kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
under his leadership the number of executions including of political dissenters and minorities has soared with the average now standing at around two per day.
we should not allow a new found cooperation with iran however to blind us from past experience. the regime in iran is no stranger to being economical with the truth and it will be the enforcement and verification measures of the deal that will judge it to have been a success or failure.
furthermore we cannot ignore iran's funding of groups such as hamas and hezbollah and its continued stoking of sectarian power plays in lebanon syria and bahrain.
the migrant crisis has illustrated to us that europe cannot exist in isolation in a globalised world.
ensuring that iran complies with the terms agreed and being prepared to swiftly reimpose eu economic sanctions are absolutely crucial.
its continued human rights abuses and sponsorship of terrorism have not been tamed by the so called moderate president rouhani.
under the agreed framework for ten years iran will never be further than one year from a nuclear weapon and then it will get the bomb.
while dressed up as a peace deal this is just appeasement.
iranian officials have described negotiations as a form of jihad by other means. this deal frees up millions of euros for yet more sponsorship of terror.
more than two zero people have been hanged by the moderate' president rouhani whom you ms mogherini were happy to take tea with. this is the highest level of executions for twenty five years one zero forecast by this year end the highest number of executions per head in the world.
the group think mentality of the eu and p fifty one has resulted in every obstruction from the iranians rewarded with more giveaways.
this agreement trivialises the iranian regime's human rights violations.
they are just laughing at us.
certainly the implementation of it will need a lot of trust for all those who are committed to it.
of course there are risks but the risks of a covert nuclear programme in iran where people were talking about bombing it as the way of stopping it were far greater.
we need to engage the gulf countries and israel in dialogue to try to work on reducing the tensions in the middle east at large and also fighting terrorism.
but we cannot turn a blind eye to the human rights situation in iran.
one has to look at the wider perspective.
we must now breathe life into this deal by ensuring its rigorous implementation and work towards making the entire middle east nuclear weapon free. it is important that we further strengthen relations with iran as a key player within the middle east.
we must use the deal to create stability which in turn will foster regional economic and development cooperation.
we are seeing the impact of regional instability on our own borders with hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing in search of a safe land. the vienna agreement therefore opens new avenues for constructively engaging with iran on regional security issues such as combating isis ending the bloody civil war in syria
this agreement gives us hope for long term sustainable peace in the middle east.
i do not like the idea of a nuclear power in iran because it could become a suicide bomber state.
i think it is desperately dangerous and that is why i oppose it.
in any deal there is an element of unpalatable compromise and we had to find a way to bring iran in from the cold and into the global dialogue.
would you also extend the criticism which you rightly make of the human rights record and the interference in neighbouring countries to saudi arabia and indeed to uk government policy which is more predicated upon selling as many guns tanks and bombs to the current regime in saudia arabia as possible?
i enjoyed seeing pictures of the almost all female crew but mostly the results that were reached behind closed doors.
they must have inspired many women in iran too who need room for participation in society and politics.
certainly the ambitious smart iranian young generation inspires me.
now we must see to it that all sides stick to their commitments and implement their part of the deal.
i think we have no time to lose in developing a broader eu agenda in relation to iran and human rights should be top of that agenda.
also economically the risk is that the deal and the lifting of sanctions will only strengthen the already very strong position of a few the revolutionary guards and those close to the people in power.
but iran needs a truly private sector and i think we have work to do to make sure that eu companies do not blindly take the opportunities in the economic openings they see but are actually aware of the full picture.
we must engage iran in the explosive regional situation and talk to them in a diplomatic effort to end their support for the murderous regime of bashar al assad which continues to bomb its people and to stop supporting terrorist organisations like hezbollah.
we should continue to let the people of egypt know that we support the rule of law democracy and human rights that we will hold their new leaders accountable and that we jointly condemn the death penalty and call for a moratorium on the death penalty including in the context of the most recent convictions of twenty one suspects in the port said massacre.
we should also work on establishing a un security council resolution to guarantee that the aid reaches people safely.
it is the new role of the un human rights council and the eu to ensure that human rights are not forgotten or violated to a greater extent than they are today.
after the cowardly assassination of chokri belaid today we are reminded that challenges remain in north africa and the middle east especially in those countries which witnessed uprisings as the people sought new hope freedom and opportunity after decades of repression and human rights violations.
all sides of the conflict must take their responsibility and allow the access of humanitarian aid efforts.
the special rapporteur for human rights in iran needs to be able to continue his work and we jointly need to condemn the arrest of journalists and the violence and executions.
it is essential that the un plays an effective and credible role especially regarding human rights and a lot of work needs to be done.
iran is facing a crucial year with elections and a new round of negotiations on the nuclear file.
on bahrain the european parliament has been among the most vocal in condemning the ongoing human rights violations and i also support the calls by this house to adopt a resolution on the human rights situation in bahrain during the twenty two nd session.
in egypt we risk seeing increased violence as a result of abuse of power both politically and by police forces and this is very problematic.
let us take that enthusiasm and that fervour with us to try to make sure implementation is not just taking place in europe but is happening worldwide.
but they have to understand that if the first woman supreme court chair is removed from office and then the international bar association is prevented from visiting the country to investigate what has happened we will criticise.
we are working very hard to try to mainstream human rights here in the external action service in the european union and it is right that we support efforts to do so in the united nations.
the commemoration of the twenty anniversary of the adoption of the vienna declaration the interactive debate on the rights of people with disabilities and the panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming.
we support the office of the high commissioner in this work and we value very much the independence of that office.
the eeas is actively working to implement human rights action plan twenty four to promote freedom of expression online and offline.
i addressed the question of the upr and israel in my opening remarks.
there is intense cooperation on developing guidelines on this by the end of the year including in particular the protection of bloggers and journalists who are of course targeted and have been subjected to abuse and persecution in many countries and so we will continue that work.
of course belarus continues to be a high priority for the eu;
the eu has not wasted any time over the last year to take steps towards enabling the eu machinery to deliver on our strong commitment to advancing human rights around the globe.
we are discussing with partner countries ways and means to implement relevant recommendations stemming from the universal periodic review as well as recommendations formulated by treaty bodies and special procedures including through technical assistance.
a number of members also raised the question of digital freedoms.
we have sought to further connect activities undertaken by the eu in un human rights fora in geneva and new york with the bilateral relations with third countries and we have created a network of human rights focal points in eu delegations in order to advance this.
firstly tunisia has been raised by a number of members.
that was reflected in the two thousand and eleven resolution and indeed in the decision to appoint a special rapporteur in two thousand and twelve and that work continues.
the high representative has strongly condemned the killing of the opposition leader in tunisia and we will use every opportunity to make our concerns known.
we encourage partner countries to cooperate with the un human rights system.
a number of members have raised the question of religious minorities and rightly so.
we are confident that we can count on you to make the human rights council the important venue for human rights issues that we want it to be a forum for ensuring accountability for human rights abuses advancing human rights standard setting and strengthening cooperation with partners in this domain.
we are strongly concerned by reports of threats and reprisals affecting those who cooperate with un human rights mechanisms including the human rights council and its special procedures and we strongly condemn and speak out against such incidents.
moreover the mandate of the commission should be renewed further and we will push for a one year extension to give it a solid basis for its work.
we all recognise that the work of human rights defenders and civil society organisations is essential for democratic societies and restrictions placed on ngo activities are a growing concern in many countries.
gender equality and women's empowerment is also a core priority for the high representative and we are very supportive of the holding of a high level event celebrating the power of empowered women on twenty six february.
the eu also appeals to the authorities to immediately investigate the reported human rights abuses and to hold those responsible for human rights violations to account.
we will also closely follow developments in the human rights situation in north africa russia and in some of the central asian countries.
this year we will also aim at the consensual extension of a strong independent mandate for the special rapporteur.
the eu welcomes the cooperation with myanmar burma which led to the consensual adoption of a general assembly resolution in december two thousand and twelve reflecting the important recent progress in the country while also recognising remaining human rights concerns for instance the remaining political prisoners as well as the situation of the rohinga in rakhine state and in the ethnic areas.
with this in mind the eu reaffirms its attachment to the universal periodic review and calls upon all un member states to effectively cooperate with this universal mechanism.
remaining seriously concerned by the worrying human rights situation in iran the eu will actively work for the extension of the mandate of the un special rapporteur and press to increase the backing for this mandate through outreach and demarches building on the recent work in the context of the un general assembly resolution on iran.
the march session of the human rights council is also a worldwide gathering of human rights activists.
as in previous years together with latin american and caribbean countries the eu will devote particular attention to the rights of the child this year focusing on the right to the enjoyment by children of the highest attainable standard of health.
we look forward to the participation of a european parliament delegation in the high level opening week of the council.
turning to the twenty two nd session let me first underline that the acute crisis in syria must stay high on the agenda of the human rights council.
strongly committed to the fight against impunity the eu will insist on the need for accountability for the serious human rights violations including crimes under international law perpetrated in syria.
we take this as an encouragement to work even harder for this cause.
throughout the last year the un human rights council in geneva has again demonstrated its willingness to respond to the calls of millions of citizens for their rights.
the awarding of the two thousand and twelve nobel peace prize to the eu recognised our sustained effort to promote and protect human rights worldwide.
the adoption of the eu human rights strategy and action plan and the appointment of stavros lambrinidis as eu special representative for human rights will help us to deliver on this task.
the eu believes that the issues of accountability and reconciliation in sri lanka should stay on the agenda of the hrc and is moreover concerned about recent attacks on the independence of the judiciary in that country. looking ahead as last year a key eu priority for the june session of the council will be the situation of human rights in belarus which continues
the human rights council is a crucial body for the promotion of universal human rights standards and the un's main forum affording worldwide scrutiny of the human rights performance of all countries.
the eu will also reinforce its calls on the government of the dprk urgently to improve the human rights situation in the country.
throughout the year the eu will also work with a cross regional group of like minded partners to continue to keep the issue of discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity on the agenda of the united nations in follow up to the landmark resolution of the human rights council session of june two thousand and eleven and the successful cross regional activities in new york. the eu will advocate freedom of association and assembly and pay special attention to the promotion and protection of freedom of expression notably through the internet.
we count on your engagement and continued vigilance to push us further to make good on our commitments.
the resolution which will be presented at the twenty two nd session of the human rights council will encourage further reforms.
the eu calls for a rapid mobilisation and deployment of human rights observers.
given our conviction that freedom of religion or belief is an inalienable human right and an essential pillar of safe and prosperous societies the eu will again present a resolution on freedom of religion or belief.
the reports of human rights abuses in mali are of increasing concern and should be discussed based on the report of the high commissioner for human rights which focuses on the north of the country.
as the full realisation of human rights is important for achieving sustainable development the eu is pleased that the mainstreaming panel' of the human rights council will this year discuss the integration of human rights into the post two thousand and fifteen global development agenda which the eu will advocate in line with the corresponding commitment in the human rights action plan.
the eu will also continue to draw the attention of the international community to the persistent critical human rights situation in the democratic people's republic of korea which requires greater scrutiny.
the eu regularly defends the role of civil society representatives and human rights activists in the un context.
high representative vice president ashton is concerned by the increasing number of acts of discrimination based on religion or belief across the world and has condemned on several occasions the violence against persons belonging to religious minorities everywhere in the world.
the shock over the egyptian police's treatment of protestors last week also demonstrates how this country risks replacing one form of tyranny a secular one with another.
more broadly people everywhere must peaceably worship as they choose.
i also welcome the section on lgbt rights.
the eu must harness all the tools at its disposal from the european external action service and the commission to parliament delegations to work with the united nations to see changes implemented and success delivered for all of us.
one report element that i dislike is the overtly condemnatory tone towards israel.
but overall nevertheless the report is very welcome.
linked in with the religious rights is freedom of speech and the report highlights the need for journalists ngos and human rights defenders to play a full role in their societies.
the situation in mali is also worrying at the moment. elsewhere the report has valuable things to say on the subject of religious rights. i am a longstanding supporter of christian rights in countries where they form a minority. governments in countries as diverse as china iran vietnam and eritrea actively persecute christian minorities.
we should appreciate the engagement of france and also the logistical support given by several member states.
in this respect i condemn the ongoing attempts to undermine the universality and indivisibility of human rights in particular with a resolution on so called traditional values.
i welcome the focus of the resolution we will vote on tomorrow in advance of the unhrc on minority rights including lgbt rights.
i thank the commission for supporting the regional meeting on violence and discrimination against lgbt people even though the commission is not represented here co organised by the french government in paris in march and i hope that this is a sign that the commission is starting to bring forward an lgbt rights roadmap.
the reason for this is that frontex last week estimated that there are a thousand jihadi brides planning on returning to our continent.
the commission is organising the last meeting with experts tomorrow.
as suggested by the report the commission will also support awareness and education campaigns to ensure that ecall is properly used. we will keep promoting the openness of the ecall platform and make sure that customer choice and fair competition are guaranteed.
lives can be lost on rural roads in isolated areas especially where the precise location of the vehicle cannot be established.
i am particularly eager to see the benefits of ecall materialise in rural areas where the system has the potential to reduce emergency response times by half.
we must not underestimate the role of organised crime in some of our member states.
he was better known as the environmental mayor' for his great work to improve the natural environment in his region.
thus and given its mandate the newly setup european roma institute of arts and culture could be well positioned rather than the commission playing a leading role in this process and we are of course ready to support this.
these bodies focusing on national histories and engaging directly with societies are of course best placed at national level.
this report as the rapporteur says rightly highlights anti gypsyism which is being felt in our society through anti roma hate speech growing terms of segregation and forced evictions. anti gypsyism and socioeconomic exclusion go hand in hand so we must tackle these together.
in several member states the majority of roma children attend classes where most or almost all classmates are roma. educating roma children in segregated settings prevent them from equal chances to participate in later higher quality education and from gaining access to the labour market and this is why the commission launched infringements to ensure effective equal access for roma to a quality inclusive mainstream education.
the aim is to empower roma women improve their access to justice and fight the multifaceted discrimination that they encounter.
however segregation in education has persisted and the situation has deteriorated.
these are all priority areas highlighted by the report. the report's call for setting up a truth and reconciliation commission is welcome.
i am also grateful that the report recognises existing efforts and calls for continued action from the commission's side in several areas.
there are many very valuable proposals in this report.
many parts of the report confirm the conclusions we also made in the mid term review improvements in education this is key of course.
this process should be roma led with the involvement of other stakeholders as well.
roma participation here is of course a key element.
as you know we have a variety of legal tools to fight discrimination and hate speech and we will continue to do so.
we had a few other cases as well that we are looking at and we will continue to do so.
that is the role of the commission and we will take that role very seriously.
we call on the court of auditors to check the performance of eu programmes as they seem to fail to reach out to the most disadvantaged.
two thousand and twenty we call on the commission for the introduction of anti discrimination indicators in the field of education employment housing and health as anti gypsyism undermines the successful implementation of the national roma strategies.
is there a way to improve this situation?
so in two thousand and fourteen when i got elected to represent the swedish feministiskt initiative i took on the mission of safeguarding the principles of democracy of spreading and defending fundamental human rights gender equality and the respect of the basic values of our eu treaties.
until we manage to remedy anti gypsyism the root cause of the unacceptable situation that roma are still facing in europe in two thousand and seventeen we will not see any improvement even if the european commission initiates good programmes.
we also call on the member states of origin to take their responsibility to combat poverty and exclusion of all their citizens and on the member states of arrival to increase cooperation across borders to combat discrimination and exploitation and prevent exclusion continuing in the country of arrival.
the eu is at a very critical point at the moment and the destiny of twelve million people is not a priority.
roma people have been neglected discriminated against stigmatised excluded and dehumanised for eight hundred years.
and the result is that now in two thousand and seventeen the situation of the roma people is not better than in third countries.
and although we have strengthened the rules of procedure of the european parliament the president of the european parliament failed to react failed to condemn and sanction hate speech.
we call for compensation for roma women having been subject to forced sterilisation.
we have never been good enough for european societies to accept us as equal citizens with guaranteed equal access to our fundamental human rights.
and as i said following my mission i want to fight against injustice and inequality.
i was not very surprised.
we call for the continuation of an improved eu framework for national roma integration strategies after.
i was born condemned. i have been a human rights activist for forty years.
it has been going on for eight hundred years.
one of my goals with this report is to place the situation of the roma on the political agenda and to make real tangible change at last.
is there a need to improve this situation?
we deplore the violation of the right of roma to free movement.
this clearly goes against the values of the eu.