MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council (Geneva, 28 February to 25 March 2011)
2.3.2011
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Marie-Christine Vergiat, Eva-Britt Svensson, Miguel Portas, Rui Tavares, Marisa Matias, Willy Meyer, Elie Hoarau on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
B7‑0164/2011
European Parliament resolution on the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council (Geneva, 28 February to 25 March 2011)
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC),
– having regard to its urgent resolutions on human rights and democracy,
– having regard to the 16th session of the UNHRC, to be held from 28 February to 25 March 2011,
– having regard to the review of the UNHRC to be undertaken in 2011,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas, 60 years after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the fight against discrimination and for the full realisation of all human rights – social, economic and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights – remains a daily struggle,
B. whereas the EU and its Member States need to ensure respect for human rights in their own policies in order to strengthen – and make credible – the EU position in the UNHRC,
C. whereas, despite its shortcomings, the UNHRC is an important platform for discussion of human rights and of action to combat human rights violations,
D. whereas the review of the UNHRC will follow two tracks, with the legal status of the body to be discussed in New York, and the procedures in Geneva; whereas a number of initiatives and informal meetings will take place during the coming year,
E. whereas a delegation from Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights will travel to Geneva for the 16th session of the UNHRC, following the practice of previous years for UNHRC sessions and, before that, those of the predecessor body, the UN Commission on Human Rights,
1. Reiterates its call to the EU Member States actively to oppose any attempt to undermine the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights, and actively to encourage the UNHRC to address discrimination on all grounds, including gender, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief in the same way;
2. Underlines the importance of according equal attention to social, cultural, civil and political rights; emphasises that high unemployment rates, the increase in poverty and social exclusion, increasingly problematic access to affordable public services in the fields of health, education, housing, transport and culture, and the deteriorating quality of such services constitute major challenges; points out that privatisation and liberalisation have played a part in making some of these entitlements less accessible, that this trend needs to be reversed, and that better wealth distribution, decent wages and high-quality employment are important ways of solving these problems; notes, too, that the austerity plans which have been put in place, notably in various EU Member States, have merely aggravated inequalities;
3. Points out that the UN member states should do more to encourage access to essential natural resources and land, and to promote food sovereignty and food security as an instrument for reducing poverty and unemployment;
4. Emphasises that EU policies on migration, as well as support for dictatorial regimes on the pretext of ‘good governance’ and the introduction of ultraliberal economic policies, undermine human rights and, indeed, the Union’s international credibility; reiterates its call to the EU Member States to ensure that human rights are respected in their own internal and external policies, as failure to do so would weaken the EU position in the UNHRC and all other international human rights forums;
5. Warns against exploiting the UNHRC; emphasises the importance of its country-specific resolutions in addressing serious human rights violations; underlines the importance of evaluating human rights situations in an objective, transparent, non-selective, constructive and non-confrontational manner, on the basis of objective and reliable information obtained by means of interactive dialogue, and in keeping with the concepts of universality and equal treatment for all states; calls on the EU Member States to contribute actively to the implementation of these agreed principles concerning the UNHRC;
6. Notes that the current uprisings in the Arab world, and particularly in Libya, are high on the agenda for the 16th session of the UNHRC; draws attention to the resonance of these insurgencies, inter alia in sub-Saharan Africa; calls on the EU and the Member States to support these popular movements, inter alia in Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, Morocco and Algeria; condemns the repression that exists in these countries; condemns any attempted interference there by third countries; is opposed to any military intervention in Libya;
7. Deplores the fact that the situation in Haiti since the earthquake is not being discussed in depth, and calls on the EU and its Member States to raise the issue at the UNHRC meeting, with particular emphasis on the need for an evaluation of the aid sent to Haiti and on actual implementation of the reconstruction plan promoted by the UN; is concerned about recent information from NGOs indicating that women in makeshift encampments are being subjected to sexual violence;
8. Emphasises the importance of the debate about Côte d’Ivoire, where the situation appears to be deteriorating from day to day; asks the UNHRC to raise the matter in the UN Security Council so that additional measures can be considered for breaking the current deadlock, which is taking an increasingly heavy toll on the people of the country, including in terms of lives;
9. Deplores the fact that the EU has not yet implemented the recommendations in the Goldstone Report; calls once again on the EU Member States to work towards a strong EU common position on the follow-up to the Goldstone Report, publicly calling for accountability for the alleged crimes and urging Israel to conduct investigations that meet international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness and effectiveness, in line with UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/10; considers that there can be no efficient Middle East peace process without accountability and justice, and that the investigations initiated so far fail to meet those requirements; insists that the EU include the follow-up to the Goldstone Report in its dialogues with Israel;
10. Emphasises the importance of the question of the occupied territories, which is on the agenda for the 16th session of the UNHRC; urges the EU delegation to condemn all forms of colonialism, notably in Palestine but also in Western Sahara;
11. Notes the fact that Iraq is to be discussed; calls on the EU and its Member States to issue a fresh condemnation of the Coalition forces’ intervention in Iraq, to demand the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq, and by the same token to condemn all interference, past, current or future, by foreign powers in Iraq’s affairs;
12. Invites the EU and its Member States, likewise, to denounce the fact that NATO’s occupation of Afghanistan has further eroded human rights there, and to call for the withdrawal of troops from that country; calls on the UNHRC to work for the establishment of a committee of inquiry under UN auspices and for the initiation of legal proceedings in respect of the war crimes, atrocities and murders of civilians perpetrated in Iraq and Afghanistan;
13. Notes that the human rights situation in Iran is continuing to deteriorate; notes that repression directed against peaceful demonstrators and dissidents (including students, academics, women’s rights activists, lawyers, journalists, bloggers, members of religious orders and human rights defenders) is commonplace there; emphasises that the international community has a crucially important role to play in securing peace, and highlights the danger of the situation being exploited by certain powers with a view to interfering in the country;
14. Calls for proper monitoring of the human rights situation in Honduras since the coup d’état, and for an all-out effort to re-establish democracy and the rule of law there; calls on the EU Member States to lobby for strong condemnation of the coup d’état and to demand that the guilty parties be brought to trial; calls, likewise, for an inquiry into the attempted coups d’état in other Latin American countries (e.g. Ecuador) and for all those responsible, including third countries, to be identified;
15. Calls for new country-specific mandates in respect of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia, given the worsening humanitarian situation in those countries, particularly in relation to the disappearances of journalists and human rights defenders; supports the people of Colombia in their effort to end the armed conflict there through peaceful, political negotiation so that a lasting peace can be established;
16. Points out that international human rights law guarantees equality and non-discrimination, that sexual orientation is one of the areas covered by the right of individuals to privacy, and that freedom of expression must be guaranteed; is therefore concerned about the attacks on LGBT people, notably in Uganda and Iran but also within the EU;
17. Calls on the EU Member States to work as a priority for practical action by the UNHRC to stop human rights violations against the civilian population in wars and violent conflicts, including specific violence against women and children and the problem of child soldiers;
18. Emphasises the importance of continuing the work on global practices in relation to secret detention in the context of countering terrorism; calls on the EU Member States to follow up the existing reports effectively, in line with Parliament’s previous stances on the issue, especially its resolutions on the use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners;
19. Expresses concern about the increasing incidence of action – in different forms and at different levels all over the world – by public authorities against human rights defenders, activists, organisations and institutions, as well as journalists;
20. Stresses the need for a transparent and all-inclusive process of review of the UNHRC, taking account of the positions of NGOs, civil society and all other relevant stakeholders; points out that the review of the UNHRC should not prevent the organisation from continuing its important work on human rights violations;
21. Takes the position that the review should preserve the independence of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, retain and, if possible, strengthen the Special Procedures, and ensure that the UNHRC can address specific human rights violations through its country-specific resolutions and mandates; underlines the importance of according equal attention to social, cultural, civil and political rights;
22. Instructs its delegation to the 16th session of the UNHRC to voice the concerns expressed in this resolution and to report, on its return, to the Subcommittee on Human Rights, and considers it appropriate to continue sending a Parliament delegation to relevant sessions of the UNHRC;
23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the President of the 64th UN General Assembly, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the EU-UN working group set up at the initiative of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.