kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
a positive vote tomorrow will allow the joint launching of the register by our two institutions to take place in june. this will undoubtedly send a strong political signal confirming our determination to enforce transparent and ethical practices on the european stage.
i thank you for your work in the negotiations between parliament and the commission.
this report is proportional in its approach;
it is useful and i believe it will do good.
it recognises the important role that regional and local governments play in shaping european legislation and therefore clearly differentiates between lobbyists and local and regional government officials. although the report is a step in the right direction there is still more that needs to be done.
there is no doubt that we in this chamber are regarded with a fair amount of suspicion by our constituents.
the more transparency and the more openness there is the better.
with that in mind could i just say that the one problem with this agreement is that it is one institution short.
it is disappointing that the council has not signed up.
i do not see why we should have to put up with foreign institutions like this running our affairs.
this may be true and it is very unfortunate because rest assured lobbyists or those pretending to be lobbyists as proven recently are very much aware of the powers of this parliament.
we co decide on almost all major legislation in the eu and that is a good thing because we represent the people of the eu.
now although this is and will remain one of the most transparent institutions in the union i still believe that with greater power comes greater responsibility and this is precisely what we must strive to achieve in the months to come.
the agreement today with the commission is not bad but lobbyists must be obliged to put their names and their real interests in a register.
and this is what this parliament is already demanding of lobbyists coming here to us.
i cannot say much about what we are discussing in detail.
i can assure you however that we will ensure that the rules of conduct for this parliament will be some of the most transparent and will be rules which can make our citizens and ourselves proud of being members of this extraordinary institution.
the problem is that currently we do not see the legal basis that allows us to oblige companies citizens or interest representatives to register in order to exercise their profession.
to have a high quality review and we will see how we can improve the working of the system further.
it is also the case of the group of afghan women whom i met at the beginning of the international afghanistan conference in bonn and who are a real inspiration to us.
whether through dramatic acts of self sacrifice endurance in prison or daily confronting injustice they remind us of the true meaning of courage. by drawing cartoons or organising online they remind us that courage manifests itself in many different ways.
but honourable members the arab spring is a good example of the universality of human rights and of peoples' aspiration to live in democratic systems.
our role was instrumental in establishing the independent commission of inquiry on the human rights situation in syria.
first overhauling the eu's delivery mechanisms.
under him parliament's work on human rights has significantly increased and i would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his dedication two thousand and eleven. has been a particularly active year for human rights in parliament.
we continue our efforts to build consensus on freedom of religion or belief.
the department created within the eeas on human rights and democracy is currently being reviewed to make it more effective.
second achieving a joined up approach in our policies.
it has led to a new approach for the european union which aims to provide greater support to partners engaged in building what i have termed deep democracy'.
promoting and protecting the universal rights of freedom of religion belief and sexual orientation are central to the eu's approach.
each of our member states have played their own part in bringing their national legislation in line with eu standards of full compliance with all the relevant treaties and conventions on human rights in the wider un framework.
this has already been done to great effect in support of the icc and the abolition of the death penalty.
two thousand and eleven the un special session on libya which made the historic recommendations to suspend libya from the human rights council was a turning point in allowing this to respond to emergencies.
field. our financial support for human rights must go beyond the european instrument for democracy and human rights and should be reflected in other eu financial instruments.
to give just a few examples our funding has been used to fight media and cyber censorship to keep information flowing out of syria or north korea;
i want to outline some main points from that
i want to work closely too with all my commission colleagues to bring human rights fully into the key community policies such as development and trade building on recent communications on the future of development budget support corporate social responsibility and the neighbourhood
even in the toughest environments where basic rights and freedoms are the most repressed we have been able to provide assistance to civil society.
i am keen to make the best possible use of tailor made country strategies on human rights which should be driven by recommendations made locally. whilst they should stand firm on the universality of human rights and the global standards that apply to all i believe this will allow us to deliver more across the board than a one size fits all approach for one hundred and fifty countries.
i look forward to discussing these proposals with members of this house over the coming weeks and months and to getting their views as we take this issue further forward.
since then there have been various informal meetings and contacts with parliament including of course with the human rights subcommittee which contributed greatly to the process and i want to thank particularly richard howitt for the work that he has done. though much of the discussion about the review of our policy has centred on the process i also want to say something about the substance.
in brussels we have been working to put in place the arrangements foreseen by the treaty of lisbon to put human rights firmly at the centre of our policy.
all that i have just said has helped me to inform the review of the eu human rights policy that was first announced before this house and i am pleased that my contribution will be tabled very shortly.
world. your reports and your opinions inspire us and help to guide the work that
it also supported their families and their lawyers who risked imprisonment for taking up their case.
it is necessarily concise meaning that not every detail is reflected but i hope that it offers a good basis for future work with this parliament and with the council.
it should allow us too to make the most effective use of the assorted tools we have while engaging with due respect with the views of our partners on the
the historic developments in our neighbourhood have significantly advanced human rights.
i expect the new civilian government in burma myanmar will push ahead with political reforms and re engage with the international community.
will be a cornerstone for future developments.
third building strong partnerships encompassing the whole world multilaterally working through the un and the
we already have an active eu training policy but there is much more to be done in this direction and we are ready to take that forward.
the continuing violent crackdowns in syria repression in belarus and protracted conflicts including in the middle east require us to keep up the pressure.
we will continue to counter this.
and bilaterally through our dialogues. fourth speaking as one which does not mean with a single voice but rather a coordinated and consistent message from everyone ensuring that the invaluable work of parliament and the member states is brought together for the benefit of the
the subcommittee on human rights chaired first by heidi hautala and now by barbara lochbihler has developed a great number of activities including the de keyser report on democracy which inspired me in particular on the idea of the global and coherent approach to human rights and to democratisation and civic participation.
i continue to highlight the human rights situations in north korea and in burma myanmar reflecting the developments on the ground.
we are committed not only to guarantee but also to promote their universal respect by all. the charter of fundamental rights has contributed to promoting consistency between the eu's internal and external policies and the eu accession to the european convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms
this is the idea i have spoken of often to break down traditional silos and have human rights running as a silver thread throughout a truly integrated range of external policies.
and i am very open minded on the idea of appointing an eu special representative for human rights to act as a catalyst and to raise our profile internationally.
the bringing down of longstanding repressive regimes has led to the formation of new governments and to free and fair elections.
we have also begun work on the campaign on forced marriages which destroy the lives of so many young people girls and boys.
but the indivisibility and universality of human rights is increasingly being challenged globally.
icc; regionally developing work for example with the arab league;
we have also kept up its work to advance human rights on the multilateral stage in.
crucially i want the outcome of the review to deliver a strong reaffirmation of what the eu stands for the universality of human rights as binding international commitments and norms.
too. so i am determined to instil a human rights culture in the eu's emerging diplomatic structures.
the ongoing economic crisis should not be used as a pretext for those who want to dilute certain rights.
we do. it is for this reason that being in front of you today on this topic is not merely my obligation but it is also my privilege.
ground. eu delegations are well placed to take this forward.
several times this year the eu raised the human rights situation in syria in the hrc and in the general assembly building an alliance of countries from all regions including the arab world.
against that backdrop i have identified four main priority areas for action.
i will work to ensure that human rights are taken into account consistently in the programming of all eu external financial assistance.
in uzbekistan belarus and egypt it provided legal defence for hundreds of political opponents arbitrarily imprisoned.
now. the text i will table this week is a contribution to an ongoing debate.
policy. i agree with ms lochbihler when she says that parliament has a key role to monitor assess and provide political accountability for the eu's actions in the human rights
that is where the right to vote is accompanied by effective freedom of thought freedom of speech freedom of expression freedom of association and freedom of religion or belief underpinned by impartial justice public security from accountable protection forces and access to a competent and non corrupt civil service. we have also continued using our financial instruments to promote and protect human rights. in two thousand and eleven the european instrument for democracy and human rights funded more than one two hundred operations in more than one hundred and thirty countries.
i believe that approach can be extended for example to promote the rights of women by setting realistic time limited achievable objectives.
this parliament this house of democratically elected representatives from all over the european union is a champion of human rights in the european union and in the
in june we secured the adoption of a human rights council resolution on the human rights situation in belarus with whom we have tried to engage to improve its human rights record.
i want to make our policy more effective adapting it better to the specific circumstances of each country coupled with a global campaign based approach.
speaking out fearlessly is something that has defined the careers of many in this house and none more so than president buzek.
a key element here is the strengthening of relations with civil society so that ngos are better engaged as full partners with the european union.
the events of this year have served to highlight the vital links between human rights and democracy.
i have also maintained my focus on promoting the rights of lesbian gay bisexual and transgender people through the implementation of the eu's toolbox.
we have established a network of focal points in all eu delegations that contribute to delivering our eu human rights policy goals. ms lochbihler gave us the privilege of meeting with all heads of eu delegations recently at the beginning of this month and i hope that the honourable member was able to see that human rights are at the core of the activities of the people on the ground.
whole. i propose to use thematic campaigns to deliver on specific cross cutting themes.
it is about speaking the truth and refusing to be intimidated.
she deserves all the recognition she is now receiving as a result of her struggle for women's rights.
secure. but what we must be careful about is telling them that things may go
for that. you know too that i watch with great interest and try very hard in my discussions with the iranians to persuade them to move away from the death
we are at the beginning of building a service and trying to make sure that every delegation all over the world has the resources the people the training and the way of going about things.
them. it is a real challenge for us but that is what we have
is wrong. in every country we try to make sure that we oppose it as effectively as we possibly
you. again i pay tribute to the work that you have done on
iran. you know that we have done a lot of work with iran on human
process. i hope that this will see effect as the un now moves forward to try to support people into the future that they want to see for themselves.
we should look at how we can make it more effective and how we can take the relationships we have across the world and make sure that we use them to further the opportunities for democracy peace security and human rights for people across the world.
you can never have a definitive moment in human rights where you say that we have actually got everything written down and everything covered because situations change. as i have tried to argue in my contribution to it and yes it did take time because i was not satisfied with some of the ideas and i wanted to push further and try out things and discuss and involve people as much as i possibly could within the service
i am very pleased that we were able to achieve the consensus on our un resolution promoting freedom of religion and belief.
to do. i think you know that i have worked extremely hard to try to make sure that the eu properly supports this international and un
trade. again i have tried to capture that a bit in my thoughts about how to bring together our human rights work right across the commission so that in trade in development in everything that we do it is part of the approach that we take so i agree with
it is not yet complete.
lead. i have pushed through my discussions with the secretary general and the special representative.
so i hope honourable members will see it for what it is and what it is not.
happen. you will know most recently that i have indeed offered support to the un in every possible way in terms of how we can make sure that people are properly monitored and can feel
rights; we have sanctions against them
wrong. what is important is to put it in place so that they can feel confident in the un process properly looking after
the european union stands first and foremost for human rights and democracy and that is precisely why those values must be reflected as an integral part in all our policies as well as in our partnerships with third countries.
we must be consistent in our statements and policies.
could baroness ashton please say that she condemns the deadline and she asks for this deadline to be rescinded by the iraqi government?
that means we have seventeen days left before there is a potential massacre.
well not quite high enough to give us a central place apparently in an eu human rights strategy.
this is necessary not only across the range of external policies but also in the form of consistency with our internal record. the eu cannot argue against torture and disappearance in the war on terror as effectively as is necessary when it has failed to fully clean house on our own collusion in secret prisons and rendition flights.
our voice will not be heard sufficiently in condemning ethnic racial and religious discrimination abroad when roma muslims and even jews are not guaranteed proper freedoms and security at home.
our credibility in the desperately necessary battle for equality on the basis of sexual orientation is undermined by the shabby prejudice still suffered by lgbt people in some eu states.
i fully support one principal theme and that is the importance of coherence.
ironically those lines say that the european parliament has made human rights and democracy one of its highest priorities.
i just wondered did you use that opportunity?
also i just recently visited gaza and ramallah.
what are you actively doing to stop these corrective rapes of lesbian women in gaza?
as the socialist and democrats' human rights spokesperson can i welcome however the strategic review of human rights presented today by baroness ashton long awaited.
i absolutely endorse the aspiration to raise effectiveness to achieve concrete results to emphasise civil society to better implement the recommendations of election observation missions to continue the priority given to the defence of human rights defenders to support the proposals for thematic campaigns and to move to a brussels based council working group.
we agree with the high representative emphasising a bottom up approach but may i tell her that in the last year i have asked eu delegations in two critical countries i will not name them who is their focal point on human rights and where is their human rights country strategy?
i met silence in response.
we agree with her that worldwide there is an attempt at erosion of international human rights and international humanitarian law which is why i welcome her statement today towards considering the appointment of a special representative perhaps specifically on international justice.
just as we have failed states let us be honest and say that the eu human rights dialogues and human rights clauses are close to being failed mechanisms not to be abolished but requiring life saving surgery.
meanwhile bolstering our external advocacy by strengthening internal respect for human rights requires a mechanism not just an aspiration. the mainstreaming of human rights a development in particular trade policies has yet to really begin not just compatibility in the language of the communication but coordination for common ends using all our external relations instruments at one and the same time. i believe the benchmarks she identifies are the way forward. finally as has been said in the annual report this year i have been asked to provide an input to the review
there will always be the need for some confidential communication on human rights abuses.
but just as those who perpetrate war crimes or crimes against humanity must always be held to account we who seek to uphold human rights must be held to account too.
i believe parliament and civil society must participate in the elaboration of such country based strategies and in the monitoring of their implementation.
madam president the high representative spoke of the importance of freedom of thought and expression and free use of and access to the internet in all countries but did not mention member states of the eu.
however non violent and non abusive freedom of expression in speech writing and on the internet on political and academic subjects is denied even in member states of the eu.
the recent discovery of a murderous nazi gang in germany quite rightly attracted utter condemnation and concern among the security services largely because they were unaware of it.
it shows that the current leadership of germany has learnt nothing from its unfortunate history.
she must be quite sick to death of the number of letters that i keep writing to her about human rights issues by now but she deals with them very diligently and i am obliged to her for that.
commissioner we actually have a problem here and it is quite clear to me that the flag that we display in our parliament in certain instances has a reputation of which we can be proud.
in other instances it has a reputation for double standards. i see that displayed here today. for instance in all of the comments that have been made there has not been a single mention of the thousands and thousands of mass graves that have been discovered in the area of kashmir only as recently as a matter of months ago and going back over the last year or so. we of course as a set of institutions are currently in negotiations with india.
if you want that agreement to pass through this house and i am committed to that agreement one of the things we have to do is to see how we can square that circle.
mr president in any type of democratic chamber you need to have consistency.
now mr howitt has also gone off topic on the very important subject of human rights and chosen to make party political points in a human rights debate.
we need to make sure that we have prepared instruments and well trained staff.
it was encouraging to hear from the high representative that she intends to appoint an eu special representative for human rights who would act as an eu voice in human rights policy internationally and increase coherence of eu policy in this field.
when parliament finally produces its report i hope very soon i think that will end it because we all know that human rights are a universal value that the document itself defines democracy as a universal value. what i think is important is to accept the propositions made in the paper and to think about the new institutional balance we need to strike on this.
yes this year has been a challenge for all of us but when and i welcome this the vice president high representative says she is open to the creation of a special representative for human rights i hope she means that she is prepared to do this because i know that the ngos the european parliament and the human rights community generally want to see that expression of the commitment of the commission and the eeas to human rights.
we need also a european endowment for democracy as another institutional element in the development of this process of democracy and human rights in the world.
that will be finalised in the new year.
in the light of the testing of long range missiles the shooting of demonstrators and all the other disturbances that took place over the christmas period.
baroness ashton you were talking about the iran delegation.
i have indicated we want to look at smart intelligent sanctions as we consider this dual track.
the door is open for that meaningful dialogue in order to move forward but in saying that i am absolutely committed to recognising the twin track that my predecessors laid out and to pursuing that as necessary.
the e thirty three senior officials met in new york on saturday and we were able to have the dialogue including of course with russia on that issue.
as i have said the e thirty three is already considering these options.
of looking at what we do for the future honourable members have made it clear what they wish us to consider.
ordinary people in iran suffer as a consequence of that.