MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Yemen
13.1.2010
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Adrian Severin, Hannes Swoboda, Véronique De Keyser, Claude Moraes, Richard Howitt on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0021/2010
B7‑0023/2010
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Yemen
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Yemen,
– having regard to the Council conclusions on Yemen of 27 October 2009,
– having regard to the Joint Communiqué issued following the 16th meeting of the EC-Yemen Joint Cooperation Committee of 27 October 2009,
– having regard to the declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union of 27 August 2009 on the deteriorating security situation in Yemen,
– having regard to the recommendations made by the EU Election Observation Mission to the 2006 presidential and local elections in Yemen,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas, following recent events including the failed attempt to bomb a US flight, for which al-Qa’ida’s Yemeni affiliate has claimed responsibility, and threats against foreign embassies in Sana’a, Yemen has come to the forefront of debates about international security and the fight against terrorism; whereas terrorist activities, and attacks by al‑Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula in particular, further intensified during 2009 and several foreign citizens were kidnapped and are still being held hostage in the country,
B. whereas the deteriorating security, political and economic situation is undermining efforts to achieve stability in the country, which is crucial for the people of Yemen and the region as a whole,
C. whereas US President Barack Obama has repeatedly confirmed that he has no intention of sending combat troops to Yemen, but wants to work with international partners to fight terrorist activities in the country,
D. whereas the Government of Yemen has taken action against terrorist groups over the past few weeks and rejects any presence of foreign troops in the country, but is calling for increased assistance from the international community for its security forces in terms of training, technical support and information exchange,
E. whereas fighting between the Yemeni army and Shi’ite rebels in the northern province of Sa’dah, which started in 2004, has left more than 175 000 persons internally displaced and generated a humanitarian crisis in the area,
F. whereas separatist groups in the south of Yemen, which is home to most of the country’s oil facilities, borders the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and serves as a gateway to Somalia, are calling for the country to be divided,
G. whereas Yemen remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with runaway population growth, fast-depleting water resources, an economy heavily dependent on declining oil revenues, and high unemployment; whereas the Yemeni Government committed itself at the 2006 international donor conference to political and economic reforms; whereas the Yemeni Parliament has recently postponed general elections to 2011 pending electoral reforms,
H. whereas human rights organisations regularly report repression of political opposition representatives, journalists and human rights defenders as well as discrimination against various ethnic and religious groups in Yemen, especially in the conflict areas in the north and south of the country,
1. Expresses its deep concern at the deteriorating security, political and economic situation in Yemen; calls for considerable efforts by the international community to prevent the escalation of the current crisis and move towards the goal of a unified, stable and democratic Yemen;
2. Supports the active cooperation between the Commission and the Yemeni Government, especially in the areas of development, police, justice, border control, anti-trafficking, maritime safety and counter-terrorism; calls on the Council and the Commission further to strengthen bilateral relations with Yemen and to examine the most effective ways in which the EU can contribute to improving the security, political and economic situation in the country; supports the Commission’s intention to upgrade its presence in Yemen to a fully-fledged delegation;
3. Calls on the Yemeni Government to take effective steps to secure the immediate release of kidnapped foreign citizens being held hostage by militias in the country;
4. Underlines that there is no military solution to the conflicts and tensions in northern and southern Yemen; calls on all parties to cease fighting immediately and engage in political dialogue with the aim of finding a comprehensive negotiated solution to the conflict in the north of the country and avoiding further violent events in the south;
5. Expresses its deep concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in northern Yemen; calls on all parties to fulfil their obligations and responsibilities under international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population in the area and allow access to the territories concerned for the provision of humanitarian aid and assistance;
6. Calls on the Yemeni Government to refrain from discrimination against any ethnic or religious group in the country and to take account of the common interest of all of its citizens in its policies; stresses that anti-terrorist actions and measures must not be misused for political purposes, especially against political opponents, journalists and human rights defenders;
7. Expresses its concern at the human rights situation in Yemen, including the especially difficult situation of women; calls on the Yemeni authorities to honour their human rights obligations and refrain from persecution or harassment of journalists and human rights defenders in particular;
8. Is convinced that stability in Yemen can be reached only through political and economic reforms; calls, therefore, on the Yemeni Government to honour the commitments it made at the 2006 international donor conference and step up the national political and economic reform process with a view to deepening democracy and improving people’s living conditions;
9. Calls on all political forces in Yemen to overcome the current deadlock in negotiations on essential political reforms, and electoral reform in particular, and underlines the importance of holding general elections there in 2011;
10. Calls on the Council and the Commission to provide, in cooperation with other international actors, increased development assistance to Yemen with the aim of stabilising the political situation and improving the economic situation and the living conditions of people in the country; welcomes the readiness of the Gulf Cooperation Council to further develop its relations with Yemen; calls on the Yemeni Government to ensure, in close cooperation with the donors, enhanced aid effectiveness through appropriate coordination, distribution and implementation mechanisms;
11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Yemen.