MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the recent attacks on medical aid workers in Pakistan
5.2.2013 - (2013/2537(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Phil Bennion, Leonidas Donskis, Marietje Schaake, Louis Michel, Sarah Ludford, Angelika Werthmann, Kristiina Ojuland, Marielle de Sarnez, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Robert Rochefort, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen, Sonia Alfano, Hannu Takkula on behalf of the ALDE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0056/2013
B7‑0075/2013
European Parliament resolution on the recent attacks on medical aid workers in Pakistan
The European Parliament,
- Having regard to its previous resolutions on human rights and democracy in Pakistan, in particular those of 20 January 2011 and 20 May 2010,
- Having regard to its resolution of 18 April 2012 on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World and the European Union’s policy on the matter, including implications for the EU’s strategic human rights policy,
- Having regard to the Council conclusions on intolerance, discrimination and violence on the basis of religion or belief, adopted on 21 February 2011,
- Having regard to the EU-Pakistan five-year engagement plan of March 2012, containing priorities such as good governance, cooperation in the field of women’s empowerment and dialogue on human rights,
- Having regard to the Council conclusions on Pakistan of 25 June 2012, reiterating the EU’s expectations regarding the promotion of and respect for human rights,
- Having regard to the “European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid”
- Having regard to Rules 122(5) and 110(4) of its Rules of Procedure,.
A. Whereas nine health workers, all women, were gunned down in Pakistan in carefully planned and co-ordinated shootings in December 2012.
B. Whereas a police officer protecting polio workers was gunned down during a UN-backed vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan in January.
C. Whereas Khalil Rasjed Dale, a British Red Cross doctor, was beheaded in Pakistan in April 2012.
D. Whereas Pakistan, backed by the UN, was striving urgently to immunise 34m children; notes that millions of children still need to be immunize in the North West of Pakistan and in Karachi ;
E. Whereas Pakistan is one of only three countries left where polio is endemic, leading the world in 2011 in cases of the crippling childhood disease.
F. Whereas some Islamic militants have previously accused health workers of acting as spies for the U.S. and claim the polio vaccine is intended to make Muslim children sterile.
G. Whereas reports suggest that militant targeting of medical aid workers has increased after it was revealed that a Pakistani doctor involved in a false vaccination campaign helped the U.S. hunt for Osama Bin Laden.
H. Whereas aid workers are increasingly associated in the minds of militants with a military, political or ruling power.
1. Strongly condemns the kidnap, murder, attempted murder or intimidation in Pakistan of health workers and the security forces assigned to protect them.
2. Calls on the Government of Pakistan to urgently bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
3. Stresses the need for aid workers to be able to operate in a secure environment; Remains deeply concerned that international aid workers are being increasingly linked by militants to western intelligence agents and military forces.
4. Welcomes the announcement of the Government of Pakistan to revise current security measures and develop a new strategy to protect aid workers.
5. Applauds the bravery of those health workers who have chosen to continue their work on the streets in Pakistan, defying death threats so they can continue to vaccinate children.
6. Believes that both the media and civil society in Pakistan, in cooperation with international organisations and NGOs involved in humanitarian actions, have an obligation to help raise awareness about the important and independent role that aid workers play in assisting the population. Urges the Government of Pakistan to likewise do what it can to retain trust between health workers and the Pakistani population.
7. Notes that health sector spending in Pakistan only gets less than 0.3 percent of the annual budget, both at the federal and provincial levels; calls for more to be done to look at how state run immunisation programmes could be developed.
8. Calls on the European Commission and the External European Action service to look at working with the World Health Organisation in supporting the Lady Health workers programme which aims at increasing access to basic preventive health care services, particularly in rural areas.
9. Welcomes the announcement of the European Commission to allocate more than 661 million Euros of humanitarian aid in 2013, of which 42 million Euros will go to Pakistan; regrets that the European External Action Service has not been more vocal with regard to the attacks on aid workers in Pakistan.
10. Reiterates the European Union readiness to provide assistance for the upcoming elections in Pakistan which will be crucial for its democratic future and the stability in the region ; notes that the European Union has still not received a formal invitation letter from the Pakistan authorities to do so