The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the
EUs priorities for the UN Human Rights Council in 2015. The
resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, Greens/EFA,
EFDD groups.
Parliament welcomed the EUs priorities for the
upcoming 28th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights
Council (UNHRC), as set out in the Council conclusions of
9 February 2015. It reiterated its support for the
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, and for the Special
Procedures and the independent status of the mandate holders.
Members called for the EU and its Member States to continue to
follow up the UPR recommendations in all EU policy dialogues with
the countries concerned.
However, Parliament stated that regrettably, some of
the current members of the Human Rights Council were acknowledged
as being among the worst human rights offenders and had bad
records in terms of cooperation with the UN Special Procedures and
compliance with their reporting requirements vis-à-vis the UN
human rights treaty bodies. It considered that the continued
harassment and detention of human rights defenders and opposition
figures by a number of UNHRC members undermined the credibility
of the UNHRC, and it reiterated that UNHRC members should be
elected from among states which uphold respect for human rights,
the rule of law and democracy and which had agreed to extend
standing invitations to all Special Procedures. Member States to
encourage transparent, open and competitive processes for the
election of UNHRC members. Parliament continued to oppose
block voting within the UNHRC.
It went on to state that it was regrettable that the
scope for interaction between civil society and the UNHRC
continued to shrink and that NGOs were being offered fewer
opportunities to speak at these sessions. The EU and the UNHRC must
ensure that civil society was allowed to contribute as fully as
possible to the 28th session without fear of reprisals upon
return to their home country.
Civil and political rights: Members strongly condemned the assassination in France
in January 2015 of 12 people, including cartoonists at
the Charlie Hebdo newspaper. It condemned the use of
religion by extremist and jihadist groups in all countries, and
particularly in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria and Central
Africa, stating that that the fight against terrorism calls for
action to address its root causes, which included social exclusion,
political marginalisation and inequality.
Parliament supported the work of the UN Special
Rapporteurs on Torture, on the rights of migrants, on
contemporary forms of racism, and it urged the EU and its Member
States to implement all recommendations.
It encouraged the UNHRC to continue the debate on the
right to privacy and, to that end, to appoint a UN Special
Rapporteur on the right to privacy, especially in the context
of digital communications.
Social and economic rights: Parliament underlined the need to address rising and
extreme inequalities in order to fight poverty in general and to
promote social and economic rights by facilitating access to food,
water, education, health care and adequate housing, highlighting
the increasing problem of land grabbing. It also felt that
corruption, tax evasion, mismanagement of public goods and lack of
accountability contributed to the violation of citizens
rights. It reiterated its support for the establishment of a UN
Special Rapporteur on financial crime, corruption and human
rights.
Business and human rights: Members encouraged EU delegations around the world
to engage with EU businesses in order to promote respect for human
rights, and to ensure that business and human rights is
included among the focus themes in the local calls for proposals of
the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights. They wanted
to see the EU engage in the emerging debate on a legally binding
international instrument on business and human rights within
the UN system.
Womens rights and childrens
rights: Parliament observed
critically that despite the progress made so far in achieving
gender equality and the empowerment of women, discriminatory laws
remain in force in many countries. It also called for the EU to
support, in the process of building sustainable reconciliation, the
systematic participation of women as a vital component of peace
processes, and stressed the continuing need for the EU to work
with third countries in eradicating the practice of FGM.
Members moved on to call for adequate EU funding for
demobilisation and reintegration programmes for children associated
with armed conflicts and for ex-child-soldiers.
EU human rights mainstreaming: Parliament called for the EU to:
·
promote the universality and indivisibility of
human rights, including civil and political, economic, social and
cultural rights, in accordance with Article 21 of the Lisbon Treaty
and the General Provisions on the Unions External
Action;
·
mainstream human rights in all external policy
areas with third countries and adopt a rights-based approach and to
integrate respect for human rights into trade, investment, public
services and development cooperation, and into its common security
and defence policy.
Lastly, Parliament discussed EU priorities on specific
country-related issues on Ukraine, Democratic Peoples
Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran, Myanmur/Burma, Belarus, Bahrain,
Egypt, Mali, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Iraq, and
Palestine/Israel.