8. UN Commission on human rights, including the situation in China
B5-0126, 0127, 0129 and 0139/2000
European Parliament resolution on human rights
The European Parliament,
Pdash having regard to the EU Treaty and its provisions on human rights,Pdash having regard to the adoption of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in December 1998 by
the UNGeneral Assembly,
Pdash having regard to its resolution of 11 March 1999(
1) onthe EU’s priorities for the 55th sessionof the
UNCommissionon Human Rights and its earlier resolutions on this issue,
A. whereas respect for human rights is a prominent priority of EU policies and one of the fundamental
principles of the Union,
B. whereas the promotionof human rights is established in the Treaties as an objective of the Common
Foreign and Security Policy,
C. whereas the international treaties onhuman rights formthe core ofthe globalsystemforthe promo-
tion and protection of these rights and whereas their implementation requires increased coordinationamongst all the institutions involved,
D. whereas a permanent constructive dialogue with the representatives ofcivil society, grass-root organi-
sations,inparticularindependenthumanrightsorganisations,isvitalforinternationalactioninfavourof the promotionof human rights around the world,
E. whereas the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has shown an impartial and consis-
tent commitment to safeguarding and promoting respect for human rights of all individuals andgroups around the world,
F. deeply concerned that each year human rights defenders, their organisations, lawyers, journalists or
activists, in spite of the above, continue to be victims of intimidation, reprisals, attacks and extra-judicial killings,
1. Points out that the need to protect and promote fundamental human rights Pdash civil, political, eco-
nomic, social, cultural and the right to development Pdash has increased around the world;
2. Believes that a concrete response to this major challenge requires supplementary financial resources,
with special emphasis on voluntary funding;
3. Calls on the EU and the UNto improve coordination and to step up their efforts to promote and
protect human rights and prevent gross and systematic violations of these rights;
4. Reminds the Council of the need to promote and increase practical cooperation, develop strategic
planning, establish priorities and foster transparency and accountability;
5. Recalls the crucial role of a culture respectful of human rights in achieving peace-making, peace-
building, reconstruction and rehabilitation;
(1) OJ C 175, 21.6.1999, p. 254.29.11.2000 EN C 339/261 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 17 February 2000
6. Callsonthe EU, together with its partners, todevelop andsupport strategies which enable it totake
consistentaction in different regions, promoting national plans of action as well as ratification and imple-mentation of existing international conventions;
7. CallsontheEUtogive itsfullsupporttopromptactiononcomplexissuessuchasextreme poverty,
trafficking inhumanbeings, protectionofminorities, refugees, freedomofexpressionaswellasthe provi-sion of assistance to needy groups, such as victims of torture, and emergency responses to situations ofgenocide and gross violations of human rights;
8. Urges the UNCommission on Human Rights to appoint a Special Rapporteur on human rights
defenders with a mandate to monitor, document and intervene on behalf of human rights defenders sub-jected to human rights violations, to devise an effective strategy to protect human rights defenders more
effectivelyandtostudywaysinwhichtomonitortheimplementationoftheDeclarationonHumanRights
Defenders as adopted by the UNin December 1998;
9. CallsupontheCouncilactivelytosupporttheadoptionofaresolutionurgingallStatesthathavenot
yetabolishedcapitalpunishmenttodosowithoutdelay,andinthatcontexttoestablishamoratoriumonall executions, in particular halting all executions of minors;
10. Callsupon the Council to give its full support to the adoptionof a resolution endorsing the Proto-
col on the involvement of children in armed conflicts, urging all States to put an end to the recruitmentand/or deployment of any person under 18 years of age for the purpose of armed conflict;
11. Calls upon the Council to lend full support to the drafting of an optional protocol to the Conven-
tionagainsttortureandothercruel,inhumanordegradingtreatmentorpunishmentinordertoestablishastrategic inspectionsystemofdetention centres, by fullyendorsing a resolutioncalling forthe adoptionofan effective protocol providing an effective inspection system;
12. Calls on the Council to support the adoption of a resolution calling upon all states to ratify and
implement the UNConvention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, urging all states to
adopt legislation strongly opposing all violence against women, including sexual violence;
13. Calls upon the Council to lend full support to all efforts to improve the preparation of the World
Conference on Racism and Xenophobia;
14. CallsupontheCounciltomakeratificationoftheTreatyofRomeregarding theInternationalCrim-
inal Court a priority of its political action for the year 2000, and therefore invites the 14 Member Stateswhich have not yet ratified the Statute to do so as soonas possible;
15. Welcomes the fact that rape in armed conflicts is now recognised as a war crime and calls on the
Council to stress in all international fora that full protection must be ensured for victims who testify atinternational tribunals;
16. Calls on the EU to take the initiative to initiate a UNConvention on all forms of trafficking of
human beings, especially trafficking and abuse of children and minors;
17. CallsontheEUtoencourageandsupporttheUNCHRtotakeallnecessarystepstofightrepression
of independent media, to urge all states to end censorship, to protect the right of access to official infor-mation, to abolish defamation laws and to stop the restriction of access to modern information techno-logy;
18. Calls upon the Council to support the adoption of and to co-sign with the US a resolution expres-
sing its concern at the widespread human rights violations perpetrated in China, including the permanentoppression of Tibet;
19. Calls on the Council actively to discourage countries represented in Geneva from voting in favour
ofano-actionmotiononChina,which wouldpreventtheCommissiononHumanRightsfromstartingtodiscuss the human rights situation in China;C 339/262 EN29.11.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 17 February 2000
20. CallsupontheCounciltosupporttheadoptionofaresolutioncondemningthegrosshumanrights
violations perpetrated by the Russian armed forces in Chechnya;
21. Calls upon the Council to support the adoption of a resolution expressing great concern about
human rights violations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and Kosovo, in particular as regards thesituation of minorities as well as political prisoners;
22. Urges the Council to condemn firmly the systematic discrimination and the constant repression
perpetrated against women by the Taliban Afghan regime which undermines their fundamental rights
and can rightly be defined as gender apartheid, and further to condemn the systematic discrimination
perpetrated against women by the government of Saudi Arabia;
23. Urges the Council to appeal to the Iranian authorities to end the widespread systematic oppression
and to ensure that the Islamic Republic of Iran accedes inter aliato the Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination against Women as a practical and unequivocal means of showing its commit-ment to initiating a process of reform of its policy, in particular towards women;
24. CallsupontheCounciltosupportfullinvestigation ofsystematicandgrosshumanrights abusesin
Sierra Leone, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, especially as regardswar crimes and crimes against humanity; asks that the perpetrators of these crimes be brought to justice;
25. Callsuponthe Counciltosupportfullinvestigation ofhumanrights violationsin EastTimor,espe-
cially as regards crimes against humanity; asks that the perpetrators of these crimes be brought to justice;
26. InstructsitsPresidenttomakethenecessaryarrangementstosendaEuropeanParliamentdelegation
toparticipateinthe56thSessionoftheUNCommissiononHumanRights,startingon20March2000inGeneva;
27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
of the Member States and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN.
9. ACP-EU Joint Assembly
A5-0032/2000
European Parliament resolution on the results of the work of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly in 1999
The European Parliament,
Pdash having regard tothe resolutionsadoptedbythe JointAssemblyatits28thand29thsessionsinStras-
bourg (29 March to 1 April 1999)(1) and Nassau (11 to 14 October 1999),
Pdash having regard to Rule 163 of its Rules of Procedure,Pdash having regard to the report of the Committee on Development and Cooperation (A5-0032/2000),
A. whereas the view formed by Parliament on the activities and resolutions of the ACP-EU Joint Assem-
blycontributestothe consistencyofEuropean Uniondevelopmentpolicy;whereas, likewise, the JointAssembly has a fundamental role to play in the development and strengthening of relations betweenthe EU and its ACP partners,
B. whereas Parliament attaches the utmost importance to development policy and to strengthening
ACP-EU relations, and above all to promoting human rights the world over,
(1) OJ C 271, 24.9.1999.29.11.2000 EN C 339/263 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 17 February 2000