BETA


2014/2634(RSP) Resolution on launching consultations to suspend Uganda and Nigeria from the Cotonou Agreement in view of recent legislation further criminalising homosexuality

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 144

Events

2014/03/13
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2014/03/13
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 45 votes to 0 with 5 abstentions, a resolution on launching consultations to suspend Uganda and Nigeria from the Cotonou Agreement in view of recent legislation further criminalising homosexuality.

The text adopted in plenary had been jointly tabled by the EPP, S & D, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups.

Parliament recalled that 76 countries continue to consider homosexuality a crime, with five countries providing for the death penalty for such crimes. In Uganda, consensual acts between people of the same sex were already punished with 14 yearsʼ imprisonment under the Ugandan Penal Code whilst in Nigeria they are punishable with seven yearsʼ imprisonment (or the death penalty in the 12 states under Sharia law).

On 20 December 2013 the Ugandan Parliament adopted the Anti-Homosexuality Bill , which punishes support for LGBTI peopleʼs rights with up to seven yearsʼ imprisonment. On 17 December 2013 the Nigerian Senate adopted the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill , which punishes people in a same-sex relationship with up to 14 years' imprisonment, with up to 10 yearsʼ imprisonment for people witnessing same-sex marriages.

Parliament deplored the adoption of new laws, underlining the fact that LGBTI equality is an undeniable element of fundamental human rights. Therefore, it called on the President of Uganda to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act and on the President of Nigeria to repeal the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, noting that, by signing these laws, the Governments of Uganda and Nigeria failed to fulfil an obligation stemming from respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law.

Members called on African Union and European Union leaders to address these laws during the discussions of the 4th Africa-EU Summit , to be held on 2-3 April 2014. They also called on the Member States, or the High Representative with the support of the Commission, to consider targeted sanctions , such as travel and visa bans, for the key individuals responsible for drafting and adopting these two laws.

The Commission and the Member States were urged to review their development cooperation aid strategy with Uganda and Nigeria and to give priority to redirection of aid to civil society and other organisations over suspension – even on a sectoral basis – of aid.

Lastly, Members called on the Commission and the Council to include an explicit mention of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation in any future agreement taking the place of the Cotonou Agreement, as demanded on many occasions by Parliament.

Documents
2014/03/13
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2014/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2014/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2014/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2014/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2014/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2014/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2014/03/11
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents

Documents

Activities

Votes

RC-B7-0251/2014 - Résolution #

2014/03/13 Outcome: +: 47, 0: 5
PL DE NL RO FR SE FI GB AT CZ ES BE HR IE SK DK HU IT
Total
8
6
5
5
5
3
3
2
2
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
icon: PPE PPE
21

Finland PPE

2

Croatia PPE

For (1)

1

Ireland PPE

For (1)

1

Slovakia PPE

1

Italy PPE

1
icon: S&D S&D
8

Germany S&D

For (1)

1

Romania S&D

1

Sweden S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

For (1)

1

United Kingdom S&D

For (1)

1

Czechia S&D

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
7

Netherlands ALDE

3

Romania ALDE

For (1)

1

Sweden ALDE

For (1)

1

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
6

Germany Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

France Verts/ALE

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

1
icon: ECR ECR
4

Poland ECR

1

Czechia ECR

For (1)

1

Belgium ECR

For (1)

1

Denmark ECR

Abstain (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
3

France GUE/NGL

2

Czechia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1
icon: NI NI
3

Austria NI

1

Hungary NI

2

History

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

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  • date: 2014-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20140313&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2014-0254 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0254/2014 body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
committees
    docs
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2014-0251&language=EN title: B7-0251/2014 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2014-0252&language=EN title: B7-0252/2014 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2014-0253&language=EN title: B7-0253/2014 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2014-0255&language=EN title: B7-0255/2014 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2014-0257&language=EN title: B7-0257/2014 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2014-0258&language=EN title: B7-0258/2014 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2014-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P7-RC-2014-0251&language=EN title: RC-B7-0251/2014 type: Joint motion for resolution
    events
    • date: 2014-03-13T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20140313&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2014-03-13T00:00:00 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=P7-TA-2014-0254 title: T7-0254/2014 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 45 votes to 0 with 5 abstentions, a resolution on launching consultations to suspend Uganda and Nigeria from the Cotonou Agreement in view of recent legislation further criminalising homosexuality. The text adopted in plenary had been jointly tabled by the EPP, S & D, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament recalled that 76 countries continue to consider homosexuality a crime, with five countries providing for the death penalty for such crimes. In Uganda, consensual acts between people of the same sex were already punished with 14 yearsʼ imprisonment under the Ugandan Penal Code whilst in Nigeria they are punishable with seven yearsʼ imprisonment (or the death penalty in the 12 states under Sharia law). On 20 December 2013 the Ugandan Parliament adopted the Anti-Homosexuality Bill , which punishes support for LGBTI peopleʼs rights with up to seven yearsʼ imprisonment. On 17 December 2013 the Nigerian Senate adopted the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill , which punishes people in a same-sex relationship with up to 14 years' imprisonment, with up to 10 yearsʼ imprisonment for people witnessing same-sex marriages. Parliament deplored the adoption of new laws, underlining the fact that LGBTI equality is an undeniable element of fundamental human rights. Therefore, it called on the President of Uganda to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act and on the President of Nigeria to repeal the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, noting that, by signing these laws, the Governments of Uganda and Nigeria failed to fulfil an obligation stemming from respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law. Members called on African Union and European Union leaders to address these laws during the discussions of the 4th Africa-EU Summit , to be held on 2-3 April 2014. They also called on the Member States, or the High Representative with the support of the Commission, to consider targeted sanctions , such as travel and visa bans, for the key individuals responsible for drafting and adopting these two laws. The Commission and the Member States were urged to review their development cooperation aid strategy with Uganda and Nigeria and to give priority to redirection of aid to civil society and other organisations over suspension – even on a sectoral basis – of aid. Lastly, Members called on the Commission and the Council to include an explicit mention of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation in any future agreement taking the place of the Cotonou Agreement, as demanded on many occasions by Parliament.
    • date: 2014-03-13T00:00:00 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
      • 6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
      New
      6.10.08
      Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
      activities
      • date: 2014-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20140313&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2014-0254 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0254/2014 body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
          reference
          2014/2634(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on launching consultations to suspend Uganda and Nigeria from the Cotonou Agreement in view of recent legislation further criminalising homosexuality
          geographical_area
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Urgent debate or resolution
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject
          6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general