kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
madam president for the past year i have served as personal representative of the chairman in office of the osce kazakhstan preparing a detailed report on the key environmental issues affecting central asia.
one of the key issues which affects the whole of central asia is of course the question of transboundary water utilisation.
as you know there is great and constant tension between the upstream and downstream nations in central asia involving water use.
but one aspect of this problem emerged during the course of my investigation that has i think been missed by many decision makers in the west.
the mainstay of the afghan economy is agriculture and any rebuilding of the economy in a post conflict afghanistan will mean massive investment in agriculture encouraging for example farmers to switch from growing heroin poppies to growing pomegranates.
that in turn will mean a huge additional utilisation of already scarce water resources.
in other words by helping to resolve the current conflict in afghanistan we could inadvertently create a series of mini afghanistans downstream as acute water shortages are exacerbated.
we must take care to ensure that any new irrigation schemes are properly designed with concrete lined channels and reservoirs and droplet irrigation systems similar to those used by farmers in spain.
in addition any major energy projects involving hydroelectric power plants must be carefully designed and constructed to ensure that they do not create any disadvantage for downstream water users in neighbouring countries.
this has been an interesting and diverse debate and i commend you for the continued interest and energy that you put into our engagement in afghanistan. that has been very well demonstrated by the discussion today.
as i said at the beginning i believe afghanistan is important for all of us and for our citizens and that the european union must rightly remain a key player. i hope that i spelled out at the beginning the priorities and plans for the period ahead together with the recognition of the balance that needs to be struck between channelling resources through the afghan government and recognising the importance of ensuring that we battle corruption appropriately in order to safeguard the resources that we have.
we remain engaged in key sectors in health as i have described the police justice rural development and the sub national governments and of course the rule of law is essential.
moreover as i have described a focus for all these programmes is to ensure that we build up capacity in the local afghan structures and that the government's priorities in combating the drugs industry and reducing corruption continue to be fully addressed.
i also pointed out in my speech the importance of engaging and involving women at all levels of afghan society and indeed in the political structures.
i look forward to more of this pragmatism on brexit and i believe the eu twenty seven recognises that the uk is essential to intelligence against terrorism and they should respond quickly and positively.
she says the uk will respect the remit of the european court of justice when participating in the agencies will continue to align its rules on data sharing and will do all that is necessary to ensure that evidence gathered is admissible in court.
it remains to be seen quite how she intends to sell that to the brexit extremists in her party who oppose the ecj on ideological grounds and would be soft on terrorism.
ms may's munich speech was from beginning to end an argument against britain leaving the european union. but let's take her at face value.
whether you live in a city a rural village or a former industrial community all young people and indeed all citizens have an equal right to access to the arts culture and sport.
today that bank is planning to sell off fourteen zero family homes with distressed mortgages to vulture funds and other banks are following suit. the vultures are gathering because people can't repay their loans because the irish banking cartel has implemented such high mortgage rates. the vulture funds are unregulated aggressive and vicious in the pursuit of profits.
for once and for all it's time to side with mortgage holders and home owners instead of banks.
banks should be prevented from selling distressed home mortgages to vulture funds it's as simple as that.
our government must rein in the banks and the vulture funds.
it relies heavily on the tourist industry and i can testify to that having been there myself. any perception of instability or danger drives away tourists and increases poverty and despair.
we now learn with shock and horror that the dictator hosni mubarak has been cleared of all charges of conspiracy in the killings of hundreds of protestors and the embezzlement of huge sums of money desperately needed by egypt's citizens.
about a year ago the country's military dictatorship issued death sentences against one hundred and eighty eight defendants including journalists political opponents and innocent protestors.
sadly that industry now lies in ruin.
it noted with concern the lack of political and civil rights and another charitable organisation open doors has stated that egypt lacks any religious liberty.
egypt's record with its neighbours and especially ethiopia is appalling.
i think we are also agreed as we say in this resolution that egypt has a considerable way to go in meeting our norms and we have a duty to the egyptian people to be frank about the shortcomings in their governance.
what would be your attitude towards it?
it strikes me as a worthwhile effort to encourage them in that direction.
have you raised that point with them?
we have a duty to the egyptian people who took such enthusiastic part in the arab spring and the revolution not to dash their hopes and let them down.
you have a common agenda with us and i hope that we are in a position to strengthen you in your dealings with the egyptian authorities.
this crackdown is only pushing greater numbers into the arms of the terrorist organisation so if we fail to act this will ultimately hurt egyptians as well as eu citizens.
given that earlier charges for killing protestors have been scrapped as well four years of hard sacrifices made by the egyptian people seem to have been in vain all the more so given that under president sisi hundreds are sentenced to death in mass trials activists are punished for peaceful protests and ngos are facing stiff repression.
mr president as we have already heard this evening egypt's high court yesterday overturned the only remaining conviction against the former president mubarak.
this is not a credible approach to justice and the rule of law.
he has been badly beaten and subjected to solitary confinement in prison.
i would like to take this opportunity to remind the high representative of my requests to meet to discuss ibrahim's case and the urgent need for his immediate and unconditional release.
two thousand and thirteen ibrahim at seventeen was a child when first arrested following the protests in cairo and has since been deemed a prisoner of conscience by amnesty international and reprieve. denied urgent medical attention for a gunshot wound to his hand following the protest he is now permanently disfigured.
his trial has been postponed three times and today he still faces a mass trial along with four hundred and ninety three other prisoners with whom he has been jointly charged despite a complete lack of evidence.
a truly professional and independent judiciary is a key element for functioning and trusted state institutions.
therefore egypt like all our southern and eastern partners will be closely involved in the review of the european neighbourhood policy
too many of the issues that you mentioned in your resolution on freedom of expression and assembly in egypt last july have not yet been addressed. only last december we saw another decision by a court to pass preliminary death sentences on one hundred and eighty eight defendants.
steps taken by the new authorities go in the right direction with subsidy cuts and large scale infrastructure projects such as the new lane in the suez canal.
we will continue to focus our support in the socio economic field to help improve living conditions for the most vulnerable among egypt's population.
another challenge is clearly that of the deteriorating security situation spreading beyond the sinai. we have always affirmed that the european union stands by egypt in fighting terrorism.
a delegation of the european parliament was part of it. now we would like to see the mission recommendations taken on board particularly in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
the parliamentary elections are also an important step towards providing a broad base for political engagement that can ensure fundamental rights and freedoms security and economic reform accepted by the whole of society. open political engagement and discussion will reduce the risk of radicalisation.
media. but we will also help egypt with its economic reform efforts and its fight against security threats.
difficulties however remain and i have decided not to send a fully fledged observation mission this time but instead to deploy a smaller expert mission the.
but democracy goes beyond elections and we all know that very well here.
if we look back exactly four years ago egypt was on the brink of the twenty five january revolution with people taking to the streets calling for dignity social justice and simply bread their legitimate political and socio economic rights.
the eu will continue to support egypt in addressing its socio economic reforms. we will participate in the international investment conference planned for march.
both steps were monitored by the european union with the mission for the presidential elections in may.
these challenges and the ongoing political transition cannot allow any compromise on human rights. egypt needs to address its human rights situation including the lack of political space for dissenting opinion and shrinking space for freedoms of assembly and expression.
furthermore egypt is re emerging as an important foreign policy player in the league of arab states in the african union and in sub saharan africa in particular over the nile water issues with ethiopia and in national dialogue efforts with sudan. while still in political transition and facing security threats egypt also urgently needs to tackle an economic situation that is particularly difficult.
let me add that this is not only in egypt's interest but also in our own european union interest.
two steps have been achieved.
there is no place for violence.
the. outdated action plan with egypt will need to be re negotiated taking into account the enp review and to better reflect the reality on the ground.
purpose of the mission is closely to assess and report on the electoral process including on the political environment and electoral campaign.
two thousand and fourteen the question for the eu is not whether we should support egypt there is no other option but to stay engaged with egypt but how best to support its transition.
freedom of speech freedom of expression the right to peaceful protest and the rule of law are all key tenets of democracy which should also be respected.
many internal issues need to be addressed if egypt is to become the pluralistic arab democracy that its people wish for and deserve.
since then we have seen the adoption of a new constitution by referendum the election of president al sisi and most recently the announcement of parliamentary elections.
as a friend there is much to be gained from positive relations with this great country of egypt and i welcome the interest of this house in seeking to support egypt in its transition to democracy.
mr president since the overthrow of president mubarak egypt has undergone many changes and been gripped by much political turbulence. following the removal of president morsi in response to genuine public revolt against his rule and the direction in which he was taking his country we are now beginning to see stability once again return to that great country.
i am also concerned by the crackdown on media freedom and the fact that one of my own london constituents sue turton from al jazeera television a journalist has been tried in absentia and is now prevented from resuming her job anywhere in the region.
whilst my group welcomes the improvements to the lives of coptic christians in particular and other minorities it is crucial that this level of tolerance be exercised in other areas too.
after the presidential elections we will see parliamentary elections and it would be of great benefit if they were free and fair because this is another milestone in the process leading to real democracy.
i have to say at the ninth hour that i really think you need to review the working procedures of this plenary not for me but for you.
and it is a transition.
a quarter of the middle east lives in egypt so what happens there will affect the rest of the region.
those responsible for human rights abuses must be held accountable for their actions.
the eu cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening.
it must use all its available tools to stop this. we must stand in solidarity with the detainees and harassed civil society in egypt.
that is a debate for another time.
the high representative has been in close contact throughout with international leaders to discuss the challenges facing the region and to ensure a coordinated and therefore strong international response.
we repeatedly called on the egyptian authorities to ensure an immediate transition and to respond to the democratic ambitions of the people.
she was willing to visit egypt as part of her trip and she expressed that will to her egyptian counterparts. she has now been invited to cairo by the egyptian authorities and will travel there on monday evening after the foreign affairs council.
a year there. for several years we have been financing projects on democratic reforms good governance and respect for human rights.
in doing so we are listening to all voices including those of the members of this house.
the future lies firmly in the hands of the people of egypt.
as you are certainly aware the high representative and vice president of the commission is visiting the southern mediterranean at the moment and has asked me to address you on her behalf on the events in egypt.
she was also asked together with the commission to adapt european union instruments to stimulate the transition and the country's economic and social development.
the egyptian authorities have already approached us with initial requests including on dealing with suspicions of the misappropriation of public funds.
we have taken good note of the commitments to revise the constitution to hold parliamentary and presidential elections to honour international treaties and obligations and to limit military rule to six months. there are already reports on the first steps taken.
the high representative and i will also report on this process to the foreign affairs council in a few days' time.
his departure has opened the way to the possible transformation of egypt. let me repeat this in front of this house the european union salutes the courage of the egyptian people who have pursued their struggle for democratic change peacefully and with dignity.
the european union immediately expressed its readiness to lend full support to egypt's transition process towards democracy.
as and when other requests come we will do our utmost to be responsive and mobilise our expertise on democratisation elections human rights economic and social reforms as well as any other issues where egyptians
beyond the existing programmes and funds we intend to listen to the egyptians and hear where they consider the country needs our support most.
in egypt as in tunisia the european union is unequivocally supportive of the transformation process that has started.
there is however an important difference.
for. two thousand and eleven two thousand and thirteen we also have more funds mobilised in particular for civil society through the european instrument for democracy and human rights.
in the case of tunisia the political situation has become a little clearer. we have managed to establish a dialogue with the transitional government on the needs of the country and the possible european union response.
the new situation in egypt should create the right environment to put these funds to maximum use and push forward the implementation of much more ambitious programmes than was possible in the past.
a great responsibility now rests on the shoulders of the supreme military council to guide egypt towards the democratic future for which its people have striven.
you have a crucial contribution to make as democratically elected representatives and also as an arm of the budgetary authority.
may see a need.
the high representative contacted directly the egyptian vice president omar suleiman when concerns of rising violence or human rights abuses arose.
we are coordinating with member states on this and the foreign affairs council is expected to address this issue.
their demands in terms of democracy social and economic perspectives and free fair and inclusive elections must be
the proposal for a constitutional amendment should be delivered within ten days and submitted to popular vote within two months. we will closely watch the steps that are taken and we hope they will pave the way towards democratic free and fair elections
we have started work on how we can best support egypt and we are aiming at the kind of joined up foreign policy response that the treaty of lisbon allows.
it is not for us to dictate outcomes or impose solutions.
the european council asked the high representative to develop a package of measures supporting the transformation process in egypt and tunisia.
met. the european union stands ready to support this reform process based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
far from solving their concerns the departure of the former president will complicate and multiply the problems facing egyptian society.
if foreign countries do speak out for democracy is that seen as interference and inappropriate?
it is essential that the people of egypt should know that we are standing by them.
i welcome the fact that our high representative is currently in that part of the world.
the people of egypt are now reliant upon the army to come forward and deliver free and fair elections to bring about the sort of society that they have paid for with their lives and blood.
it is now for the international community to make sure that we step in to help them build their institutions and allow the political parties to come forward and take part in those election processes. i hope that the european union will play its part in that.
it is about time that europe said that we refuse to be used as a vehicle for such people to park their funds any more.
an independent justice system and how to help economic construction and development.
what we also need now is a bold message from the high representative on what is happening in these countries;
the strategic reflection of these tremendous and historic transformations in our neighbourhood area and our neighbourhood policy.
they ask for democracy they ask for socio economic reforms and the european union must be able to lend its full support to the democratic reform process.
but companies like vodafone must learn the lesson of turning off their services and we should call on them to join the global network initiative alongside human rights organisations to show that they will defend the principle of freedom of expression where it is under threat.
the present events in egypt prove that islam need not only be fundamentalist but that it can also be democratic if we accept that democracy may have a variable geometry and if we let it grow naturally from its specific soil.
at the same time we must admit that the popular uprising was on one hand the result of the evolution of egyptian elites in the cyber or internet society and on the other hand the consequence of the existential hardships brought on by the global economic crisis.
in this context the trips of the high representative vice president to the region and her readiness to adapt and upgrade the necessary european instruments to cope with the challenges are good news.
moreover i am shocked by the practice of guilt by association that results in the imprisonment of entire families including children.
has not improved but rather deteriorated since the last european parliament resolution.
indeed my personal meeting with civil society representatives on the korean peninsula provided additional painful proof of the extremely disturbing and critical human rights violations in the country. i am deeply disappointed that the human rights situation in the dprk
therefore the eu and its member states must combine their efforts and put more diplomatic and political pressure on the dprk government to respect the human rights of its citizens.
over one hundred and fifty zero political prisoners are still detained in concentration camps subjected to forced labour tortured and deliberately starved.
we should not punish them for the sins of their leaders.
however i would like to assure you that the commission will pursue the ample opportunities to deal with this issue at a later stage. the second proposal contained in the motion for a resolution concerns the possible nomination of an eu special envoy to north korea and a number of speakers supported this proposal today.
she is however now considering all options to do it in the context of two things.
both sides recognise that such zones could promote the goal of peace on the peninsula but before a zone can be recognised as such under the free trade agreement it has to be proposed by one side and considered by a special committee of representatives of both sides.
we very much welcome the convergence of views among members and between the members of parliament and the commission.
the commission fully shares the concerns about the need to address the very serious human rights situation in the country as expressed in the joint motion for a resolution we are debating today.
the eu has been working towards such an improvement in the international context ever since two thousand and three when it initiated in the geneva commission on human rights the first resolution condemning the situation in the democratic people's republic of korea which as many have already mentioned
very sad to record that in the past seven years since the adoption of the first resolution in the un context condemning the deplorable human rights situation in north korea very little if any progress towards improvement has been made.
so many of the elements incorporated in the motion for a resolution are already part of the eu's current human rights policy with regard to north korea.
we are also raising it as a number of speakers have pointed out in our discussions with china and specifically the issue of the forced return of north korean citizens who entered china illegally.
the eu is committed to stepping up its contribution to international coordination and the high representative vice president is very seriously interested in pursuing that.
we fully agree on what needs to be done including a point that has been made by many speakers that we need to maintain the existing programmes to assist the most vulnerable people in north korea who are facing tremendous hardship.
in the current political circumstances it is unlikely that such a proposal is to be made in the short term once the free trade agreement has entered into force.
there are twenty four million people in north korea who need our assistance.
the question really is what can we do about it?
firstly we must continue to provide humanitarian aid but we must make sure that aid goes to the people and does not in any way prop up the regime.
secondly we should continue to increase our funding for ngos that try to get assistance into north korea and in particular those ngos who try to get information into north korea.
finally we should do our best to assist refugees.