MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Afghanistan, in particular the killings in the province of Zabul

24.11.2015 - (2015/2968(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Pier Antonio Panzeri, Victor Boştinaru, Richard Howitt, Elena Valenciano, Eric Andrieu, Nikos Androulakis, Francisco Assis, Zigmantas Balčytis, Hugues Bayet, Brando Benifei, José Blanco López, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Simona Bonafè, Biljana Borzan, Nicola Caputo, Caterina Chinnici, Andrea Cozzolino, Miriam Dalli, Viorica Dăncilă, Isabella De Monte, Monika Flašíková Beňová, Doru-Claudian Frunzulică, Eider Gardiazabal Rubial, Enrico Gasbarra, Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, Neena Gill, Michela Giuffrida, Maria Grapini, Theresa Griffin, Roberto Gualtieri, Sylvie Guillaume, Sergio Gutiérrez Prieto, Cătălin Sorin Ivan, Liisa Jaakonsaari, Eva Kaili, Afzal Khan, Jeppe Kofod, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Krystyna Łybacka, Costas Mavrides, Marlene Mizzi, Sorin Moisă, Csaba Molnár, Alessia Maria Mosca, Momchil Nekov, Norbert Neuser, Demetris Papadakis, Emilian Pavel, Vincent Peillon, Tonino Picula, Miroslav Poche, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández, Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Peter Simon, Renato Soru, Tibor Szanyi, Claudia Tapardel, Marc Tarabella, Marita Ulvskog, Flavio Zanonato, Damiano Zoffoli, Victor Negrescu on behalf of the S&D Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-1258/2015

B8‑1272/2015

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Afghanistan, in particular the killings in the province of Zabul

(2015/2968(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular the 13 June 2013 resolution on the negotiations on an EU-Afghanistan cooperation agreement on partnership and development and the 15 December 2011 on the situation of women in Afghanistan and Pakistan;

 

- having regard to the Council conclusions on Afghanistan of 26 October 2015;

 

- having regard to the EU Local Strategy for Human Rights Defenders in Afghanistan 2014;

 

- having regard to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the UN Human Rights Council on Afghanistan of 27 January 2014;

 

- having regard to the UN Security Council Resolution 2210 (2015) on Afghanistan S/RES/2210 (16 March 2015);

 

- having regard to the UNAMA OHCHR Midyear report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan for 2015 (August 2015)

 

- having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

 

A.   whereas seven civilians were abducted in October 2015 and executed between 6 and 8 November in Arghandab district while armed clashes were reported there between two rival groups of anti-government elements;

 

B.  whereas all seven victims – including two pre-teen girls – were members of the largely Shia Hazara ethnic group, which has a long history of persecution in Afghanistan;

 

C.  whereas the killings in Zabul highlight the particular dangers Hazaras face; whereas in a number of incidents in the last two years, Hazara bus passengers have been separated from other passengers, abducted and, in some cases, killed;

 

D.  whereas the killings of the Zabul seven may be qualified as a war crime; whereas it is particularly worrying because it evokes fears that the persecution of Hazaras by extremists in Pakistan is spilling over into Afghanistan;

 

 

E.  whereas the killings highlight the continuing terrorist threat posed to the civilians by the Taliban and its splinter groups, some of which have reportedly pledged their allegiance to the Daesh/ISIL;

 

F.  whereas the continuous murders of Shia Hazaras sparked massive protests in Kabul on November 11 demanding justice for the victims and safety for all civilians, particularly members of the Hazara community who have been specifically targeted by the Taliban and Daesh/ISIL terrorists;

 

.

 

 

G.  whereas the murders of civilians, as well as the taking of civilian hostages, are serious violations of international humanitarian law, which all parties to the armed conflict – including all anti-government elements – are required to uphold;

 

 

H. whereas the past months have seen a serious deterioration of the security situation, renewed terrorist attacks with record numbers of civilian casualties, and the concomitant internal displacement and exodus of thousands of Afghans, putting mounting pressure on the region and the European Union;

 

 

1.   Strongly condemns the murder by anti-government elements of seven civilians, including two women, one girl and two boys, in the southern province of Zabul; expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims;

 

 

2.  Reminds that these barbaric murders may amount to war crimes and the perpetrators must be held accountable;

 

3.  Insists that, as the conflict intensifies and takes a growing toll on civilians, all parties should abide by their obligation to respect civilian lives and uphold international humanitarian law;

 

4.  Stands with the Hazara community in its demand for justice for the wave of terrorist violence that has ravaged their community recently; stresses that their protection as a group particularly vulnerable to the Taliban and Daesh/ISIS terrorist violence should be a priority for the Afghan government;

 

5. Calls on the Government of Afghanistan to intensify cooperation with the Government of Pakistan; emphasizing that closer collaboration in security and governance matters would be of mutual advantage, and would contribute to promotion of peace and stability in the region;

 

6.  Calls on the Government of Afghanistan and all partners in the region to engage credibly to end conflict in Afghanistan and ensure a stable environment; stresses that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process remains the prerequisite to any sustainable solution, which must retain major achievements including the respect for human rights, especially the rights of women, and women of ethnic minority origin in particular, which are vulnerable to exploatation and violence;

 

7.  Calls on the Government of Afghanistan to ensure adequate protection for human rights defenders under threat or attack, particularly women’s rights activists, including the capacity to provide emergency assistance in the event of imminent danger;

 

8.  Calls on the Government of Afghanistan to adopt an implementation plan for Afghanistan’s 1325 National Action Plan that includes a requirement that women be full participants in all stages of peace negotiations;

 

9.  Calls on the Government of Afghanistan to take immediate steps to increase enforcement of the 2009 Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW Law), including by monitoring, on a provincial and district level, the number of complaints, charges, convictions and sentences for crimes under the EVAW Law;

 

10.  Calls on the Afghan authorities to increase the number of women at all levels of Afghanistan’s judicial and law enforcement institutions, including the Supreme Court, and the security forces, and ensure adequate protection for women in these positions from security threats and sexual harassment;

 

11.   Calls on the Afghan authorities to ensure that the security force personnel implicated in serious human rights violations, including those having command responsibility over abusive forces, are credibly and impartially investigated and disciplined or prosecuted as appropriate;

 

12.  Welcomes the ambitious reform agenda outlined in the “Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework” (SMAF) as presented at the Senior Officials Meeting in Kabul on 5 September 2015 as evidence of the National Unity Government's commitment to change and credible reform;

 

13.  Welcomes the decision to hold the comprehensive Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan in Brussels in 2016 as an evidence of the international community´s on-going commitment to the stabilisation and development of the country; expects the Conference to set out the framework for the Government of Afghanistan and donors until 2020, underpinned by concrete commitments by the Government of Afghanistan and the international community alike;

 

 

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Afghanistan.