Activities of Maria Eleni KOPPA related to 2013/2152(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Human rights in the world 2012 and EU policy on the matter (A7-0418/2013 - Eduard Kukan) (vote)
Human rights in the world 2012 and EU policy on the matter (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2012 and the European Union's policy on the matter PDF (506 KB) DOC (416 KB)
Amendments (33)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- whereas EP resolution adopted on 8 October 2013, on corruption in the public and private sectors: the impact on HR in third countries
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World in 2012; commends the VP/HR for her presentation of theexpects a continuous commitment from the VP/HR, with regular reports to the European Parliament's plenary session in June 2013; calls for this practice to continue andP; calls for active and constructive discussions among EU institutions in preparing future reports;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Acknowledges the efforts made to list the various EU actions in the field of human rights and democracy support in the country reports, which provide a wealth of information about the work of the EU institutions around the world; regrets, nevertheless, that the country reports still seem to lack a systematic, clear and coherent framework that would allow for more rigorous analysis on the impact and efficiency of EU action; asks therefore for regular follow ups on the reports, which will establish a roadmap with clear benchmarks and an evaluation;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the EU SR on the openness of the dialogue conducted with the European Parliament and civil society, thus establishing an important practice that should be continued and consolidated to ensure due transparency and accountability; welcomes, furthermore, the attention given by the EU SR to a number of countries of concern, including Russia, Egypt and Bahrain;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Reminds the fact that corruption in public and private sectors perpetuates and aggravates inequalities and discrimination when it comes to equal enjoyment of civil, political, economic or social and cultural rights and underlines that it is proven that acts of corruption and human rights violations involve the misuse of power, lack of accountability and various forms of discrimination; requests the highest level of accountability and transparency of external aid and public budgets when it comes to EU budget and external aid.
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Points out that Parliament may withhold its consent to international agreements on account of serious breaches of human rights, as, for example, in the cases of the conclusion of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Turkmenistan or the textile protocol of the EU-Uzbekistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls upon the EU and the Member States to make sure that European companies respect human rights standards when operating outside the EU, especially in countries that do not have the infrastructure to enforce such standards; recalls the EU that the promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility is at the core of its external policies;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Considers the EU's external financial instruments an important tool for promoting and defending EU values abroad, as well as for supporting human rights defenders; welcomes in this context the commitment to put human rights, democracy and the rule of law at the core of EU external action; calls for improvements in the coherence and effectiveness of different thematic and geographic instruments in order to achieve this strategic objective;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly encourages the EU to support an active and independent civil society worldwide with a special focus on human rights defenders, both politically and financially, through, for example, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR);
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. WelcomUrges the establishment of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) which aims toto engage in provideing support for those striving for democratic change by offering them flexible funding tailored to their needs, as foreseen in the provisions of its statute;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that media freedom has generally advanced in enlargement countries; deplores, however, the lack of measures to ensure freedom of expression in certain enlargement countries, which often leads to self-censorship, political interference, economic pressures, and the harassment of, or evenand the use of violence against, journalists; is seriously concerned in this respect about increasing violations of the freedom of expression in Turkey;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Recognises the challenges related to democratic transitions in the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood; notes increasing divergence in democratic reforms across the EU neighbourhood; reiterates the importance of civil society and human rights organizations in the process of democratic transition;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Remains concerned about the lack of democracy, rule of law, fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights in Belarusthe countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Paragraph 41 b (new)
41b. Calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence, sexual assault and other forms of degrading treatment against female protesters and women's rights activists; for serious and impartial investigations into all such cases and for full accountability for those responsible;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Remains deeply concerned about the crisis in Syria; strongly deplorefurther aggravating violent crisis in Syria and condemns in the strongest terms the excessive use of force and violence against the civilian population in the country, andincluding the use of chemical weapons that cannot be justified under any circumstances; abhors the scale of state abuses that may constitute crimes against humanity; calls on all armed factions to put an immediate end to violence in the country; expresses grave concern at the on- going humanitarian crisis and the implications for neighbouring countries; believes that the key to solving the conflict lies in political mechanisms and diplomatic processesstresses again that humanitarian assistance to those in need of basic goods and services in Syria and its neighbours must be an immediate priority for the international community and the European Union; believes that the key to solving the conflict lies in political mechanisms and diplomatic processes; welcomes the recent resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations and the Secretary General's proposal for a new peace conference to be held in November 2013 in Geneva;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Considers accountability for past violations to be an integral element in the process of building sustainable reconciliation; calls for war criminals to be brought before the ICC; requests further collaboration from the Member States; welcomes the intention of the EEAS to develop a dedicated policy on transitional justice to help societies deal with past abuses and fight impunity; stresses the need to deal with transitional justice in a manner that is consistent with the EU's support for international criminal justice in general, and the ICC in particular; draws particular attention to the EU's experience in the Western Balkans as a source of inspiration;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Condemns in the strongest terms serious human rights violations perpetrated in armed conflict situations in recent and on-going crises, such as Egypt, Syria, Mali and the Central African Republic, and in particular summary executions, rape and other forms of sexual violence, acts of torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions; calls on the EU to fight against impunity in all of these cases, and to support action by domestic judiciaries as well as the ICC to bring the perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to conduct a thorough policy review of the tragic events in Syria, Libya and Mali and other recent conflicts in order to revise the EU Guidelines on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and to seek more effective implementation of those guidelines; calls on the EU to support the on-going initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government to reform the current international governance framework regarding IHL; supports the EU to engage towards a reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in order to be able to respond effectively to contemporary crises;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 a (new)
Paragraph 49 a (new)
49a. Condemns in absolute terms, the military use of drones and the practice of targeted killings, as a major violation of human rights and reiterates the need for a ceasing of such activities; acknowledges however that the number of such incidents in countries like Yemen and Pakistan has been reduced significantly;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Expresses its serious concerns about recent repressive laws and their arbitrary enforcement by the Russian authorities, often leading to the harassment of NGOs, civil society activists, human rights defenders and minorities, with a particular call for attention towards the LGBTI community;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Expresses its serious and continuous concerns regarding Internet censorship and the extent this phenomenon has taken in various countries; emphasises the important role of online media regarding the function and efficiency of civil society and human rights organizations, not only as an instrument of information but also of expression, especially in repressive regimes; calls upon the Commission and the EEAS to further mainstream digital freedom and recognize it as a human right.
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Supports fully the affirmative position taken by the EU in the Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy regarding the promotion and protection of all human rights, as well as the pledge to ‘speak out against any attempt to undermine respect for universality of human rights’; reiterates its full support for the indivisibility and universality of human rights;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Calls on the EU delegations and EU Special Representatives to actively promote the ICC, the enforcement of its decisions, and the fight against impunity for Rome Statute crimes; suggests, furthermore, the strengthening of the financial support provided to the ICC;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Reiterates its univocal opposition to capital punishment, and considers the global abolition of the death penalty as a central objective of the EU's policy on human rights; emphasises that the death penalty has never been proved to be an effective deterrent to crime; applauds the efforts of the European Union and its Member States in the United Nations that led to the adoption of the General Assembly resolution regarding the moratorium on the use of death penalty in December 2012; welcomes the decision of Pakistan to extend the moratorium on the death penalty;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Recalls the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are entitled to the rights and freedoms therein without distinction of any kind, including race, colour, sex, language, religion, social origin, birth, disabilities or other status; reiterates its call for the EU to combat discrimination and intolerance as a key part of its human rights policy, and to base this policy on an inclusive and comprehensive definition of non-discrimination; emphasises that respect for the rights of minorities is a crucial element for peace, development and democracy; welcomes and further encourages EU engagement with the United Nations and regional organisations in this cause;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Expresses its serious concerns regarding the issue of rape; condemns the extended use of rape as a weapon of war, especially in the Great Lakes region; deplores the tremendously high degree of impunity towards rape in countries like India and Pakistan;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 b (new)
Paragraph 75 b (new)
75b. Calls upon the EU to further protect reproductive rights and stresses the need to place these policies in the centre of development cooperation with third countries; strongly condemns the disgraceful practice of female genital mutilation in certain parts of Africa, honour killings, gender based abortion and forced marriage; reminds the important conclusions reached in the Cairo conference(ICPD);
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 c (new)
Paragraph 75 c (new)
75c. Supports the "Education First" initiative of the UN Secretary General, as access to education increases protection against threats to girls' future: early marriage and pregnancy, HIV protection, poverty, domestic and sexual violence and also reduces child and maternal mortality;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 a (new)
Paragraph 77 a (new)
77a. Strongly opposes the issue of child soldiers; requests that the Commission and the EEAS elaborate on how to proceed with their disarmament; stresses the importance of their rehabilitation and reintegration, in the general context of placing children's rights at the heart of EU external policy;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 b (new)
Paragraph 77 b (new)
77b. Calls upon the EU to pay attention to the growing issue of child witchcraft allegations in various countries, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, which leads to devastating consequences for the accused children; stresses the need for a systematic and collective investigation of the problem, which is characterized by a lack of concrete data, both on specific incidents as well as on the reasons which lead to these types of child abuse; requests placing the issue on the agenda of the human rights dialogues held with concerned countries;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service, to the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the candidate countries, to the EUSR on human rights, to the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and to the governments of the countries and territories referred to in this resolution.