ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
B4-0829/96

Resolution on the Belarus authorities' suppression of the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Chernobyl accident and their ban on medical aid to child victims through independent NGOs

The European Parliament,

- recalling its previous resolutions on violations of human and trade union rights in Belarus,

A. recalling that it has so far refused to give its assent to the partnership agreement between the EU and Belarus and that its Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy is of the opinion that the interim commercial agreement should not enter into force in view of the human rights situation,

B. recalling the tragic fate of many children following the Chernobyl accident ten years ago, not only in Ukraine but also in Belarus,

C. shocked by reports that independent NGOs which used to provide medical supplies to radiation-affected children in Belarus have been refused entry by the Minsk authorities unless they agree to entrust these supplies to the government for onward delivery,

1. Once again regrets the worsening human rights situation in Belarus and calls on the democratic forces in and outside the Belarus parliament to continue their struggle for human rights and democracy;

2. Protests against the government's request that independent NGOs deliver their medical supplies to the government rather than the children in need and calls on the authorities to reverse this decision in the interests of its own citizens;

3. Calls on the Commission and the Council to use existing relations with Belarus to convince the government of the need to be seen to promote respect for the rights of its own citizens before these relations can be strengthened and deepened;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Government and Supreme Soviet of Belarus.
B4-0967, 1013, 1030 and 1076/96

Resolution on the disaster at the 'Las Nievas' campsite in Biescas (Spain)

The European Parliament,

A. concerned at the disaster which occurred at the 'Las Nievas' campsite in Biescas (Spain) on 7 August 1996, which left 86 people dead, one missing and hundreds injured and caused substantial material damage,

B. whereas those who were killed, injured or caught up in the disaster came not only from the Autonomous Community of Aragon but also from many other Spanish regions and other countries of the European Union, with the result that many families throughout Europe are suffering grief and loss,

C. whereas serious damage was also caused to basic infrastructures in the region (roads, bridges, drainage system for the Arás ravine, water supply to local populations), as well as damage to housing, farms and tourist amenities, crops and livestock,

D. stressing the support offered by the people of Biescas, Jaca and Sabiñánigo and all those who worked from the very beginning and in the days immediately following the tragedy,

E. noting the Commission's swift response to the disaster and expressing, together with the Commission, its solidarity and willingness to provide any aid needed,

The European Parliament,

1. Expresses its sympathy and solidarity with the victims and their families;

2. Calls on the Commission to provide emergency aid for the families of victims and any others who suffered, through an immediate allocation of funds from the heading covering natural disasters in the 1996 budget;

3. Calls on the Commission to draw up a recovery programme for the region in cooperation with the Spanish authorities, allocating the funds needed for the rebuilding of infrastructures, housing, farms and tourist amenities;

4. Calls on the Member States to tighten up the legislative and technical requirements for authorizing the locations of campsites, with the inclusion of environmental impact assessments, to review the siting of campsites so as to ensure that they are in safe areas and to prohibit them in areas at risk from avalanches or floods;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Government of the Autonomous Region of Aragón (Spain), and the town council of Biescas.
B4-1276 and 1322/96

Resolution on the fire which has destroyed part of the historic 'Paços do Concelho' building in Lisbon

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the severe fire which has destroyed part of the historic 'Paços do Concelho' building in Lisbon,

B. having regard to the importance of this building for the heritage of Lisbon and its historical and cultural significance for Portugal, as well as its importance for democratic local government in Lisbon,

C. whereas the substantial material damage caused has been estimated to be in the region of Esc 2 bn (ECU 10 m),

D. whereas the prompt and efficient action by the city authorities in combating the fire stopped the damage from being worse and prevented the devastation of artistic and historic assets of incalculable value,

E. whereas the EU must express solidarity with its citizens by supporting them on those matters most directly concerning and affecting them,

The European Parliament,

1. Expresses its solidarity with the people of Lisbon, and, in particular, with the Mayor, João Soares, the City Council and the municipal workers;

2. Draws attention to the prompt response of the security services, firefighters and other public services;

3. Notes and welcomes the immediate commencement of restoration work, with the committed support of the municipal authorities, the government, the parliament and all political parties;

4. Recommends that the Commission make available to the Lisbon municipal authorities and the Portuguese authorities all the support necessary to cope with the severity of the damage;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Portuguese Government and Parliament and the Lisbon City Council.
B4-1145, 1153, 1175 and 1198/96,

Resolution on the Ottawa Conference on anti-personnel mines

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on anti-personnel mines,

- having regard to the joint action of the Council on anti-personnel mines of 27 September 1996,

- having regard to the Ottawa Conference of 3-5 October 1996 on anti-personnel mines,

A. whereas national and regional bans on anti-personnel mines may constitute a useful series of moves towards a global ban,

B. aware of the destruction caused by anti-personnel mines in the world, and noting that the primary victims of these weapons are innocent civilians,

C. recalling the failure of the various international conferences on the revision of the Protocol concerning certain conventional weapons which, to date, have failed to secure an agreement on the banning of all anti-personnel mines,

D. emphasizing that public opinion is generally in favour of a total ban on the production, export and use of anti- personnel mines,

E. whereas all the Member States have imposed bans or moratoria on the export of anti-personnel mines,

1. Regrets that the Ottawa Conference was unable to achieve significant progress, although 50 countries did call for a total ban on anti-personnel mines for the year 2000;

2. Emphasizes that countries such as Russia and China were responsible for the failure of the Ottawa Conference in that they did not even sign the final declaration and prevented an international consensus from being reached on a ban on the use of anti-personnel mines;

3. Reiterates its demand for a total ban on anti-personnel mines to cover the production, storage, transfer, sale, export and use of such weapons;

4. Notes with satisfaction the new joint action of the European Union adopted on 1 October 1996 which has set itself the objective of having an agreement on a total ban on these mines concluded at the earliest possible date and which extends the ban on Member States' exporting mines of any kind to third countries;

5. Calls again on the EU and its Member States to ban unilaterally the production and use of all anti-personnel mines and to destroy existing stocks, while continuing to work at international level for a legally binding international agreement to ban anti-personnel mines;

6. Calls again on the Member States and on the European Union to increase their financial contributions to international campaigns for the clearance of mines and for the provision of aid to the victims of such mines;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and to the UN Secretary-General.
B4-0364, 0395, 0397 and 0435/97

Resolution on human rights in Vietnam

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which is based on respect for human rights and democratic principles,

A. whereas the agreement between the EU and ASEAN is shortly to be revised; whereas Vietnam has become a member of ASEAN since the most recent revision,

B. whereas the Vietnamese Government continues to restrict civil liberties and violate human rights by significantly restricting freedom of speech, the media, assembly, association and religion,

C. whereas, despite the fact that Article 70 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the Vietnamese Government continues to pursue a policy of religious persecution, in particular against the Unified Buddhist Church and the Catholic Church,

D. deploring the fact that all the dignitaries of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam have been imprisoned in inhuman conditions,

E. recalling that legislative elections are scheduled to be held on 20 July 1997,

1. Reminds the Vietnamese authorities of the importance that the European Union attaches to the human rights clause in the Cooperation Agreement ratified last year;

2. Condemns the human rights violations committed by the Vietnamese Government;

3. Calls on the Vietnamese authorities to release all political and religious prisoners;

4. Enjoins the Vietnamese authorities to ensure that the conditions of imprisonment in the Vietnamese prisons and camps are improved in accordance with their laws;

5. Believes that the abrogation of all laws and decrees restricting freedom of expression and of the press is an essential condition for permanent development;

6. Calls on the Vietnamese authorities to let the various faiths manage their own religious affairs as they see fit;

7. Calls on the Vietnamese authorities to improve the impartiality and the transparency of the legal system;

8. Calls on the Vietnamese Government to ensure that the legislative elections to be held on 20 July 1997 are genuinely free and fair;

9. Calls on the Council and the Commission to continue to make human rights a priority issue in their relations with the Republic of Vietnam and with ASEAN;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Vietnamese authorities.
B4-0366/97

Resolution on Kenya

The European Parliament,

A. noting the continuous abuse of human rights in Kenya as documented in both national and international reports,

B. shocked by the recent escalation of police brutality and harassment against voices of government opposition and human rights activists,

C. noting that President Moi has promised that security would be guaranteed to all in this election year,

The European Parliament,

1. Condemns the recent incidents of armed robbery and attacks on church workers, as reported by Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki, Chairman of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Kenya;

2. Calls on the Kenyan Government to investigate such incidents and bring those responsible to justice;

3. Calls on the Kenyan Government to ensure that a free and democratic election can take place;

4. Calls for the immediate opening up of the airwaves to allow freedom of speech and the opportunity for diverse political voices to be heard;

5. Reaffirms the principles set out in Article 5 of the Fourth Convention of Lomé; calls on the Council and Commission to keep the human rights situation in Kenya under regular review and exert the pressure required to ensure that all violations of the human, civil and political rights of the people are swiftly brought to an end;

6. Calls on the Commission and the Council to express the EU's deep disquiet at recent events in Kenya;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Kenyan Government and the UN Secretary-General.
B4-0779 and 0787/97

Resolution on Colombia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular its resolution of 12 June 1997 on Colombia ((nutes of that date, Part II, Item 14(b).)),

A. whereas it has repeatedly condemned the violence perpetrated by all the conflicting parties in Colombia,

B. concerned at the situation experienced by much of the Colombian population, which has been obliged to abandon its place of origin and move to other areas of the country on account of the armed conflict,

C. whereas there has been a recent recurrence of the violence seen over the last 30 years, with the attendant risk that the situation will degenerate into total civil war,

D. whereas the guerrillas and the Colombian security forces, through paramilitary groups acting on their behalf, have resorted to violence and engaged in extrajudicial executions, torture and other forms of human rights abuse,

E. underlining the need to restore a climate of peace and respect for human rights in Colombia,

1. Welcomes the submission by the Colombian Government of a proposal concerning the start of negotiations between the conflicting parties and hopes that it will bring a solution to the social and economic problems of the Colombian people and lead to a stable, lasting peace in Colombia;

2. Calls on all parties to open talks immediately within the framework of the above proposal, on the basis of an end to the violence and respect for human rights;

3. Reaffirms its support for the UN Commission on Human Rights representative in Colombia and reiterates the importance of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law as a contribution to ensuring that the peace process leads to the desired result;

4. Calls on the Council and Commission to support this initiative;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the government and parliament of Colombia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia.
B4-0937, 0949, 0952 and 0988/97

Resolution on the situation in Togo

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Togo,

A. having regard to the Lomé IV Convention, in particular Article 5 thereof, under which the States Parties have undertaken to respect human rights and the principles of democracy,

B. whereas the Togolese Government has repeatedly declared its intention of seeking to ensure that the next presidential and parliamentary elections in Togo are organized in a regular, free and transparent manner, and whereas in this connection a Constitutional Court, a Judicial Council, a High Council for Audiovisual Affairs and a National Electoral Commission were established one year ago,

C. whereas, for the commitment thus entered into by the Togolese Government to become reality, it is necessary for the legal and technical procedures for the organization of the elections to be broadly subscribed to by the various Togolese political parties,

D. having regard to the request by the Prime Minister of Togo for assistance from the European Commission in drawing up a programme for the organization of elections in conditions acceptable to all political forces involved in the electoral process,

E. whereas, in response to this request, the Commission has had a study carried out in Togo, the report on which is currently being finalized,

F. concerned at the reports by various international human rights organizations regarding continuing human rights violations in Togo,

1. Notes that cooperation between the European Union and Togo, which was suspended in 1992, has been gradually and progressively resuming since 1995, and considers that a complete resumption of cooperation is dependent on the organization in Togo of genuinely transparent and fair elections in 1998;

2. Calls on the Togolese Government to seek a consensus among the various Togolese political parties on the legal and technical procedures for the elections, on the basis of, inter alia, the report drawn up by the experts sent to Togo by the Commission;

3. Calls on the Togolese Government to guarantee the right freely to organize meetings and the independence of the National Electoral Commission, to introduce an independent procedure for considering complaints about the elections and to allow fair access to the media - especially radio and television - for all political parties;

4. Calls on the Commission to ensure adequate participation in the preparation, conduct and monitoring of the elections in Togo, including by sending international election observers and human rights experts and by training local observers;

5. Calls on the Commission and the Togolese Government to allow public inspection of the report drawn up by the experts sent to Togo to assess the necessary conditions for ensuring the regularity of the next presidential elections;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the ACP-EU Council of Ministers and the Togolese Government and National Assembly.
B4-0325, 0335, 0350, 0354 and 0368/98

Resolution on the assassination of Jesús María Valle Jaramillo in Colombia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the declaration by the Council Presidency on 13 June 1997 regarding the killing of members of the Colombian human rights organization CINEP, and its own previous resolutions on Colombia, in particular those of 24 October 1996 ((OJ C 347, 18.11.1996, p. 158.)) and 12 June 1997 ((OJ C 200, 30.6.1997, p. 173.)),

A. appalled by the assassination of Jesús María Valle Jaramillo, President of the Permanent Committee of Human Rights in Antioquia, in his office on 27 February 1998 by three people claiming to be members of the 'Brigade',

B. whereas, since its establishment in 1978, 30 members of the Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights have been murdered; deeply concerned about a pattern of increased violence against human rights activists - in 1997, 19 human rights activists were killed and another 30 had to flee the country to save their lives - and the high incidence of human rights violations in the first months of 1998,

C. believing that the perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice, failing which human rights violations will continue in Colombia,

D. whereas the climate of violence increased during the period prior to the recent legislative elections, causing many deaths and the infringement of the fundamental right to vote for many Colombian citizens,

E. welcoming the decision by President Ernesto Samper Pizano on 1 December 1997 to dismantle paramilitary groups but deploring the continuation of political violence,

1. Condemns the barbarous murder of Jesús María Valle Jaramillo and expresses its sympathy to his family and to the Permanent Committee of Human Rights in Antioquia;

2. Calls on the Colombian Government to investigate the circumstances of the assassination of Jesús María Valle Jaramillo as a matter of urgency and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice;

3. Calls upon the Colombian Government to improve its protection of human and labour rights organizations and to support their work wherever it can;

4. Requests the Colombian Government to dismiss officials of the military and police forces who collaborate with paramilitary forces;

5. Condemns the barbarous murders and violence committed by guerrillas in Colombia;

6. Expresses its condolences to the families of all the victims of violence;

7. Reiterates its rejection of the use of arms as a means to solve the problems of Colombian society and urges all sides to initiate peace talks;

8. Calls on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to increase human and material resources in its Bogotá office and consider whether a special rapporteur might be appointed with a view to the promotion of human rights in Colombia;

9. Congratulates the Colombian people for the example of democracy demonstrated in the last elections despite the climate of violence;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Colombian Government, the UN and the Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights.

12
B4-0513, 0526, 0550 and 0553/98

Resolution on the murders in Colombia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Colombia,

- having regard to the statement of 9 April 1998 by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the unacceptable level of impunity in Colombia,

- having regard to the declaration on the protection of human rights activists adopted at the 54th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights,

- having regard to the statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the statement by the President of the 54th session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, the many statements by national and international organizations and the demonstrations in Bogota,

A. deeply dismayed at the brutal killing of Eduardo Umaña Mendoza, a prominent lawyer and human rights campaigner, which occurred on 18 April 1998 in Bogota 48 hours after the killing of María Arango Fonnegra and which, together with the murder of Jesús María Valle Jaramillo, is the third brutal killing of a human rights campaigner in the last two months,

B. appalled also by the killing of 21 persons on 4 May 1998 in Punta Alvira and by the murder on the following day of a family of peasant farmers (father, mother and nine children) in the province of Santander,

C. whereas previous murders of human rights campaigners remain unpunished,

D. whereas new lists of Colombians facing death threats have been drawn up, generating a climate of panic which is being exploited by those behind the 'dirty war¨,

E. whereas the Agreement between the European Union and the countries of the Andean Pact includes a democracy clause,

1. Strongly condemns the murder of Eduardo Umaña and the killings in Punta Alvira and Santander, and expresses its condolences to the families and friends of the victims;

2. Calls on the extraordinary National Security Council of Colombia, which met following the murder of Eduardo Umaña, not to consider its work complete until the killers have been captured and brought to justice;

3. Calls on the Colombian Government to take urgent, effective and preventive measures to protect and safeguard the activity of those campaigning for human, social and trade union rights and the safety of peasant farmers and political leaders;

4. Calls for the paramilitary groups and private security associations previously known as 'Convivir¨ to be disbanded immediately;

5. Calls on the Commission to draw up and submit to Parliament a report reviewing the human rights situation in Colombia and its compliance with the agreement between the European Union and the countries of the Andean Pact;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Colombian Government and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

12