MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
4.2.2013 - (2013/2533(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Richard Howitt, Véronique De Keyser, Ana Gomes, Raimon Obiols, Pino Arlacchi, Joanna Senyszyn on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0055/2013
B7‑0055/2013
European Parliament resolution on the 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to UN human rights conventions and optional protocols thereto,
– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
– having regard to the EU Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy, and the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy as adopted at the 3179th Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 25 June 2012,
– having regard to its recommendation to the Council of 13 June 2012 on the EU Special Representative for Human Rights[1],
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), including Parliament’s priorities in this context; having regard, in particular, to its resolution of 16 February 2012 on Parliament’s position on the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council[2],
– having regard to the report of the delegation from its Subcommittee on Human Rights on its visit to the 19th session of the UNHRC, and to that of the joint delegation from its Committee on Foreign Affairs, its Subcommittee on Human Rights and its Subcommittee on Security and Defence which attended the 67th session of the UN General Assembly,
– having regard to its urgency resolutions on human rights issues,
– having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2012 on the review of the EU’s human rights strategy[3],
– having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2012 on the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2011 and the European Union’s policy on the matter[4],
– having regard to Articles 2, 3(5), 18, 21, 27 and 47 of the Treaty on European Union,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas respect for, and the promotion and safeguarding of, the universality and indivisibility of human rights is part of the European Union’s ethical and legal acquis and one of the cornerstones of European unity and integrity[5];
B. whereas successful implementation of the EU’s recent reviews of its human rights strategy should enhance the EU’s credibility in the UNHRC by increasing consistency between its internal and external policies;
C. whereas the EU should strive to speak out against human rights violations in united common positions in order to achieve the best possible results and should in this context continue to strengthen cooperation and enhance organisational arrangements between the Member States;
D. whereas the Council of the European Union has adopted a Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy, and an Action Plan for its implementation, with the aim of achieving a more effective, visible and consistent EU policy in this field;
E. whereas an EU Special Representative for Human Rights has been appointed, whose role it is to enhance the effectiveness and visibility of EU human rights policy and help put the Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy into practice;
F. whereas a delegation from its Subcommittee on Human Rights will travel to Geneva during the 22nd session of the UNHRC, as has been the case for previous years’ UNHRC sessions;
1. Notes the ongoing process to confirm EU priorities for the 22nd Session of the UNHRC; welcomes the focus placed by the EU on the situation in Syria, Burma/Myanmar, North Korea and Mali and the EU’s support for the extension of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate concerning human rights in Iran; endorses also the focus on thematic issues such as freedom of thought, religion and belief, the abolition of the death penalty, the rights of the child, violence against women, business and human rights and LGBTI rights;
2. Welcomes the fact that the agenda of the 22nd regular session includes, among other things, panel discussions on human rights mainstreaming, the negative impact of the financial and economic crisis and corruption on the enjoyment of human rights and the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, interactive debates, such as on the rights of persons with disabilities, and extensive meetings on various issues, such as children’s right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standards of health; calls on the Member States to actively contribute to these debates and clearly state that human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent;
3. Welcomes the reports to be presented by the Special Rapporteurs on, inter alia, the human rights situations in Iran, Myanmar and the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, as well as a written report by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Mali, particularly the northern part of the country, on housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, on the right to non-discrimination in this context, on freedom of thought, religion or belief, and on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; looks forward to the High Commissioner’s oral report on Libya;
The work of the UN Human Rights Council
4. Notes that 18 new members were elected to the UNHRC in September 2012, and took up their membership on 1 January 2013, namely Argentina, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Montenegro, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; and notes that nine EU Member States are now UNHRC members;
5. Notes the election of a new President of the UNHRC, Remigiusz A. Henczel, from Poland, and of four Vice-Presidents for 2013, Cheikh Ahmed Ould Zahaf (Mauritania), Iruthisham Adam (Maldives), Luis Gallegos Chiriboga (Ecuador) and Alexandre Fasel (Switzerland);
6. Stresses that elections to the UNHRC need to be competitive, and expresses its opposition to the arranging of uncontested elections by regional groups; reiterates the importance of standards for UNHRC membership as regards commitment and performance in the human rights field; emphasises that UNHRC members are required to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights; reiterates the importance of strong and transparent criteria for reinstating suspended members;
7. Remains concerned about the phenomenon of ‘bloc politics’ and its effect on the credibility of the UNHRC and the effectiveness of its work;
8. Reiterates once more that is it important for the EU Member States to work towards the fulfilment of the indivisibility and universality of human rights and to support the work of the UNHRC in this respect, in particular by ratifying the international human rights instruments that this body has established; reiterates its regret that there is still no EU Member State that has ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families; reiterates also its regret that several Member States have not yet adopted and/or ratified the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and that only two Member States have ratified the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; reiterates its call on all EU Member States to ratify these conventions and protocols, and encourages the EU Member States to sign and ratify the recent Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, which opened for signature in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28 February 2012;
9. Welcomes the appointment by the UN General Assembly of Ms Navanethem Pillay for a second term as High Commissioner for Human Rights; reiterates its strong support for the Office of the High Commissioner and for its independence and integrity;
10. Commends the High Commissioner for Human Rights for her efforts in the treaty body strengthening process and welcomes her report on this issue published on 22 June 2012; reaffirms the multi-stakeholder nature of the treaty bodies and emphasises that civil society needs to be continuously included in these processes; stresses furthermore that the independence and effectiveness of the treaty bodies must be preserved and enhanced; emphasises that sufficient funding needs to be secured in order to cover the treaty bodies’ increasing workload; calls for the EU to adopt a leadership role in ensuring the effective functioning of the treaty body system, including with regard to adequate funding;
Arab Spring countries
11. Condemns in the strongest terms the increasing and indiscriminate violence used by the Assad regime against the Syrian population, including the use of heavy artillery and shelling against populated areas; condemns unequivocally the continued systematic human rights violations by the regime, its security forces and the army, which may amount to crimes against humanity; expresses grave concern about the continuously deteriorating situation for the civilian population; condemns also the human rights violations committed by opposition groups and forces; calls on all armed actors to immediately bring an end to the violence in Syria, and reiterates its call for the Assad regime to step down immediately;
12. Expresses concern about the spill-over effect into neighbouring countries and its impact on security and stability in the region; calls on the Member States to provide assistance to the countries in the region in their efforts to provide humanitarian relief for refugees from Syria;
13. Welcomes the continued attention which the UNHRC devotes to the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Syria, as evidenced by the UN resolutions on the situation in the country adopted at the 19th, 20th and 21st UNHRC sessions and the UNHRC Special Session on Syria of 1 June 2012; reiterates the importance of ensuring accountability for violations of international human rights law that have been committed during the conflict;
14. Expresses its full support for the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria and for the UNHRC’s extension of its mandate; welcomes the appointment of Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn as new members, and the appointment of Paolo Pinheiro as Special Rapporteur on Syria, who will start his work once the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry ends; welcomes the Commission’s report exposing the atrocities carried out in Syria;
15. Regrets that agreement has not yet been reached on the adoption of a resolution in the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Syria and, in particular that this is stifling the ability to exert effective pressure with a view to ending the violence in the country; calls on the UNSC Members to bear in mind their responsibility towards the Syrian people; commends the diplomatic efforts of the VP/HR and the EU Member States in engaging China and Russia on this issue; calls on them to continue with these efforts; reminds all UN members also of the ‘responsibility to protect’ principle embraced by the UN General Assembly; calls on the Human Rights Council to urge the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court; urges the EU High Representative to personally engage in building a large and inclusive international coalition in order to impel all permanent members of the UNSC to support such a referral;
16. Welcomes the final written report by the Independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Libya, presented in the UNHRC’s 19th session, highlighting human rights violations committed in the country; urges the UNHRC to express concern at ongoing violations, to continue to monitor the situation and to request that the High Commissioner report on the situation of human rights in Libya;
17. Expresses concern about the situation for human rights defenders and political opposition activists in Bahrain; reiterates its call for EU Member States to work towards the adoption at the UNHRC of a resolution concerning the human rights situation in Bahrain;
18. Reiterates its call for the UNHRC to adopt a resolution during its 22nd session establishing an international mechanism to monitor the implementation of Bahrain’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), including those concerning human rights defenders;
19. Welcomes the resolution on technical assistance and capacity building for Yemen in the field of human rights, adopted in October 2012, and the establishment of an OHCHR Country Office in Yemen; urges the UNHRC to continue to monitor the situation in Yemen;
20. Expresses deep concern at the current resurgence of violence in Egypt; calls on the Egyptian Government to refrain from any use of excessive force against demonstrators and recalls that the state of emergency is a measure of last resort which should also be governed by the rule of law and in line with international standards in order to preserve the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; reiterates the EU’s position against the death penalty and calls, in this connection, for a moratorium on the execution of death penalties in Egypt, including in the case of the 21 people recently sentenced to death for last year’s Port Said football stadium disaster;
21. Expresses its concern at the continued violation of human rights in Western Sahara; calls for the protection of the fundamental rights of the people of Western Sahara, including freedom of association, freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate; demands the release of all Sahrawi political prisoners; welcomes the establishment of a Special Envoy for the Sahel and stresses the need for international monitoring of the human rights situation in Western Sahara; supports a fair and lasting settlement of the conflict on the basis of the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
Other issues
22 Welcomes the decision taken by the UNHRC at its 20th session to appoint a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, and takes note of the cross-regional support for the resolution establishing this mandate, which illustrates that the dire human rights situation in the country is being acknowledged by states all over the world;
23. Welcomes the resolution adopted at the 20th session of the UNHCR establishing a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea; takes note that this is the first time the UNHRC has addressed this issue and applauds the leadership shown by African countries on this matter;
24. Welcomes the extension of the mandates of the independent experts on Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti and Somalia; urges the authorities of these countries to cooperate fully with the mandate-holders;
25. Calls for the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran;
26. Calls for the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) for another year; welcomes the fact that the resolution on the DPRK was adopted by consensus, which illustrates the strong level of support for the mandate; urges the Government of the DPRK to fully cooperate with the Rapporteur and facilitate his visits to the country; and urges the Human Rights Council to take action on the call by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish an international commission of inquiry into serious crimes that have been taking place in the country for decades;
27. Deplores the executions carried out in Japan in 2012 after the moratorium on this practice in 2011; condemns also, in this connection, the recent mass executions in Iran; reaffirms its strong stance against the death penalty in all cases and under all circumstances; and its full determination to work towards the definitive abolition thereof;
28. Welcomes the fact that the situation in Mali is being kept under close scrutiny by the UNHRC, and applauds the leadership shown by the African states that brought the issue to the attention of the UNHRC; urges the UNHRC to support the swift deployment of monitoring capacities in Mali and to request that the OHCHR continue to report on the situation in the country;
29. Was pleased to note the adoption of the resolution on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but remains deeply concerned about the human rights violations in the country, notably in the North Kivu province, in the eastern part of the country; strongly condemns the attacks by rebel forces in the east of the country on the civilian population, including women and children, notably by the M23; strongly condemns the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war; welcomes the efforts made by the member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGRL), the African Union and the UN to find a peaceful political solution to the crisis; calls again for the reestablishment of a UN Independent Expert on the human rights situation in the DRC in order to provide a reliable mechanism focusing on improving the situation regarding the grave and long-standing human rights concerns in the country; as well as a report by the UN Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict, Margot Wallstrom;
30. Notes with satisfaction the adoption of the UNHRC resolution on freedom of religion or belief; stresses the emphasis which the EU places on this issue; calls on its Member States to continue working on the issue, and looks forward to the new Guidelines which are expected early this year; commends the work done by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; stresses the importance of the renewal of this mandate during the 22nd session of the UNHRC;
31. Welcomes the resolution on Burma/Myanmar in the UNHRC and calls for the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar; notes the steps taken by the Burmese Government since early 2011 to restore civil liberties in the country; expresses grave concern, however, about the upsurge in communal violence in Rakhine State and the subsequent deaths and injuries, destruction of property and displacement of local populations; believes that the underlying cause of the situation lies in the long-standing discriminatory policies against the Rohingya population; stresses that more enhanced efforts are needed in order to solve the root cause of the problem; urges the Government of Myanmar to accelerate the implementation of its commitment to establishing an OHCHR Country Office in Myanmar and stresses that continued monitoring and reporting by the Special Rapporteur should be maintained in the current context;
32. Welcomes also the resolution on Sri Lanka, emphasising reconciliation and accountability in the country; reiterates its support for the recommendation, made by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka, that a UN Commission of Inquiry into all the crimes committed; urges the Human Rights Council to express concern at ongoing violations committed in Sri Lanka and at the failure by the Government of Sri Lanka to genuinely and seriously investigate crimes committed during the conflict by all parties and to provide accountability for serious abuses, and to adopt measures to implement the recommendations made to the Secretary-General by the Panel of Experts; is deeply concerned at the ‘gross influence’ on the judiciary as the removal of the Chief Justice could jeopardise efforts to prosecute war crimes;
33. Expresses concern at the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), where armed groups have attacked and occupied several towns in the north-east of the country; welcomes the agreements signed in Libreville on 11 January 2013, including the ceasefire agreement and the political agreement on the resolution of the crisis in the country; stresses the importance of the swift implementation of these agreements; welcomes the EU VP/HR’s statement of 11 January, calling for all signatories to uphold these agreements; urges the Member States to raise this matter in the UNHRC in order to keep the issue of the situation in the Central African Republic high on the international agenda;
34. Expresses its concern at the situation in Israel and Gaza following the escalation of the conflict at the end of 2012 and condemns the acts of violence committed by both sides of the conflict; reiterates its call for the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, while taking into account Israel’s legitimate security concerns, and calls for steps to be taken towards the reconstruction and economic recovery of the Gaza Strip;
35. Condemns the decision taken by the Israeli Government on 2 December 2012 to construct 3 000 new settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in particular in the E1 area which, if carried out, would cut the West Bank in two; stresses that this decision threatens to undermine the two-state solution; welcomes the international fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory established during the UNHRC’s 19th session; regrets the fact that Israel has cut off cooperation with the UNHRC since then, as well as its non-submission, when a new fact-finding commission on Israeli settlements was announced, and the fact that Israel did not submit itself to the UPR proceedings;
36. Welcomes the UN General Assembly’s adoption on 29 November 2012 of the resolution making Palestine a UN non-member observer state; takes note of the overwhelming majority by which the resolution on this matter was adopted, with 138 votes in favour, 9 against and 41 abstentions; takes note, too, that only one EU Member State voted against it; reiterates its support for this endeavour; notes the support expressed by the EU for Palestine to become a full member of the UN as part of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; reaffirms that the EU will not accept any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties;
37. Welcomes the ongoing follow-up process to Report A/HRC/19/41 by the High Commissioner on discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals, based on their sexual orientation and gender identity; encourages a further follow-up, including through regional meetings, and the active participation of Member States, the Council and the External Action Service;
38. Welcomes the leadership shown by the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner, both inside and outside the UNHRC, with regard to discrimination and violence against people due to their sexual orientation and gender identity; regrets the ongoing attempts to undermine the universality and indivisibility of human rights, in particular with a resolution on ‘traditional values’;
39. Notes the first annual Forum on Business and Human Rights held in Geneva on 4-6 December 2012, which brought together a broad range of stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles within this area; supports the Forum’s initial consultations on how governments and business can be made to adopt regulatory, policy and implementation frameworks to counter business-related human rights abuses; supports the Commission’s efforts to further its ‘new policy on Corporate Social Responsibility’; stresses that this policy needs to be even more ambitious;
40. Welcomes the work of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on private military and security companies (PMSCs), with a mandate to consider the possibility of an international regulatory framework; recognises the detailed attention given to the option of elaborating a legally binding instrument on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of PMSCs and expresses its support for such a legally binding regulatory framework; stresses the need for a strong accountability component and invites PMSCs that have not yet signed the Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC) to adhere to it; looks forward to the presentation of the working group’s report;
Universal Periodic Review
41. Emphasises the significance of the UPR’s universal aspect, and reaffirms the importance of the UPR in making it possible to fully understand and assess the human rights situation on the ground in all UN member states;
42. Welcomes the commencement of the Universal Periodic Review’s second cycle and the adoption of the first outcomes thereof; reiterates the importance of the second cycle focusing on the implementation of the recommendations accepted during the first cycle; calls again, however, for the recommendations that were not accepted by states during the first cycle to be reconsidered in the continuation of the UPR process;
43. Believes that implementation is a key aspect in realising the potential of the UPR process; reiterates, therefore, the importance of EU Member States providing technical assistance in order to help the states under review to implement recommendations; encourages states to present mid-term updates in order to contribute to improved implementation;
44. Calls on EU Member States participating in the UPR interactive dialogues to put forward recommendations that are more specific and more measurable, in order to improve the quality of the follow-up and implementation of accepted recommendations;
45. Recommends including the UPR recommendations systematically in the EU’s human rights dialogues and consultations and in EU human rights country strategies, to ensure that UPR outcomes are followed up; recommends, similarly, that Parliament raise these recommendations during its own delegation visits to third countries;
46. Welcomes steps that allow the full participation in the UPR process of a wide range of stakeholders; welcomes, in this connection, the changes to the speakers’ list, which gives all states that wish to speak during the UPR process a chance to do so; reiterates its appreciation of the stronger role which national human rights institutions have gained, in line with the Paris Principles; welcomes the enhanced participation from the field due to the increased use of videoconferencing;
47. Believes that more can be done to involve civil society in the UPR process, including in the implementation of UPR outcomes; condemns the use of reprisals against persons who participate in, and cooperate with, the UPR process; stresses that such action undermines the UN human rights system as a whole; urges all states to provide adequate protection against such acts of intimidation;
Special Procedures
48. Reaffirms the crucial role which the Special Procedures play in the credibility and effectiveness of the work of the UNHRC and its core position in the UN human rights machinery; reiterates its strong support for the Special Procedures and stresses the fundamental importance of the independence of these mandates;
49. Urges states to fully cooperate with the Special Procedures, including by receiving mandate-holders for country visits without delay, replying to their urgent actions and allegations of violations and ensuring a proper follow-up to the recommendations made by the mandate-holders; urges UNHRC members to lead by example on these issues;
50. Welcomes the action taken by the EU to jointly extend a standing invitation to all UN Special Procedures on Human Rights, thereby leading by example on this issue; encourages other UN member states to do the same;
51. Condemns all forms of reprisals against persons who cooperate with the Special Procedures; stresses that such action undermines the UN human rights system as a whole; urges all states to provide adequate protection against such acts of intimidation;
EU involvement
52. Cannot stress strongly enough the importance of active participation by the EU in the UN human rights mechanisms, including the UNHRC; encourages Member States to do so by co-sponsoring resolutions, actively participating in debates and interactive dialogues and issuing statements;
53. Stresses the importance of ensuring that the work being done in Geneva in the context of the UNHRC is integrated into the EU’s, work in general, including Parliament’s own work;
54. Welcomes the appointment of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, Mr Stavros Lambrinidis; encourages the Special Representative to contribute to the effectiveness, coherence and visibility of the EU’s human rights policy in the context of the UNHRC and to develop close cooperation with the OHCHR and the Special Procedures; looks forward to cooperating with the Special Representative on these issues;
55. Welcomes the participation of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights in the Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva on 4 and 5 December 2012;
56. Reiterates that EU action is most effective when the Union and its Member States harness their collective weight; stresses the importance of continuing to enhance coordination and cooperation between the Member States in this regard in order to reach common ground on human rights issues; supports all efforts to put across ‘one message, with many voices’; calls again for bolder and more ambitious action instead of resorting to accepting the lowest common denominator; in this connection, encourages the EEAS, in particular through the EU delegations in Geneva and New York, to increase its coherence, based on timely and substantive consultation;
57. Stresses the significance of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first occasion on which the EU ratified a UN Convention as a legal entity; and calls on the EU to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on violence against women;
58. Reiterates how significant it is for the EU to defend the independence of the OHCHR, given the need for the office to exercise its tasks in an impartial manner; and recalls the importance of sufficient funding being provided to keep the OHCHR’s regional offices open;
59. Notes that the protection of human rights defenders is a key priority of EU human rights policy; emphasises that reprisals and intimidation against human rights defenders (HRDs) who cooperate with the UN human rights mechanisms threatens to undermine this system; appreciates, therefore, the practical and financial support allocated to the urgent protection of and support for HRDs under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR);
60. Welcomes the establishment of the Brussels-based Council Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM); welcomes the efforts of COHOM to improve the preparation and coordination of EU positions for UNHRC sessions, including the organisation of COHOM meetings in Geneva; reiterates its expectation that COHOM will be instrumental in addressing the issue of consistency between the external and internal dimensions of EU human rights policy;
61. Expects that the development of EU human rights country strategies will be duly coordinated with EU action in the UN fora; reiterates its recommendation that EU human rights country strategies be made public in order to give visibility to the EU’s commitment to human rights in third countries and to enable those struggling for their human rights to find support in these documents;
62. Stresses the importance of highlighting the issue of the shrinking NGO space in the UNHRC; encourages EU Member States to make concerted efforts to raise this issue;
63. Calls again, in the light of fresh reports of EU companies being complicit in human rights abuses in third countries, on the VP/HR to draw attention to this issue; reiterates, in this connection, the importance of increasing consistency between internal and external policies and of full respect for human rights in internal policies in order to avoid applying double standards;
64. Mandates its delegation to the 22nd session of the UNHRC to voice the concerns and views expressed in this resolution; calls on the delegation to report to the Subcommittee on Human Rights regarding its visit; considers it indispensable to continue the practice of sending an EP delegation to relevant UNHRC and UNGA sessions;
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65. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the President of the 67th UN General Assembly, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the EU-UN Working Group established by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- [1] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0250.
- [2] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0058.
- [3] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0504.
- [4] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0503.
- [5] Articles 2, 3(5) and 6 of the Treaty on European Union.