11. Afghanistan
B5-0892/2000
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Afghanistan
The European Parliament,
Adash having regard to the Council Common Position of 15 November 1999 concerning restrictive measures
against the Taliban, adopted with a view to the implementation of United Nations SecurityCouncilresolution 1267/99,
Adash having regard to the Council Common Position of 24 January2000,Adash having regard to European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1880/2000(
1) of 17 July2000
extending Council Regulation (EC) No 443/97 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian andLatin American developing countries,
Adash having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan,
Adash reiterating the terms of its resolution of 5 October 2000(
2) in everyrespect,
Adash having regard to the UN proposal for open-ended peace talks which have been accepted bythe Tali-
ban movement as well as bythe northern alliance let byAhmed Shah Massood,
Adash having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 26 October to allocate €3,9 million of
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in order to continue assisting 30000 displaced families,
A. deeplyconcerned at the offensives launched bythe Taliban in the summer, which has led to a fresh
upsurge in the fighting,
B. mindful of the unspeakable suffering borne bythe Afghan people during so manyy ears of conflict;
highlighting the fact that the most recent fighting is adding to the plight of civilians alreadybadlyaffected bythe drought across the region,
C. whereas a million Afghans have been maimed bylandmines,D. considering that Afghanistan is facing the threat of famine from the worst drought in 30 years and
considering that it is counted among those countries predictablymost heavilyaffected bythe ongoingclimate change,
E. mindful of the millions of uprooted people living in camps or fleeing the systematic human rights
violations committed bythe Taliban regime on a dailybasis,
F. concerned about reports that tens of thousands of Afghan refugees have been blocked at the borders
towards Pakistan and Tajikistan in recent days,
G. protesting at the extreme forms of psychological and physical repression meted out to women when
the Taliban seized power in 1996,
H. deploring the abuses, arbitraryjustice and discriminatorypolicyto which women are subject in Tali-
ban-controlled territory,
I. mindful of the rational analysis of Moslem intellectuals, which condemns the Taliban’s arbitrary and
barbaric interpretation of Sharia law and the systematic violation of the most basic human rights,
J. whereas the Taliban have refused to allow NGOs to distribute aid to the Afghan people on a basis of
equalitybetween the sexes and have expelled them from Kabul,
K. warning of the risks inherent in all forms of extremism and fundamentalism,
(1) OJ L 227, 7.9.2000, p 1.
(2) ‘Texts Adopted’, Item 11.C 228/184 EN 13.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 30 November 2000
L. deploring the exponential growth in drug production bythe Taliban, the trade in which goes to
finance its war against the Northern Alliance, in spite of UNDCP programmes,
M. whereas the European Union has never funded anyUNDCP programme for the development of alter-
native crops in Afghanistan, and whereas such cooperation ultimatelybenefits the Taliban regime,
N. deploring the Taliban’s defence of international terrorism,O. mindful of the Taliban regime’s expansionist designs, which pose a threat to peace and stabilityin the
region,
P. mindful of the fact that the European Union is the main supplier of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan,
Q. noting nonetheless that people in Afghanistan do not benefit equallyfrom emergencyhumanitarian
aid programmes,
R. aware of the uncertaintysurrounding the effectiveness of the United Nations resolution and the
numerous reported attempts at circumventing it,
S. convinced that no militarysolution can restore peace to the countrywithout inflicting further con-
siderable suffering on its population,
T. noting that neither the Council nor the Commission has hitherto clarified its intentions, despite
emphatic calls from Parliament to do so,
1. Holds that the Taliban’s obscurantist ideologyis the root cause of the constant human rights abuses
in Afghanistan;
2. Condemns the apartheid practised bythe Taliban regime on Afghan soil;
3. Condemns the Taliban regime’s overt support for international terrorism;
4. Condemns the unacceptable discriminatorypolicyto which women are subject in Taliban-held terri-
tory;
5. Condemns all foreign interference in Afghan affairs which fans the flames of war, and especiallythat
of Pakistan;
6. Calls on the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to keep their borders open for Afghan refugees
and calls on the Commission and the EU member states to urgentlylend their financial support to recipi-ent countries;
7. Reaffirms its commitment to efforts to bring about a political settlement wherebythe foundations of
a government representing the entire Afghan people can be laid and peace, stabilityand respect for inter-
national law and human rights can be restored;
8. Calls on the Taliban to implement United Nations SecurityCouncil Resolution 1267 forthwith and
unconditionally;
9. Calls on the SecurityCouncil to make all the arrangements required to ensure that its resolution is
indeed implemented and, if need be, made more forceful, above all where flight restrictions and the freez-ing of funds for the Taliban are concerned;
10. Calls on the UN Drugs Control Programme to acknowledge the ineffectiveness of its own projects
within Afghanistan and to halt anykind of direct funding for schemes intended to replace opium poppies
byother crops, especiallyin view of the fact that poppyproduction has tripled during the project imple-
mentation period;
11. Calls on the Council to impose an embargo on arms sales to the Taliban;13.8.2001 EN C 228/185 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 30 November 2000
12. Calls on the Pakistan authorities to halt all forms of militaryassistance to the Taliban, including
troop command, recruitment or deployment, in accordance with the sanctions imposed on Aghanistanbythe United Nations SecurityCouncil, and to ensure that women and religious minorities are protectedand enjoyequal treatment;
13. Calls on the Council to confirm its genuine resolve to isolate the Taliban regime diplomatically;14. Urges the Council to tighten the restrictive measures against the Taliban and its representatives for
as long as theycontinue to terrorise the population;
15. Urges the Council to work strenuouslytowards seeking a politicallynegotiated peace settlement by
coordinating its diplomatic moves with Afghanistan’s neighbours;
16. Calls on EU Member States to refuse to establish or continue anyeconomic contacts with the Tali-
ban regime other than humanitarian aid and, in this connection, to strengthen political and humanitariancooperation with Afghanistan’s neighbouring states, which are under threat from the fundamentalist ter-rorism activities supported bythe Taliban;
17. Calls on each Member State to bring its influence to bear on Afghanistan’s neighbours, and Pakistan
in particular, with a view to halting anyinterference which mayundermine peace efforts;
18. Calls on the Council to adopt a new common position which takes account of the developments in
the situation and attests to its willingness to act;
19. Calls on the Commission to take the necessaryemergencyhumanitarian measures and to take spe-
cial care in ensuring that theyare applied evenlythroughout Afghan territory ;
20. Calls on the Commission to take urgent steps to dispatch an envoyto ascertain at first hand the
most pressing needs of the population from all the parties on the ground;
21. Calls on the Commission to look into how an emergencyfood depot for people in northern Afgha-
nistan might be set up quicklyin Dushanbe;
22. Asks in particular the European Union and its Member States to help in the establishment of safe
areas in the northern provinces, where the Taliban have so far failed to extend their influence;
23. Calls for direct implementation of the Ottawa Treatyon Afghan soil and the implementation of
special EU assistance to rid the entire countryof anti-personnel mines;
24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the United Nations
SecurityCouncil, the Taliban authorities, the official Government of Afghanistan, and the governments ofPakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, China, Russia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
12. Gender-related aspects of prevention of armed conflicts
A5-0308/2000
European Parliament resolution on participation of women in peaceful conflict resolution (2000/
2025(INI))
The European Parliament,
Adash having regard to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,
and to the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action resulting from the World Conference onHuman Rights of 14-25 June 1993, in particular paragraphs I 28-29 and II 38 on systematic rape,sexual slaveryand forced pregnancyin situations of armed conflict,C 228/186 EN 13.8.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 30 November 2000