European Parliament resolution on Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games
Date: 2001-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: China, Olympic games, human rights, repression, sports body

14.3.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 65 E/365

Thursday 5 July 2001

Proposes that a European Day against the Death Penalty be introduced, as the ultimate means of

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exerting pressure for the death penalty to be abolished in those countries where it continues to exist;

Commits the Belgian Presidency of the Council to reintroducing and this time bringing to a vote in
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the United Nations General Assembly of September 2001 a resolution on the abolition of the death pen-
alty and to taking all steps necessary to obtain its adoption;

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Regrets the resumption of executions under federal law in the United States after a de facto mora-
torium of 38 years; calls on the USA to suspend any further executions and to respect the prohibition of
the death penalty, as enumerated in several international instruments, against juvenile defendants, as well
as the mentally handicapped; calls on the USA to withdraw forthwith its reservation concerning Article 6
of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights;

6.
Calls on the Commission and the Council to make full use of the items in the 2001 budget set aside
for the promotion of democracy and human rights, treating as a matter of priority and urgency any
Community initiative aimed at achieving a moratorium on, and repeal of, the death penalty and giving
practical support to all non-governmental organisations acting to this end;

Calls on the Commission to present to Parliament regular reports on the implementation of all the

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resolutions so far adopted;

Calls on the Russian Federation, Turkey and Armenia to fulfil their obligations as members of the

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Council of Europe and to abolish the death penalty without further delay;

Is deeply concerned by the recent massive recourse to execution for common crimes and ideological
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and religious dissent, as a supposed instrument of social control, in thePeople(cid:146)s Republic of China, and the
inhumanity and secrecy which characterise the executions by hanging in Japan,

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Calls on the Commission to consider the abolition of the death penalty and a universal moratorium
on executions as an essential element in relations between the European Union and third countries, and to
take this issue into account in concluding agreements with third countries;

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Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the Parliaments of
the Member State, the governments of the countries referred to in this resolution which apply the death
penalty, the UN Secretary-General and the Chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

16. Beijing(cid:146)s application to host the 2008 Olympic Games

B5-0487, 0498, 0505 and 0524/2001

European Parliament resolution on Beijing(cid:146)s bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the People(cid:146)s Republic of China (PRC),

(cid:129) having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 19 March 2001, in which the

Council expressed its concern at the serious human rights violations in the PRC,

(cid:129) recalling the city of Beijing(cid:146)s bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games,

(cid:129) recalling that the Charter of the Olympic Games states that Olympism has as a goal (cid:145)to place sport at
the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with the objective of creating a peaceful
society with the preservation of human dignity(cid:146),

C 65 E/366

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.3.2002

Thursday 5 July 2001

A. whereas freedom of opinion and freedom to hold demonstrations in favour of democracy have been

repressed for decades and are still being repressed, despite international protests,

B. having regard to the repression of religious, ethnic and other minorities, in particular Tibetans, Uig-

hurs and Mongolians and the Falun Gong movement,

C. having regard to the frequent imposition of capital punishment, leading to over a thousand reported
executions in China every year, as well as the widespread use of torture by the Chinese police and
military forces,

D.

recalling that the PRC has still not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

E. whereas the Chinese authorities have taken no significant initiatives on respect for human rights,

despite the ongoing political dialogue between the EU and the PRC,

F.

concerned with regard to environmental and animal welfare issues in the PRC,

G.

stressing that the plans relating to Beijing(cid:146)s bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games would involve the
destruction of a large part of the old city and the obligatory transfer of the inhabitants to the sur-
rounding areas,

H.

recalling that the International Olympic Committee is due to designate, on 13 July 2001 in Moscow,
the city that will host the 2008 Olympic Games,

Invites the International Olympic Committee to establish guidelines to include respect for human

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rights and democratic principles to be applied as a general rule to host countries of Olympic Games,

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Regrets that the PRC clearly fails to uphold universal human, civil and political rights, including
freedom of religion; believes therefore that this negative record and the repression in Tibet, in Uighuristan
and South Mongolia, make it inappropriate to award the 2008 Olympic Games to Beijing;

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Urges the International Olympic Committee in any case to make a thorough environmental impact
assessment with regard in particular to the recurrent water shortages, the impact of mass tourism and the
social repercussions in the region surrounding Beijing;

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Invites the International Olympic Committee to reconsider Beijing(cid:146)s candidacy when the authorities
of the PRC have made a fundamental change in their policy on human rights, and the promotion of
democracy and the rule of law;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Presidents of the

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parliaments of the Member States, and to the International Olympic Committee.

17. Human rights: UNGA special session on the rights of the child

B5-0483, 0490, 0495, 0496, 0506 and 0513/2001

European Parliament resolution on the EU positions in the Special Session on Children of the UN
General Assembly

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) recalling its previous resolutions on children(cid:146)s rights,

in particular the resolution of 17 December
1998 on child soldiers (1), the resolution of 28 January 1999 on the protection of families and
children (2) and the resolution of 17 May 2001 on forced labour by African children (3),

(1) OJ C 98, 9.4.1999, p. 297.
(2) OJ C 128, 7.5.1999, p. 79.
(3)
(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 16.