Activities of Marie-Christine VERGIAT related to 2016/2219(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) FR
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 PDF (1 MB) DOC (175 KB)
Amendments (56)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 d (new)
Citation 1 d (new)
- having regard to the International Convention of 18 December 1990 on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families1a, __________________ 1a http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInt erest/Pages/CMW.aspx
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 f (new)
Citation 2 f (new)
- having regard to the United Nations report of 4 August 2015 on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of states on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights1a, __________________ 1a http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp ?symbol=A/70/275&referer=/english/〈=F
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 g (new)
Citation 2 g (new)
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 c (new)
Citation 16 c (new)
- having regard to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention of 11 May 2011 on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence1a, __________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommon SearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?do cumentId=090000168008482e
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Article 21 TEU commits the European Union to a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, and which it shall seek to advance in the world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law; whereas the European Union acceded to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms pursuant to Article 6 TEU;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas internal and external coherence in the area of human rights is essential for the credibility of the EU’s human rights policy abroad, and whereas increased coherence between EU internal and external policies, as well as among the EU’s external policies, is also an indispensable requirement for a successful and effective EU human rights and democratisation policy; whereas EU human rights policy is restricted and indeed contradicted by diplomatic, political and economic considerations;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas internal and external coherence in the area of human rights is essential for the credibility of the EU’s human rights policy abroad, and whereas increased coherence between EU internal and external policies, as well as among the EU’s external policies is also an indispensable requirement for a successful and effective EU human rights and democratisation policy;[Does not affect English version]
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas respect for human rights is under threat worldwide, and whereas the universality of human rights is increasingly, and seriously, being challenged by a number of authoritarian regimes; whereas there are numerous attempts worldwide to shrink the space of civil society, including in multilateral fora;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas a new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019 was adopted by the Council on 20 July 2015, with a view to enabling the EU to meet these challenges through a more focused, systematic and coordinated use of its human rights instruments;[Does not affect English version]
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) has stated that human rights will be one of her overarching priorities and that she intends to use them as a compass with regard to all her relations with third countries; whereas she has also reiterated the EU’s commitment to promote human rights in all areas of foreign relations ‘without exception’;[Does not affect English version]
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the regular sessions of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the appointment of Special Rapporteurs, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism and the Special Procedures addressing either specific country situations or thematic issues all contribute to the international efforts to promote and respect human rights, democracy and the rule of law;[Does not affect English version]
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L b (new)
Recital L b (new)
Lb. whereas Article 20 of the UDHR acknowledges that everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association; whereas the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 21/16 reminds States of their obligation to respect and fully protect the rights of all individuals to assemble peacefully and associate freely, online as well as offline;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas illegal occupation of a territory is an on-going violation of international law, which triggers the responsibility of the occupying power towards the civilian population under international humanitarian law;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M j (new)
Recital M j (new)
Mj. whereas migration represents an important EU external policy challenge requiring immediate and effective solutions; calls, therefore, for radical and immediate changes in EU policies on migration and asylum, both inside and outside the Union, on the basis of strict observance of human rights;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas substantial progress has been made so far towards abolishing the death penalty, and whereby many countries have suspended capital punishment, while others have taken legislative measures towards this end; whereas, however, more than 1634 people were executed in 25 countries in the course of the year, 54% more than in 2014;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas realising Agenda 2030 and effectively implementing the new Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with regard to gender equality, empowering women and women’s rights, must be prioritised in both internal and external policies; whereas gender equality is at the core of European values and enshrined within the EU’s legal and political framework;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas millions of children around the world continue to suffer from all forms of violence, including the consequences and burden of war and its atrocities, discrimination and poverty; whereas, according to UNICEF, almost 50 million children worldwide were uprooted in 2015, of whom 28 million were forcibly displaced by conflict and violence1 a; __________________ 1a http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/U prooted_growing_crisis_for_refugee_and _migrant_children.pdf
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S a (new)
Recital S a (new)
Sa. whereas the world economy is going through a major crisis, the impact of which – alongside certain measures including drastic budget cuts implemented under what are termed ‘structural reforms’ – is producing adverse effects on human rights, especially economic and social rights, as well as on people’s living conditions (with increases in unemployment and poverty, inequality and insecure employment, lower-quality services and restricted access to such services) and thus on their wellbeing;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital U a (new)
Recital U a (new)
Ua. whereas environmental changes are undermining the most basic human rights such as access to water, natural resources and food;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its serious concern that the promotion and protection of human rights and democratic values are under threat worldwide, and that the universality of human rights is increasingly, and seriously, being challenged by a number of authoritarian regimes;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Is firmly opposed to any change in direction for the CFSP and believes that the European Union’s policies should be directed solely towards peace and the political resolution of conflicts;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its call on the EU Member States to lead by example, by speaking with one voice in support of the indivisibility and universality of human rights and, in particular, by ratifying all international human rights instruments set up by the UN; is disappointed, therefore, by the double standards which undermine all EU policies in this area and are entirely at odds with a universal vision of human rights;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Regrets that the work and the impact of the EUSR can only be partially accessed through a review of the Annual Report on Human Rights, his Twitter account, and available speeches; also regrets that there is neither official information on his activities, plans, nor progress reports and reviews;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. WelcomNotes the increased budget and streamlined procedures of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) 2014-2020, and calls for the foreseen allocation to the EIDHR mid- term review to be maintained for the remainder of the current Multiannual Financial Framework period;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. CRecalls that the refugee crisis is a global problem, and that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that there are currently 65 million refugees and displaced persons worldwide; expresses its solidarity with the high number of refugees and migrants who suffer grave human rights violations fleeing conflicts, lawless zones and poverty as victims of violent repression and networks of illegal immigration and trafficking in which many public authorities have direct and indirect responsibilities; stresses that the EU and its Member States have a responsibility for refugees and migrants trying to escape war, chaos, economic misery, hunger and death; condemns the dramatic increase in the number of deaths at sea in the Mediterranean; is extremely concerned about the growing numbers of human rights abuses against migrants and asylum seekers on their route to Europe; highlights the weaknesses and systematic incoherence of the policies of the EU and the Member States in this area and stresses the need for a holistic approach to find long-term solutions; considers that the erection of fences and walls, far from disrupting the economic model followed by the people smugglers and traffickers, only adds impetus to their human trafficking activities and affords no safe and legal channels for entering the EU;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 d (new)
Paragraph 31 d (new)
31d. Stresses that solutions to the global development of migration and refugee crises will only be found if responses are built on the principle of solidarity and a global strategy promoting safe and legal migration ensuring the full respect for human rights and fundamental values; calls on the EU and its Member States to promote peace and to support and promote peace processes and dialogue around the world, rejecting any participation in military operations; stresses that a global migration strategy built on human rights is needed, taking into account also humanitarian and development aid;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Stresses the urgent need to develop and introduce a comprehensive, coherent and well-coordinated Common European Asylum System, demonstrating the highest standards, sharing the responsibility among the Member States; expresses its concern in this regard at the reforms of the Common European Asylum System proposed by the Commission in May and July 2016;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls the need to respect the principle of non-refoulement in European and international waters, as upheld by the European Court of Human Rights and existing EU legislation; recalls the commitment to develop adequate legal and safe migration channels; calls on the EU and more developed third countries to conclude partnership agreements with other nations to facilitate family reunification and mobility for persons of all skills levels, including the least qualified;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Member States to respect and fully implement the adopted EU common asylum package and the common migration legislation; calls on the Member States to participate in resettlement programmes, giving access to family reunification and granting humanitarian visasfor safe and legal routes to be established, including by means of humanitarian corridors, for people seeking international protection; calls on the Member States to participate in resettlement programmes and for permanent and compulsory resettlement programmes to be established, giving access to family reunification and granting humanitarian visas giving asylum seekers the possibility of entering third countries to make their claim; condemns the concept of safe countries and safe countries of origin which constitute a threat hanging over the individual examination of applications for international protection; requires that the requests of migrants in need of international protection will in all circumstances be granted;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to ratify and implement the International Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)
Paragraph 35 c (new)
35c. Expresses its concern at the numerous reports and testimonies highlighting the increase in violence against migrant children, including torture and detention; recalls that migrant children are particularly vulnerable, particularly when they are unaccompanied, and that they are entitled to special protection based on the best interests of the child; calls for them to be protected in accordance with the rules of international law; is concerned about difficulties in registering their birth, which promote statelessness;
Amendment 403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 d (new)
Paragraph 35 d (new)
35d. Highlights that, according to UNICEF, almost 50 million children worldwide were uprooted in 2015, of whom 28 million were forcibly displaced by conflict and violence, and that in 2015 some 45% of the refugee children under HCR protection were originally from Syria or Afghanistan;
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Reiterates its call on the EU to ensure that all migration cooperation and readmission agreements with non-EU states comply with international humhuman rights, refugee law and international maritime law; expresses concern at the proliferation of negotiations on the subject of readmission and rights, refugee law and international maritime laweturn; calls for the suspension of all readmission agreements with countries that do not respect human rights; calls on Member States to respect the international principle of non-refoulement, in accordance with international law, and especially in cases where people risk being returned to countries where their lives would be in danger;
Amendment 423 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36b. Rejects any attempts to outsource the EU’s migration policy; rejects any agreement that does not guarantee the protection of refugees and respect for the fundamental rights of migrants; expresses its concern at the creation of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa which is financed to a large extent out of the European Development Fund (EDF) and the extension of the Rabat Process to the countries of the Horn of Africa whose governments have been condemned by the ICC or the UN, or the Khartoum Process; calls for the assessment and monitoring of these mechanisms and this fund and any similar agreements such as the EU- Turkey statement;
Amendment 440 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Recalls how, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), 19.3 million people were displaced in 2015 alone in the wake of environmental disasters; recalls that this displacement above all concerns regions of the South; points out that 85% of these displacements occur in developing countries, primarily within one country or parts of countries;
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Expresses its profound concern over the rise of extreme poverty and inequality across the world, which jeopardises the full enjoyment of all human rights; believes that respect for human rights and the right to development are intrinsically linked; stresses that respect for human rights, in particular economic and social rights, gender equality, good governancedemocracy, the rule of law, peace and security are prerequisites for eradicating poverty and inequalities;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 c (new)
Paragraph 40 c (new)
40c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to increase their financial contribution to humanitarian and development aid; regrets the fact that most EU Member States have not achieved the target of allocating 0.7% of their GNI to foreign development aid as agreed 45 years ago and that certain of them have cut their development aid contribution; insists that development aid should not be diverted to the battle against migration; calls on the EU and its Member States not to count in their development aid any monies spent on receiving refugees or migrants or on controlling or returning migrants;
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Supports the swift, effective and comprehensive implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; urges all UN member states, including the EU Member States, to develop and implement national action plans; considers that trade and human rights can go hand in hand and that the business communityes hasve an important role to play in promoting human rights and democracy;
Amendment 469 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. CStresses that land-grabbing by agrifood multinationals has increased exponentially since 2008 with, according to the FAO, 50-80 million hectares of agricultural land in developing countries being subject to lease or purchase negotiations on the part of international investors, some two-thirds of this land being in sub-Saharan Africa; calls on the UN, and on the EU and its Member States, to raise with multinational and European enterprises the issues of land-grabbing and the treatments of land rights defenders, who are often victims of reprisals, including threats, harassment, arbitrary arrest, assault and even murder;
Amendment 471 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43a. Considers that the fight against the exploitation and appropriation of resources should be a priority for the EU and its members; highlights in particular the link between the exploitation of resources and the funding of conflicts, wars and violence by multinational corporations;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 b (new)
Paragraph 43 b (new)
43b. Stresses the responsibility of the EU and its Member States to ensure that European companies do not directly or indirectly flout human rights in third countries; considers it necessary to establish joint and several liability between contracting and subcontracting companies so that, regardless of the nationality of the main company or, where appropriate, the subcontractor that commits the illegal act, those affected can take action against and seek damages from the main company, whether in the country where the illegal act has been committed or in the main company’s country of origin;
Amendment 489 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Reiterates its strong call for the systematic introduction of human rights clauses in all international agreements, including trade and investment agreements, between the EU and third countries; highlights, nevertheless, the failure of their introduction in free trade agreements with third countries, as such agreements may even have led to the violation of basic economic and social rights, including the impoverishment of the populations concerned and the monopolisation of resources by transnational companies; sees a need, moreover, for ex ante monitoring mechanisms prior to a framework agreement being concluded and on which such conclusion is made conditional as a fundamental part of the agreement, and for ex post monitoring mechanisms which enable tangible action to be taken in response to infringements of these clauses, including the possible suspension of the agreement; believes that besides these clauses there is a need to implement new forms of cooperation to facilitate the economic and social development of third countries based on the needs of their peoples;
Amendment 500 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 b (new)
Paragraph 49 b (new)
49b. Reiterates its condemnation of the foreign policy of the Union and of its Member States which has contributed to the general international instability and insecurity and to the spread of weapons including to terrorist groups; notes that the EU Member States are big arms exporters at the global level and considers it essential that international standards governing arms sales be enforced and reinforced, and that there should be a radical policy shift to end the escalation of violence and the funding of groups or armies involved in acts of violence; calls for these companies to assume all of their moral, social and legal responsibility;
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 e (new)
Paragraph 50 e (new)
50e. Deplores the way in which the financial and economic crisis and the sovereign debt crisis, together with the budgetary restrictions imposed, have negatively affected people’s economic, civil, social and cultural rights, often resulting in increasing unemployment, poverty and precarious working and living conditions, as well as exclusion and isolation, particularly in the countries in which economic adjustment programmes have been adopted; stresses that the UN has repeatedly criticised the management by the European institutions and the Troika of the debt issue and its consequences for human rights; deplores the fact that almost none of the Member States voted for the UN resolution of 10 September 2015 recognising the right of any state to restructure its sovereign debt;
Amendment 526 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Requests that the EU steps up the implementation of the obligations and commitments in the area of women’s rights arising from the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the Cairo Declaration on Population and Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals; recalls that according to the UN report on ‘financial globalisation’, the liberalisation of trade, the ongoing privatisation of public services and the ever-increasing role of corporate interests in development have shifted the balance of power to such an extent that fundamental rights and the establishment of a sustainable means of subsistence have been compromised; stresses that the economic crisis has further accentuated inequalities and that women are the greatest victims of this, and stresses furthermore that the aim of ‘empowering’ women can only be achieved by providing stable, well-paid employment instead of precarious and part-time work, and by the creation of genuine wage equality;
Amendment 532 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Stresses the importance of not undermining the acquis of the Beijing Platform for Action regarding access to education and health as a basic human right, and the protection of sexual and reproductive rights, and to ensure that all necessary safe medical assistance is provided to female war rape victims, including abortion, as provided for under international humanitarian law; points out that family planning, maternal health, easy access to contraception and safe abortion are important elements in saving women’s lives, and highlights the need to place these policies at the core of development cooperation with third countries;
Amendment 540 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
Paragraph 57 a (new)
57a. Considers that violence towards women is also expressed psychologically by the presence of a relationship of domination in society and by the dissemination of degrading images of women; stresses that the Commission and the Member States must not only combat all violence perpetrated against women, be it physical, psychological, social or economic, but must also as a matter of priority ensure access to education and fight gender stereotyping for girls and boys from an early age;
Amendment 553 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 b (new)
Paragraph 60 b (new)
60b. Expresses concern at the recruitment of children into armed groups, and stresses the need to promote policies for their disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration;
Amendment 625 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Calls on the EU, its Member States and its Special Representatives actively to promote the ICC, the enforcement of its decisions and the fight against impunity for Rome Statute crimes, and expresses serious concern about the fact that several arrest warrants have still not been executed and that some senior political figures have even been able to evade justice altogether due to the passivity of the State parties; urges the EU and its Member States to cooperate with the Court, and to continue to provide strong diplomatic and political support to efforts to strengthen and expand the relationship between the ICC and the UN, in particular in the context of the UN Security Council, in the Court’s bilateral relations and in all other fora; calls on the EU and its Member States not to engage in cooperation in any area with countries whose leaders are subject to an ICC arrest warrant and not to have diplomatic relations with them;
Amendment 644 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 f (new)
Paragraph 72 f (new)
72f. Recalls that over half of the war rape victims are children; in this context, calls on the European Commission to implement its policy that international humanitarian law and/or international rights law may justify offering a safe abortion rather than perpetuating what amounts to inhumane treatment for victims of war rape;
Amendment 738 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 a (new)
Paragraph 83 a (new)
83a. Recalls that in 2015 at least 110 journalists were killed because of their profession or died suspicious deaths, two- thirds of them being killed in countries officially at peace; expresses concern at the increasing arrests and intimidation of journalists in many countries, including European ones, and stresses that these practices seriously impede the freedom of the press;
Amendment 769 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 d (new)
Paragraph 89 d (new)
89d. Strongly condemns the counter terrorism measures used in many countries, including EU Member States, to target and silence civil society, trade unions and human rights defenders;
Amendment 781 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91
Paragraph 91
91. Requests that the EU continue to work with the UN in combating the financing of terrorism, including the use of existing mechanisms to designate terrorist individuals and organisations, and to strengthen asset-freezing mechanisms worldwide, while upholding international standards on due process and the rule of law; stresses that EU counter-terrorism policies cannot succeed while trade agreements and political relations are maintained with the countries that fund terrorism; denounces the arms sales to these countries by some Member States; calls therefore for the suspension of these agreements and for the prosecution of companies that directly or indirectly finance terrorism;
Amendment 790 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 97
Paragraph 97
97. Calls on those states that have abolished the death penalty, or that have a long-standing moratorium on it, to uphold their commitments and not to reintroduce it; calls on the EU to continue to use cooperation and diplomacy in all possible forums worldwide, as well as to ensure that the right to a fair trial is fully respected for each and every person facing execution; stresses the importance of the EU continuing to monitor the conditions under which executions are carried out in the countries that still use the death penalty in order to ensure that the list of persons sentenced to death is made public and that their bodies are returned to their families;
Amendment 793 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 98 a (new)
Paragraph 98 a (new)
98a. Considers that the detention conditions and the state of prisons in a number of countries, including EU countries, are a matter of grave concern; considers it essential to combat all forms of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, including psychological torture, and to step up efforts to ensure compliance with the relevant international law, particularly access to health care and medicines; strongly condemns the violations of this law and believes that the refusal to treat detainees for diseases such as hepatitis or HIV is akin to failure to assist persons in danger;