BETA


2007/2537(RSP) Resolution on Nigeria

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 135

Events

2007/05/03
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2007/03/15
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2007/03/15
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2007/03/15
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

Following the debate with took place in plenary on 13 March 2007, the European Parliament adopted, by 36 votes to 24 with 1 abstention, a resolution on Nigeria, which had been tabled by the EPP-ED group.

Parliament calls on the Nigerian Government to take immediate and effective measures to protect its citizens, to put an end to the violence, widespread corruption and impunity for the perpetrators of human rights violations, and to promote actively respect for human rights. It notes that impunity remains the rule rather than the exception, since very few of the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations are investigated and brought to justice, and such impunity is in itself one of the most important obstacles to tackling and ending human rights abuse and violence. Members also note that Islamic Sharia courts have jurisdiction over criminal cases in 12 of Nigeria's 36 States. These courts continue to hand down death sentences as well as sentences of flogging and amputation. Although executions and amputations are no longer being carried out, trials do not conform to international standards, for instance with regard to the right to a lawyer, and informing the accused of their rights, and they tend to discriminate against women.

Parliament calls on the Nigerian Government:

to abolish the death penalty and to intervene in individual cases of persons tried under Sharia law and sentenced to death, amputation, flogging or other inhuman and degrading treatment; ensure all stakeholders in the forthcoming national elections in April publicly declare their commitment to ending political violence, killings, intimidation and other human rights abuses as well as impunity for such crimes; take all necessary measures to address pre-election concerns regarding restrictions on the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), abusive conduct and harassment by security forces, and any other obstacle to freedom of expression and opinion and other basic requirements for free and fair elections.

Parliament goes on to note that the Nigerian Parliament is currently examining a Bill entitled the 'Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act'. It calls on the Nigerian Government not to adopt the proposed 'Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act' in its current form, since it contains infringements of the basic human rights of freedom of expression and opinion, in particular since it envisages the five-year prison sentence for anyone involved publicly or privately in positive representation of, or advocacy for, same sex relationships.

It should be noted that the proposal for joint resolution on the same subject, proposed by the PES, ALDE, Greens/ALE, GUE/NGL, was not adopted in Plenary.

Documents
2007/03/15
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2007/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents

Documents

Activities

Votes

R B6-0105/2007 - Nigeria - résolution #

2007/03/15 Outcome: +: 36, -: 24, 0: 1
PL SK DE FR GB CZ LT EL BG IT RO CY PT BE SE NL AT ES
Total
12
4
7
8
8
2
1
3
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
4
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
31

United Kingdom PPE-DE

5

Czechia PPE-DE

2

Lithuania PPE-DE

1

Bulgaria PPE-DE

1

Italy PPE-DE

For (1)

1
icon: UEN UEN
4
icon: NI NI
1

Poland NI

1
icon: ITS ITS
1

Romania ITS

Abstain (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
2

Germany GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
4

United Kingdom ALDE

Against (1)

1

Italy ALDE

Against (1)

1

Cyprus ALDE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ALDE

Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
4

France Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1
icon: PSE PSE
14

Germany PSE

Against (1)

1

France PSE

2

United Kingdom PSE

Against (1)

1

Greece PSE

Against (1)

1

Portugal PSE

Against (1)

1

Belgium PSE

Against (1)

1

Austria PSE

Against (2)

2

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2007-0105_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2007-0105_EN.html
docs/1/docs/0/url
/oeil/spdoc.do?i=13411&j=0&l=en
events/1/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070315&type=CRE
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/EN&reference=20070315&type=CRE
events/2
date
2007-03-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2007-0086_EN.html title: T6-0086/2007
summary
events/2
date
2007-03-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2007-0086_EN.html title: T6-0086/2007
summary
docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-105&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2007-0105_EN.html
docs/1/body
EC
events/2/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-86
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2007-0086_EN.html
activities
  • date: 2007-03-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=13411&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070315&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-86 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0086/2007 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
    docs
    • date: 2007-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-105&language=EN title: B6-0105/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-05-03T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=13411&j=0&l=en title: SP(2007)1901/2 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2007-03-15T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=13411&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2007-03-15T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070315&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2007-03-15T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-86 title: T6-0086/2007 summary: Following the debate with took place in plenary on 13 March 2007, the European Parliament adopted, by 36 votes to 24 with 1 abstention, a resolution on Nigeria, which had been tabled by the EPP-ED group. Parliament calls on the Nigerian Government to take immediate and effective measures to protect its citizens, to put an end to the violence, widespread corruption and impunity for the perpetrators of human rights violations, and to promote actively respect for human rights. It notes that impunity remains the rule rather than the exception, since very few of the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations are investigated and brought to justice, and such impunity is in itself one of the most important obstacles to tackling and ending human rights abuse and violence. Members also note that Islamic Sharia courts have jurisdiction over criminal cases in 12 of Nigeria's 36 States. These courts continue to hand down death sentences as well as sentences of flogging and amputation. Although executions and amputations are no longer being carried out, trials do not conform to international standards, for instance with regard to the right to a lawyer, and informing the accused of their rights, and they tend to discriminate against women. Parliament calls on the Nigerian Government: to abolish the death penalty and to intervene in individual cases of persons tried under Sharia law and sentenced to death, amputation, flogging or other inhuman and degrading treatment; ensure all stakeholders in the forthcoming national elections in April publicly declare their commitment to ending political violence, killings, intimidation and other human rights abuses as well as impunity for such crimes; take all necessary measures to address pre-election concerns regarding restrictions on the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), abusive conduct and harassment by security forces, and any other obstacle to freedom of expression and opinion and other basic requirements for free and fair elections. Parliament goes on to note that the Nigerian Parliament is currently examining a Bill entitled the 'Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act'. It calls on the Nigerian Government not to adopt the proposed 'Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act' in its current form, since it contains infringements of the basic human rights of freedom of expression and opinion, in particular since it envisages the five-year prison sentence for anyone involved publicly or privately in positive representation of, or advocacy for, same sex relationships. It should be noted that the proposal for joint resolution on the same subject, proposed by the PES, ALDE, Greens/ALE, GUE/NGL, was not adopted in Plenary.
    • date: 2007-03-15T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 135
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 6.10.04 Third-country political situation, local and regional conflicts
      • 6.10.09 Human rights situation in the world
      New
      6.10.04
      Third-country political situation, local and regional conflicts
      6.10.09
      Human rights situation in the world
      procedure/subject/0
      Old
      6.10.04 Third-countries political situation, local and regional conflicts
      New
      6.10.04 Third-country political situation, local and regional conflicts
      procedure/geographical_area
      • Nigeria
      activities
      • date: 2007-03-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=13411&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070315&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-86 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0086/2007 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          reference
          2007/2537(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on Nigeria
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Urgent debate or resolution
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject