European Parliament resolution on human rights violations in connection with the Chad/Cameroon oil and pipeline project
Date: 2000-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Cameroon, Chad, EU aid, environmental protection, extraction of oil, human rights, oil pipeline

24.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 304/211

Thursday 20 January 2000

11. Human rights: Chad/Cameroon

B5-0078, 0081 and 0088/2000

European Parliament resolution on human rights violations in connection with the Chad/Camer-
oon oil and pipeline project

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Chad and in particular its resolution of
18 June 1998 (1) on the Chad/Cameroon oil and pipeline project and the human rights violations
which occurred during the period from October 1997 to March 1998,

A. whereas Cameroon has made progress in key areas of macro-economic management and private-sec-

tor development but according to Transparency International corruption still flourishes,

B. whereas the Chad/Cameroon oil extraction and pipeline project, which is led by an International Con-

sortium, is still awaiting World Bank approval,

C. whereas the environmental impact assessment of the project has been re-done, at the request of the

World Bank,

D. whereas the World Bank’s priority in Chad and Cameroon is to help reduce poverty, build a basis for
sustained growth and provide a unique opportunity to improve the development prospects of Chad
and Cameroon,

E. whereas the International Consortium has publicly declared that it will not proceed with this project

without World Bank involvement,

F. welcoming the recent support of the World Bank, in its Comprehensive Development Framework, for
the participation of civil society and for democratic pluralism in its recipient countries, which should
be taken into account in the Chad/Cameroon case,

G. whereas the European Investment Bank is planning to support the pipeline project with € 44 million

under the Lomé Convention,

H. whereas Chad is one of the world’s poorest countries and whereas it is estimated that this project will

increase the GNP of Chad by up to 10 %,

I.

having regard to the letter signed by 115 environment, development, human rights and religious
organisations from 29 countries that calls upon the World Bank to suspend its participation in the
Chad/Cameroon oil and pipeline project until respect for human rights and compliance with World
Bank environmental and other policies can be fully guaranteed, and the appeal signed by 128 local
environment, human rights, women, trade union and development NGOs calling on the World Bank
to impose a moratorium of at least two years,

Expresses its deep concern about the human rights situation in both countries and the destabilising

1.
impact the project could have on both Chad and Cameroon;

2.
Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to exert pressure on the Government
of Chad in order to strengthen the rule of law in the country and to bring to a halt the human rights
violations, notably against the opponents of the pipeline project;

Urges the Chadian Government to respect democratic discussions on the situation in the country as

3.
well as on the planned oil project in the Doba region;

(1) OJ C 210, 6.7.1998, p. 210.

C 304/212

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

24.10.2000

Thursday 20 January 2000

Calls on the Chad Government and the International Consortium not to proceed with the oil extrac-

4.
tion project should the World Bank assessment be negative;

Strongly recommends that

the EIB not contribute to financing the project with the planned
5.
€ 44 million of credits to Cameroon and Chad under the Lomé Convention unless it considers that the
social and environmental concerns have been met;

Calls on the Chad and Cameroon Governments and the International Consortium, in the event of a

6.
positive assessment by the World Bank, to provide among others the following guarantees:

(cid:1) protection of indigenous peoples and adequate compensation for displaced local populations with

strict respect for human rights,

(cid:1) the most stringent environmental protection rules, including oil-spill prevention, pipeline routing, air

quality, disease control and accident prevention,

(cid:1) local re-investment of an adequate share of the revenues from the project;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the governments of the Member

7.
States, the Chad and Cameroon Governments and Parliaments and the World Bank.

12. Situation in the Moluccan Islands (Indonesia)

B5-0034, 0054, 0059, 0071 and 0073/2000

European Parliament resolution on the Moluccan Islands in Indonesia

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to its previous resolutions on Indonesia,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution on the Moluccan Islands of 7 October 1999 (1),

(cid:1) having regard to the EU Presidency’s statements on behalf of

the EU on Indonesia in July

and September 1999,

(cid:1) having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2158/1999 of 11 October 1999 concerning a ban on

the supply to Indonesia of equipment which might be used for internal repression,

A. whereas its resolution of October 1999 referred to the worsening situation on the Moluccas where
between November 1998 and September 1999 several hundred people had died and tens of thousands
of people had fled their homes,

B. whereas the new Indonesian Government seems to sincerely wish to promote democracy and respect
for human rights in the whole of the country and has already taken concrete steps in that direction,

C. whereas, regrettably, despite this, the situation on the Moluccas has deteriorated further, with several
thousand lives lost around the turn of the century, many thousands of people injured and once again
tens of thousands of people fleeing to neighbouring islands and seeking refuge in refugee camps,

D. whereas this conflict has economic, ethnic and religious components which arise from the long-term
effects of the transmigration policy of the former Suharto regime as well as from general economic
neglect of the region, both of which add to the conflicts between the original Christian population
group and a growing Muslim population group, including many immigrants,

(1) Texts adopted at that sitting, Item 4.