MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Tanzania
11.12.2018 - (2018/2969(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Karol Karski, Branislav Škripek, Valdemar Tomaševski, Notis Marias, Ryszard Czarnecki, Ruža Tomašić, Pirkko Ruohonen‑Lerner, Raffaele Fitto on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0570/2018
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolution of 12 March 2015 on Tanzania, notably the issue of land grabbing,
– having regard to the Declaration by High Representative Federica Mogherini on behalf of the EU on EU-Tanzania relations on 15 November 2018,
– having regard to the local EU Statement on the rise in politically-related violence and intimidation in Tanzania on 23 February 2018,
– having regard to the Cotonou Agreement,
– having regard to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
– having regard to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child,
– having regard to the Statement by the United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, Ms Ikponwosa Ero, upon conclusion of her official visit to the United Republic of Tanzania,
– having regard to the reports provided by international human right organisations,
– having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Tanzania had been considered a leader in the region on human rights; whereas, since early 2016, President Magufuli is constricting political space in the country; whereas the freedom of expression and the opposition’s ability to communicate with voters is limited;
B. whereas independent organizations noticed cases of harassment of journalists, human rights activists, and opposition politicians;
C. whereas the government implemented a partial ban on public rallies; whereas the government and police continued to limit the issuance of permits for public demonstrations and assemblies to political parties, NGOs, and religious organizations;
D. whereas critics were prosecuted under new defamation and sedition laws; whereas Tanzanian authorities used the Cybercrime Act to bring criminal charges against individuals who criticized the government in a variety of electronic media; whereas numerous closures and suspensions of media outlets took place;
E. whereas the government has undermined judicial and parliamentary independence;
F. whereas many children and adolescents, particularly girls, are exposed to human rights abuses and harmful practices, including widespread sexual violence, corporal punishment, child marriages, and teenage pregnancies, that make schooling difficult or impossible for them;
G. whereas in 2015 and 2016, Tanzania became a “pathfinder country” of the United Nations’ Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, which is rooted in a commitment to ending violence against children by 2030; whereas the Tanzanian government adopted a comprehensive national plan to tackle all forms of violence and harmful practices affecting children and women;
H. whereas Tanzania has unofficially banned pregnant or married girls from school since 2002; whereas subsequent to the announcement by President Magufuli in June 2017, pregnant girls or adolescent mothers are officially banned from public primary or secondary schools during his mandate;
I. whereas the government has stalled on its international human rights obligation to raise the minimum age of marriage to age 18 for boys and girls, whereas the government appealed a High Court case in 2016, which directed the government to amend the law and raise the eligible age for marriage for boys and girls to 18 years, further stalling on its international obligations;
J. whereas people with albinism are still targeted in Tanzania;
1. expresses its deep concern over the rise in human rights abuses in Tanzania;
2. reminds the authorities of Tanzania of their obligations to guarantee, protect and promote fundamental rights, including the civil and political rights of its citizens such as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly; reminds the Government of Tanzania of its international obligations, in particular regarding respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law;
3. disapproves the restrictions on the right of freedom of expression and association;
4. urges the Tanzanian government to investigate the cases of attacks and assaults on journalists, human rights defenders and opposition party member independently;
5. expresses deep concern over the restrictions placed on international journalists and the media, and calls on the Tanzanian authorities to remove any restrictions without delay;
6. calls on the Tanzanian authorities to release political prisoners;
7. calls for the Tanzanian government to take proactive measures to protect the rights to freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly;
8. calls on Tanzania to uphold the equal rights of all girls and boys to complete quality primary and secondary education on an equal basis, removing all discriminatory education policies or bans that are currently in place, and adopting a “continuation” policy that enables pregnant students and adolescent mothers to stay in school; calls on Tanzania to take appropriate measures to prevent child and forced marriage;
9. calls on the government of Tanzania, although they already began to mobilize resources, to protect people with albinism and reunite them with their families and to combat stigma within communities;
10. calls on international actors to use political dialogue to seek tangible commitment from the Tanzanian authorities towards creating an enabling environment for civil society, political parties and the media to operate in accordance with the rights enshrined in the Constitution of Tanzania, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the guidelines on freedom of association and peaceful assembly;
11. calls on the EEAS, DG DEVCO and the EU Member States to publicly and privately raise concerns on Tanzania’s discriminatory policies and to press the government to amend official education regulations to reflect its commitment to provide education for all; further calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure that development cooperation and bilateral and multilateral agreements urge respect for Tanzania’s international human rights obligations;
12. calls on the Commission to closely monitor the human rights situation in Tanzania;
13. encourages the Tanzanian government to take active steps to reverse the rapid decline in freedoms and restore Tanzania to its place as a leader in East Africa committed to protecting human rights;
14. instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the government of the Member States, the Government of Tanzania, the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Pan African Parliament.