MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Iraq
19.2.2014 - (2014/2565(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Véronique De Keyser, Libor Rouček, Ana Gomes, Silvia Costa, Pino Arlacchi on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0188/2014
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq, in particular that of 10 October 2013 on recent violence in Iraq[1],
– having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Iraq, of the other part, and to its resolution of 17 January 2013 on the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement[2],
– having regard to the Commission’s Joint Strategy Paper for Iraq 2011-2013,
– having regard to the ‘Report on Human Rights in Iraq: January to June 2012’, presented jointly by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 19 December 2012,
– having regard to the UN casualty figures for September 2013, released on 1 October 2013,
– having regard to the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,
– having regard to the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iraq is a party,
– having regard to the statement of 5 September 2013 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on the recent violence in Iraq,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Iraq continues to face serious political, security and socioeconomic challenges, and whereas its political scene is extremely fragmented and plagued by violence and sectarian politics, to the severe detriment of the Iraqi people’s legitimate aspirations for peace, prosperity and a genuine transition to democracy;
B. whereas more people were killed in Iraq in 2013 than at any point since 2008, when sectarian violence reached its peak; whereas the areas most affected by the violence are Baghdad, Ninewa, Diyala, Salahuddin and Anbar; whereas in the north of the country the Kurdish community has managed to create an autonomous region of its own;
C. whereas since the withdrawal of US troops, al-Qaeda-aligned groups have started reorganising, and whereas the number of terrorist attacks – mostly hitting Shia and government targets – has increased again;
D. whereas the militancy of Sunni organisations escalated further following the onset of the conflict in Syria, where the Syrian-based Jabhat al-Nusra and the Iraqi-dominated Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) have gained territorial footholds;
E. whereas the government of Nuri al-Maliki has failed to address the concerns of the Sunni minority adequately; whereas the de-Baathification policy pursuant to the Justice and Accountability Law has led to the dismissal of predominantly Sunni officials, which has reinforced the perception of the government’s sectarian agenda; whereas the rights of all minorities, including Christians, should be respected;
F. whereas, as a reaction to the increasing perception of marginalisation, Sunni Arabs launched a peaceful protest movement in late 2012; whereas the al-Maliki government decided on 30 December 2013 to dismantle with force a protest camp that had existed in Ramadi for over a year; whereas this decision precipitated the violent confrontation in Anbar province; whereas, as a result, Fallujah and other cities in Anbar province have seen fighting between government forces and al-Qaeda-affiliated militants since December 2013;
G. whereas serious social and economic problems – widespread poverty, high unemployment, economic stagnation, environmental degradation and a lack of basic public services – continue to affect a large proportion of the population;
H. whereas violence and sabotage have hindered efforts to revive an economy shattered by decades of conflict and sanctions; whereas Iraq has the world’s third-largest crude oil reserves, but whereas attacks, corruption and smuggling have crippled exports;
I. whereas the Iraqi constitution guarantees equality before the law for all citizens, along with the ‘administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of the various nationalities’;
J. whereas the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in particular its human rights clause, emphasises that the EU-Iraq political dialogue should focus on human rights and strengthening democratic institutions;
1. Strongly condemns the recent acts of terrorism and heightened sectarian violence, which carries the danger that the country will fall back into sectarian strife and is generating fears of wider sectarian conflict across the region; points out that although violence occurs along sectarian lines, its causes are political rather than religious;
2. Calls on the Iraqi Government to do its utmost to de-escalate violence in the short term, namely by negotiating local ceasefires in the provinces most affected by violence, such as Anbar, with a view to prioritising, jointly with local tribal forces, the struggle against ISIS and al-Qaeda;
3. Calls on the Iraqi Government to address the long-term issues contributing to the country’s instability, including the legitimate concerns of the Sunni minority, by launching an inclusive national dialogue on the reform of the Justice and Accountability Law, refraining from inflammatory sectarian statements and implementing measures aimed at national reconciliation;
4. Calls on the Iraqi Government to make a strong effort to insulate Iraq from the Syrian civil war by refraining from supporting any party involved in the conflict and by preventing fighters, both Sunni and Shiite, from crossing into Syria, notably through cooperation with local forces in Anbar province;
5. Condemns violence and incitement to armed struggle as a means to address the rights of the Sunni minority; rejects calls for the establishment of a Sunni federal region in Iraq as a solution to the current conflict, as this is likely to lead to more sectarianism and violence;
6. Calls on the Iraqi Government and on all political leaders to take the necessary measures to provide security and protection for all people in Iraq, in particular members of vulnerable minorities; calls on the Iraqi Government to ensure that the security forces comply with the rule of law and international standards; calls on the Iraqi Government to reform the security forces in an inclusive way, so that all ethnic and religious groups are represented;
7. Calls on the international community and the EU to support the Iraqi Government by promoting initiatives for national dialogue, consolidation of the rule of law, and the provision of basic services, with the goal of creating a secure, stable, unified, prosperous and democratic Iraq in which the human and political rights of all people are protected;
8. Calls on the Iraqi authorities, given that the security situation has exacerbated problems for more vulnerable groups such as women, young people and fundamental rights activists, to take urgent action to direct more resources towards programmes aimed at improving the situation;
9. Calls on the Iraqi authorities to support NGOs involved in the defence of human rights;
10. Considers that engaging Iran in a joint fight against extremist Sunni groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda could be of strategic benefit for the stabilisation of Iraq; believes, furthermore, given the political and confessional interdependence of the regional conflicts, that Iran should be engaged with as a regional player in efforts to stabilise the broader Middle East, in particular through participation in the Geneva talks on Syria;
11. 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 Council, the Commission, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Council of Representatives of Iraq, the Regional Government of Kurdistan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the United Nations Human Rights Council.
- [1] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0424.
- [2] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0022.