Democracy, human rights and the new EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

23.9.2008

ORAL QUESTION WITH DEBATE O-0095/08
pursuant to Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure
by Marco Cappato and Marco Pannella, on behalf of the ALDE Group
to the Council

– Considering that, in November 2007, during the visit of the European Commission President, Mr Barroso, the negotiations for a new EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement were launched, and a first negotiation round took place in July 2008;

 

– considering that a new negotiation round will take place in Hanoi on 20 and 21 October 2008;

 

– considering that the actual Cooperation Agreement includes the human rights clause, on the basis of which at Article 1 it states that 'respect for human rights and democratic principles is the basis for the cooperation between the Parties and constitutes an essential element of the Agreement';

 

– considering that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party State, under the control of the Vietnamese Communist Party, which exerts full control also over trade unions, associations, religious organisations and the media;

 

– considering that systematic violations of human and civil rights have been documented in Vietnam, particularly against ethnic minorities such as the Montagnards (Degar) and unrecognised religious organisations like the Unified Buddhist Church, and that, according to influential NGOs, in the last 18 months, at least 26 political dissidents have been sentenced to jail;

 

– considering that Vietnam is a country that maintains the death penalty; that in the last few years the use of the death penalty has increased and that in 2008 at least 83 people were sentenced to death, including 14 women;

 

What initiative, if any, has the Council undertaken to make sure that the negotiations for a new cooperation and partnership agreement will lead to concrete steps forward with regard to respect for human rights and the establishment of democracy in Vietnam?

 

What tangible improvements does the Council deem necessary to achieve an agreement which could be satisfactory, including its democracy and human rights aspects?

 

 

Tabled: 23.09.2008

Forwarded: 24.09.2008

Deadline for reply: 15.10.2008