MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
10 January 2005
pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Bernd Posselt, Anna Záborská and Thomas Mann
on behalf of the PPE-ED Group
on trafficking of women and children in Cambodia
B6-0045/2005
European parliament resolution on trafficking of women and children in Cambodia
The European parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Cambodia, and particularly to its resolutions of 12 February 2004 and 13 March 2003,
- having regard to the Cooperation Agreement between the EC and Cambodia which entered into force on 1 November 1999,
- having regard to the statement by the Local Presidency of the European Union on behalf of EU-Heads of Missions in Phnom Penh on the attack against a shelter for victims of human trafficking operated by "Agir Pour les Femmes, en Situation Précaire" (AFESIP),
- having regard to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Cambodia is a State Party,
- having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas armed assailants have attacked a shelter for victims of human trafficking in Phnom Penh on 8 December 2004 operated by the Non-Governmental Organisation AFESIP and abducted 91 young women and girls, some of them minors,
B. whereas on 7 December 2004 83 young women and girls were removed and placed in the AFESIP shelter and 8 persons were arrested after a raid was carried out by the Cambodian authorities at the Chai Hour II Hotel in Phnom Penh as part of an investigation into allegations of prostitution taking place at this location,
C. whereas the Government of Cambodia has decided to establish an inter-ministerial committee, including representatives of the Foreign Missions and the national and international non-government organisations as observers to witness, to further investigate and to personally interview the women concerned,
D. whereas, during the 7th Consultative Group (CG) Meeting on Cambodia of 6 and 7 December 2004, participants agreed upon a series of common indicators, including passing domestic violence and anti-trafficking laws, to help the Government of Cambodia and development partners alike monitor performance in the coming year,
E. whereas, on 10 December 2004, the United Nations (UN) and Cambodia have agreed on a 56 million dollar budget for a special Cambodia war crimes tribunal,
1. Condemns the attack of 8 December 2004 on the AFESIP shelter for victims of human trafficking in Phnom Penh and the abduction of 91 young women and girls, some of them minors;
2. Welcomes the decision of the Government of Cambodia to establish an inter-ministerial committee including representatives of the Foreign Missions and the national and international non-government organisations as observers to witness, to investigate further and to interview personally the women concerned;
3. Expects this committee to conduct a full investigation into: the location, safety and well-being of the women and girls concerned, the initial criminal investigation that led to the raid at the Chai Hour II Hotel, the release of the persons arrested during the raid and the events that led to the removal of the 91 women and girls from the AFESIP shelter;
4. Calls on the Government of Cambodia to establish this committee as soon as possible and expects the release of its report within a reasonable amount of time after its establishment;
5. Recognizes that the Cambodian authorities have made efforts to combat trafficking of women and children but underlines the need to increase the number of prosecutions and convictions of traffickers;
6. Welcomes the agreement between the UN and Cambodia on a 56 million dollar budget for a special Cambodia war crimes tribunal, which should be operational as soon as possible;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary-General of the UN, the Government and Parliament of Cambodia and AFESIP.