parliament, ensuring that these follow-up programmes are also linked to any development programmes;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the mainstreaming of international justice must include systematically taking account of the fight against impunity and the principle of complementarity in the broader context of trade, development and rule-of-law assistance; stresses that victims must be the central concernand affected communities must be the central concern, with a special focus on vulnerable groups, including women, children, young people and people with disabilities; recommends that the Rome Statute of the ICC and the ILO Convention 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+); recommends the consistent inclusion of ICC clauses in EU agreements with third countries;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes 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 a greater endeavour to upgrade the EU role in the organisation; stresses that speaking with one voice should not come at the expense of human rights concerns and, on the contrary, considers that the EU must now vigorously insist on exercising its rights and put its enhanced status to work in order to pursue an ambitious human rights and democracy promotion strategy;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the updating of the EU's policy on the ICC through the Council Decision of 21 March 2011 and the revision of the EU Action Plan on the ICC; encourages the EU and its Member States to adopt a set of internal guidelines outlining a code of conduct for contacts with persons wanted by the ICC; calls on all Member States (notably the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal) to sign framework agreements with the ICC in order to facilitate cooperation and to fully integrate the Rome Statute into national legislationfully integrate the Rome Statute into national legislation, in particular by enacting relevant national legislation on cooperation with the Court and by concluding framework agreements with the ICC in order to facilitate cooperation, in particular to ensure the execution of arrest warrants and other Court requests;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Notes that the Rome Statute of the ICC establishes a mechanism of "last resort" to bring to justice the individuals responsible for crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, as provided by the principle of complementarity enshrined in the Rome Statute; recognises the efforts of the European Commission to establish an 'EU Complementarity Toolkit' aimed at supporting the development of national capacities and generating political will for the investigation and prosecution of alleged international crimes, and stresses the importance of thorough consultations with EU Member States, the European Parliament and civil society organisations in order to finalise the toolkit;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recommends that the EU systematically promote respect for, cooperation with and assistance to the ICC within the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and of dialogues between the EU and regional organisations such as the African Union and the Organisation of American States, and third countries;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the EU's and Member States' financial and logistical support for the ICC, and recommends it be maintained; expresses its deep concern over the outcome of the budget discussions at the December 2011 session of the Assembly of State Parties, which threatens to leave the Court underfunded and thus undermines its ability to deliver justice and to respond to new situations; calls on the EU and its Member States to show robust support for the functioning of the Court, including taking a proactive role in the surrender of indictees;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Considers that the EU should only grant partner countries advanced status if clear human rights and democracy requirements are met, along with compliance with international law; expects, in this regard, that the advanced status granted to the Kingdom of Morocco will translate into concrete programme to end the occupation of Western Sahara and other violations of the human rights of the people of Western Sahara;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Takes note of the plans to establish a European Endowment for Democracy (EED); underlines the Endowment's potential function, under the European Parliament's supervision, as a flexible and expert tool to support actors striving for democratic change in non-democratic countries and countries in transition; urges the Council to ensure that any such tool complements the activities of existing instruments, in particular the EIDHR; stresses that the EU's contribution to the EED budget must be genuinely additional and must be delivered in full conformity with financial rules, respecting the right of the budgetary authority to monitor and scrutinise;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses again the importance of choosing priority countries for election observation missions on the basis of a mission's potential for impact on the promotion of genuine long-term democratisation, such as East Timor in 2007 and Sudan, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan in 2010; regrets, in contrast, the decision to send an EU/EOM to Ethiopia in 2010 after the manifestly perverted electoral process of 2005 with both missions prevented by the authoritarian Ethiopian government from delivering their final recommendation reports in the country and with no follow-up whatsoever;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls for all contractual relationships with third countries, both industrialised and developing, and including sectoral agreements, trade and technical or financial aid agreements, to include clearly worded clauses on human rights and democracy, without exception; calls on the European Commission to ensure a stricter enforcement of these clauses;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Notes that 60% of all individual cases of human rights violations and abuses both within and outside of armed conflict documented by Amnesty International have directly involved the use of small arms and light weapons; recognizes the particularly serious impact of small arms and light weapons on the enjoyment of children's rights and children's protection from violence; commends the global leadership shown by the EU in adopting a legally binding common position on arms exports in 2008, but notes the need for further attention to monitoring its implementation at EU level; urges the EU to maintain a strong position onshow leadership in the process to achieve an international Arms Trade Treaty at this year's UN Conference and to ensure that a robust, legally binding treaty is agreed;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51 a. Calls on the HR/VP, the EEAS and Member States to actively intervene to ensure respect for the rights of detainees and address the overpopulation of prisons in and outside the European Union;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a (new)
Paragraph 52 a (new)
52 a. Regrets that diplomatic assurances have failed to protect individuals expelled to a country where they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment; recommends therefore that the EU reject diplomatic assurances, and urges EU Member States to uphold their legal duties with regards to the principle of non- refoulement;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 b (new)
Paragraph 52 b (new)
52 b. Underlines the importance of recognizing gender-specific forms of torture and degrading treatments (e.g. female genital mutilation, rape), and insists that the EU's coordinated efforts to counter torture adequately address its gender dimension;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Strongly condemns female genital mutilation (FGM) as a barbarian breach of the bodily integrity of women and girls; firmly rejects any reference to cultural, traditional or religious practice as a mitigating factor; urges the Commission to pay specific attention to such traditional harmful practices in its strategy to combat violence against womenflagrant violation of the fundamental human right to physical integrity, which must be combated with legislation banning the practice; congratulates African Heads of State for their adoption, at the African Union Summit of July 2011, of a Decision in support of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution banning FGM worldwide, as a demonstration of the highest degree of political will and commitment to extend all efforts to bring an end to the practice; urges the 66th Session of the UNGA to adopt a Resolution that fulfils these aspirations; emphasizes the need for the Commission to provide the means necessary to support the adoption and effective implementation both within and outside the EU of an international ban and of national laws aimed at the elimination of FGM, including outreach to ensure knowledge of the law, mechanisms to facilitate reporting and prevention, prosecution of presumed offenders, assistance to victims, and sufficient allocation of resources; and requests the EEAS to include this matter in the development and implementation of the human rights country strategies;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)
Paragraph 62 a (new)
62 a. Welcomes the adoption on 19 December 2011 by the UN General Assembly of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure and calls on Member States to sign and ratify this Protocol;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 b (new)
Paragraph 62 b (new)
62 b. Calls on the Council and Commission to accelerate efforts to achieve universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols and promote their effective implementation;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 c (new)
Paragraph 62 c (new)
62 c. Calls for decisive efforts to advance implementation of the EU Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child and the EU's strategy to combat all Forms of Violence against Children through the identification of clear benchmarks for global and regional advocacy and effective mainstreaming in policy dialogue and bi- and multi-lateral cooperation;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 d (new)
Paragraph 62 d (new)
62 d. Calls on the HR/VP (and/or the European External Action Service) to include in EU Annual Reports on Human Rights a section on children's rights, with information of implementation of relevant Human Rights Guidelines including on violence against children;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)
Paragraph 66 a (new)
66 a. Encourages all Member States to follow the example of Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain and ratify ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal peoples, in order to show their determination to provide them with tangible protection;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 b (new)
Paragraph 66 b (new)
66 b. Supports current and on-going campaigns for the ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 169 by non-signatory states, particularly as a means of strengthening the rights of indigenous peoples, upholding the values of ILO Convention 169 and demonstrating the European Union's commitment to multilateralism and the United Nations;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. 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; notes that the State has a responsibility to protect children from all forms of violence and abuse and, consequently, urges 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 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 a (new)
Paragraph 73 a (new)
73 a. Recalls furthermore that support for human rights and democracy is closely linked with the promotion of transparency and good governance; takes the view, in this regard, that tax havens and offshore jurisdictions play a detrimental role in the fight against corruption and political accountability in developing countries; demands that the EU foster the ratification and implementation of the UN Convention Against Corruption in the EU and worldwide in the context of EU support for good governance programmes in third countries;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Warmly welcomes the review of the EU's human rights and democratisation policy, outlined in the Joint Communication of 12 December 20121, as a positive overview of EU potential; calls on EU Member States to fully engage in the process and apply its outcome in their national actions as well as at European level;