European Parliament resolution on public health problems in Uzbekistan
Date: 2001-10-04
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Uzbekistan, biological weapon, chemical weapon, cooperation agreement (EU), emergency aid, health aid, natural disaster, political situation, water requirements

11.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 87 E/257

Thursday 4 October 2001

17. Human rights: Medical situation in the Republic of Uzbekistan

B5-0621, 0629, 0637, 0647 and 0662/2001

European Parliament resolution on public health problems in Uzbekistan

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to its decision of 12 March 1999 on the proposal for a Council and Commision Deci-
sion on the conclusion of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Com-
munities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part
(7652/96 (cid:1) COM(96) 0254 (cid:1) C4-0418/96 (cid:1) 1996/0151(AVC)) (1), by which it gave its assent to the
conclusion of this agreement,

(cid:1) having regard to the aid provided by the European Union to Uzbekistan in the framework of TACIS

and ECHO,

(cid:1) having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 giving ECHO a mandate to provide emergency

aid and help victims of natural disasters,

(cid:1) having regard to the report of its Delegation for relations with Uzbekistan, following its recent visit to

Uzbekistan,

(cid:1) having regard to the current political situation following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in
the USA and the resulting strategic position of Uzbekistan on the northern frontier of Afghanistan,

A. whereas health conditions are rapidly deteriorating in Uzbekistan, notably in Karakalpakstan and the
Khorezm region, largely due to the environmental disaster caused by the progressive drying-up of the
Aral Sea and the absence of sewage facilities in almost all rural areas and about half of the urban
areas,

B. whereas one of the most serious consequences of this situation is the lack of access to drinking water
for the local population, about 3.5 million people are directly affected by the crisis and, despite a
number of emergency measures already undertaken, the Uzbek authorities are not in position to
cope with the magnitude of the disaster,

C. whereas, however, the measures taken at national level to counter the effects of an unprecedented
environmental disaster concerning all countries in Central Asia, affecting more than 35 million people
and having negative effects on the ecosystem in general have been inadequate,

D. mindful of the requests made by the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the European
Union, the World Bank, the United Nations and the whole international community for the imple-
mentation of a programme of emergency aid for the victims of this environmental disaster, whose
numbers are set to increase further over the next few months,

E. whereas the control of epidemics cannot be guaranteed in Central Asia owing to a lack of resources,
health facilities and medical personnel specialised in coping with emergencies, and having regard to
the numerous cases of bubonic plague, anthrax and other diseases,

F.

alarmed by the news confirming the outbreak of the Black Death in Central Asia,

G. having regard to the abandonment of

the former Soviet chemical and bacteriological weapons
research laboratories on Vozrozhdenye Island in the Aral Sea and the state of total abandonment of
stocks containing bacteria of bubonic plague, brucellosis, Siberian smallpox and other pathogenic
agents,

H. whereas Uzbekistan has a strategic role to play in Central Asia, given its border with northern Afgha-

nistan, and whereas many Afghan refugees are expected to seek asylum in Uzbekistan,

(1) OJ C 175, 21.6.1999, p. 432.

C 87 E/258

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.4.2002

Thursday 4 October 2001

Calls on the Commission, in the framework of ECHO, and on the Member States to provide adequate

1.
aid for the population of Uzbekistan, especially drinking water and food supplies;

2.
Considers that one of the priority programmes under TACIS should consist in limiting the ecological
deterioration of the Aral Sea, and invites the Uzbek authorities to make the improvement of the local
ecosystem a part of their policy;

Calls also for the adoption of more stringent measures for oil companies working in the area of the

3.
Aral Sea, so as to limit more devastating environmental damage in the future;

4.
Takes the view that the Commission must play a significant part in drawing up a plan to combat the
spread of infectious diseases affecting local populations and take such measures as appear necessary to deal
with the dramatic consequences of the increasing dilapidation of health facilities in the regions concerned;

Calls for steps to be taken to address and resolve the problem of the stocks of contaminated waste at

5.
former Soviet laboratories with the help of international specialists;

Instructs its President to forward the present resolution to the Council, the Commission and the

6.
government of Uzbekistan.

18. Human rights: East Timor

B5-0625, 0631, 0640, 0648 and 0652/2001

European Parliament resolution on East Timor

The European Parliament,

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

(cid:1) having regard to the statement of 31 August 2001 on East Timor made by the Presidency on behalf of

the Council of the European Union,

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the election observation mission in East Timor,

A. whereas the New York agreement on East Timor was signed on 5 May 1999 by Portugal and Indone-

sia under the aegis of the United Nations,

B. whereas the referendum of 30 August 1999, in which 98,5 % of the registered population partici-
pated, despite the threats and the climate of intimidation generated at that time by the anti-indepen-
dence militias, was universally regarded as free, and all have recognised as valid its outcome, which
showed that a majority of 78,5 % of the population was in favour of independence,

C. whereas it has very closely monitored developments in the situation in Timor, particularly by means
of the three delegations it sent, in August 1999 for the referendum, in April 2000 to support the
territory’s Administration in its task of reconstruction and in August 2001 for the first elections in
East Timor,

D. whereas elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in East Timor on 30 August 2001,

E. whereas the conduct of the elections was peaceful, the problems encountered do not detract from the
validity of the results and the elections have encouraged the process of transition towards democracy,

F. whereas the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (Untaet) has performed well
both in relation to the process of consulting the people of East Timor, in line with the New York
agreement, and in terms of making possible the elections to the Constituent Assembly,