kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we must use legislative tools like this as part of a holistic approach and i just mention a couple community and youth engagement tackling disinformation discrimination protection of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights training funding and education.
last year wales opened its first clinic for specific medical and psychological help for survivors of fgm.
madam president i would like to thank the minister and the commissioner for the time given to this issue. we know that fgm is a global issue and we know it happens in every country around the world to girls. we also know that girls living in the eu have been cut including about two zero in wales the country that i represent and it's a pretty small country yet prosecutions are really low alarmingly low. earlier this year the uk saw its only prosecution for fgm thirty years after it was first made unlawful. this demonstrates how little attention is paid to the grave consequences for the girls and women involved.
specialised services like these are vital yet it's exactly these services which are most at risk after brexit because of key eu funding being lost.
the istanbul convention and cedaw and we celebrate forty years today of cedaw are two powerful tools tackling violence against women and girls including fgm yet these remain largely unimplemented in the uk.
when speaking about iran i must mention the ongoing cruel imprisonment of dual national nazanin zaghari ratcliffe on trumpedup charges and also the situation of uk permanent resident aras amiri who has carried out extraordinary service as a promoter of iranian arts and culture but now finds herself behind bars a bargaining chip in a cynical game of diplomatic chess.
if we value media freedom we must defend it everywhere.
the recent wave of protests has seen over seven zero activists journalists students and protesters arrested all of whom could now be facing torture whilst being detained. we cannot stand idly by while the ayatollah blames this on a foreign plot to oust him.
mr president amnesty international has just reported that over three hundred people were killed and thousands arrested in a violent crackdown against peaceful protests in iran.
it's quite clear that the iranian authorities wish to crush all political dissent and opposition.
finally i wish to raise awareness of the ongoing harassment of journalists and their families in iran including those working for the bbc persian service.
i would like to recall that the mercosur agreement contains a robust trade and sustainable development chapter.
we need to make sure that trade can take place whilst ensuring that it supports sustainable development and the eu's climate goals and contributes to a sustainable future.
the eu needs to take the lead and work collectively to transform our economy and societies in order to put them on a more sustainable path.
the agreement provides a platform to actively engage with mercosur countries on sustainable development issues. the agreement lists a number of areas of potential cooperation with a view to ensuring that trade supports the sustainability agenda.
i'm sure that many members of this house feel very strongly about the trade deal reached with mercosur.
the report and recommendations must be made public so that they can be followed up by stakeholders as well as by the relevant institutions of the parties.
if we do not generations to come will question why we did not act decisively.
it is subject to a specific dispute settlement procedure under which a complaint concerning noncompliance is first considered in formal government consultations.
the council has not had time to discuss them and it would be premature for me to take a position at this early stage.
it is clear that sufficient time will be needed for a comprehensive examination of the negotiated agreement.
as shown in the bilateral dispute settlement case of korea these are not just empty words.
the green deal strategy cuts across almost every policy sector and will require careful consideration and coordination.
privatesector initiatives strengthened these commitments for example not to source meat from farms in recently deforested areas.
these commitments are a challenge for the mercosur countries but one they are ready to assume.
the mercosur agreement contains a specific article on climate change committing the parties to effectively implement the paris agreement.
i can only say that the council will engage constructively in examining the proposed policies and measures needed to achieve the european green deal.
the trade and sustainable development chapter includes commitments regarding the sustainable management of forests.
what was obtained from mercosur in terms of environmental and sustainability commitments is the outcome of very long and arduous negotiations.
there were also commitments on fighting deforestation.
i know that you have discussed it for instance recently following the forest fires which have been ravaging the amazon region.
we can be confident that an agreement with mercosur that contributes to sustainable trade with the region including a binding commitment by the mercosur countries to implement the paris climate deal will provide the eu with the necessary leverage to pursue our ambitious climate and sustainability goals.
i will leave it to the commission to describe its policy proposals in more detail.
on this basis the commission unveiled a fifteen point plan to make the eu sustainable development chapters more robust and effective.
it also offers civil society organisations an active role to overview the implementation of the agreement including any environmental concerns.
against this background i would like to focus my comments today on the mercosur trade agreement.
if the situation is not resolved then an independent panel of experts can be requested to examine the matter and make recommendations.
europe needs to play its part in responding to these.
concerns that the trade agreement with mercosur should be sustainable also from the point of view of our green agenda are fully understandable.
i know that many of you will strive for a stronger enforcement mechanism even with sanctions.
the trade and sustainable development chapter also includes thematic articles on traderelated aspects of natural resources such as biodiversity forests and fisheries including combating illegal logging.
this lives up to the highest standards comparable to those in other modern agreements such as the free trade agreement with japan or the trade part of the modernised global agreement with mexico.
they can be a vehicle to convince others to implement ambitious environmental and climate policies and form part of a global response to climate change. millions of jobs in the eu as well as people's livelihoods depend on trade.
about one million uyghurs and ethnic kazakhs are being detained without trial and without charges often for no other reason than being a muslim.
all mass detention camps must be shut and perpetrators of the massive human rights abuses must be brought to justice.
mr tohti is a leading uyghur intellectual economist and scholar whose only offence was to advocate for peace and the rights of the uyghurs.
every single aspect of daily life is being monitored.
we look forward to working with you on a strong european union foreign policy.
today he was represented here by his brave daughter jewher and we call let it be clear for the immediate and unconditional release of ilham tohti.
this is standard practice in the socalled reeducation camps. china has committed itself to the international human rights framework.
he has been sentenced to life imprisonment and could not come to strasbourg to receive the prize.
once detained uyghurs are forced to give up their religious and cultural identity.
we also expect the eu to be ready to adopt targeted sanctions against those responsible.
china has so far been one of the most important partners of our union and a central member of the international community but this does not mean that we can turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations.
we have the duty to call on the chinese government to release all those currently detained and without any charges.
that's why this parliament calls for the halt of exports and the tech transfer of products and services that are used to enhance cyber surveillance.
this extreme policy is even encountering some internal opposition as we learn from the china cables and i think that for a nation of such great cultural tradition as china it is shameful to implement such policies.
we strongly believe that it's time to end the lies to end the excuses and to end the distractions and to close the camps.
he hasn't seen his family for two years even though chinese law guarantees that.
we also need a human rights sanctions mechanism as you have discussed with the foreign ministers in the foreign affairs council and we need that expeditiously.
he is not allowed to see his family.
i think we should all insist that his family should be allowed to know where he lives and to see him.
we as europeans must also be active beyond just voicing critical words.
the policy of the chinese communist party towards the uyghurs has never been liberal but in two thousand and fourteen a totalitarian turn was taken in xinjiang that has created the worst police state that we have on the globe today.
this is why this parliament asks that forced labour from internment camps must not be allowed to enter into eu based companies' value chains and as has been said before the products of forced labour must be banned from the european markets.
they are running a high reputational risks if they don't implement a robust human rights due diligence system that makes sure that they're not implicated in acts of repression.
this place is the antithesis of being a good european it works against the diversity of our cultures and our economies.
without dismissing our achievements therefore we are aware of the need to do more in europe with respect to the implementation of national laws specialised support services or enhancing multidisciplinary actions with affected communities.
the joint eu un spotlight initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls is an exemplary case in point an unprecedented global effort to invest in gender equality and women's empowerment as a precondition and driver for the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
we are serious about our joint commitment under the european consensus on development and sustainable development goals to work with partners to eliminate all forms of sexual and gender based violence and discrimination including harmful practices such as in particular female genital mutilation.
our achievements and leadership are real but we must continue pushing until we have lived up to our commitment to achieve the objective of zero harmful practices against women and girls.
of the finnish presidency in the field of development cooperation following a rights based approach to development including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
the un has named six february as the international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation and around that day the european commission will take stock as every year of eu efforts in this field.
in africa the spotlight initiative is addressing sexual and gender based violence child marriage female genital mutilation and their linkages to sexual and reproductive health access.
the eu and its member states have long demonstrated strong commitment and leadership at multilateral level in promoting the rights of women and girls and gender equality.
but i am convinced that by continuing to work together we will be able to secure further achievements in europe and globally.
this should hopefully include an eu strategy to end female genital mutilation around the world once and for all. before concluding let me recall that unfortunately a significant number of women in the eu live with the lifelong consequences of female genital mutilation or are at risk of it.
we look forward to this report.
mr president in this case based on rule one hundred and eighty of our rules of procedure on behalf of my group i would like to withdraw our amendments six seven and.
equally while a green investment plan is a nice idea without the private sector these funds would certainly not meet the needs of industrialised countries such as the czech republic slovakia and other countries in the region which face a far greater challenge to meet the climate goals while maintaining their economies.
this has to change.
the proposed just transition fund should not just be the cohesion fund rebranded.
for instance china should no longer be defined as a developing nation.
europe will not save the planet alone. the czech republic is willing to do our part for the climate but we will need help.
we must do more to encourage others outside europe to do their part.
at that time he was being held in urumqi first prison.
but while i travelled on he was detained beaten questioned and now carries a life sentence at some undisclosed location.
the right to worship the way we want to worship;
it won't end well now. china labels them as re education centres'.
a special mention goes to my father's students who are serving years in prison for supporting him and his projects. these brave people as well as my uyghur brothers and sisters are not alone in the camps. kazakh kyrgyz uzbek people are jailed in concentration camps simply for being themselves.
there was a time when we could afford to buy a whole halal lamb or an entire sheep and share it with the neighbourhood.
if you see a problem please work towards a solution.
for him the problem was clear.
to businesses don't be complicit in the chinese government's persecution of the uyghur people.
to be honest with you i don't know where my father is.
the man who worked at my bedroom desk in pyjamas after i complained he spent more time on his website uyghur biz' than with me.
yes i am afraid.
therefore i ask you to discover more about the restorers who are doing amazing work in improving the lives of women in kenya and elsewhere in africa.
it is hard to believe that my father still physically resembles now the man i knew as a child.
elsewhere in china tibetans and hong kongers the chinese christians continue to struggle to protect their identity and their basic human rights.
i want to thank the european parliament and all those who made it possible for my father to receive the sakharov prize for freedom of thought.
i'm here today because i want to support my father.
these people need your immediate support.
instead they labelled him a separatist and locked him in solitary confinement for empowering the very people the chinese government wanted to control.
people ask me am i scared?
he believed that when there was a problem you need to fix it just like when there is a hole in a fabric you need to sew it.
sometimes i worry that my speaking out will bring harm to my family living in china.
in the spirit of my father's work to promote a world of respect and understanding among different communities i would like to bring to your attention the other finalists.
and so he moved his laptop into my room and he worked at my desk while i sat on my bed doing homework.
i'm sure my father was afraid too.
i believe that his spirit as captured in the sakharov prize honours the father i know who moved his computer into my bedroom when i needed
he said to me don't cry don't let them think uyghur girls are weak.
for him the solution was simple to engage with the chinese government in conversation about working with uyghur people in a peaceful non violent and instructive way.
extremism' is the kind of language the chinese government uses to justify tearing families apart controlling and monitoring every move of the uyghurs inside and outside of china and putting so many innocent people into camps.
this is not about fighting china.
i was given the choice of boarding the plane and flying to the us or staying with my father.
when he purchased a server in the united states to secure his website uyghur biz' there was no money left for lamb. my father was not afraid of being poor as long as he could devote himself to the cause that came to define his life fostering peaceful dialogue
my father like most uyghurs has been labelled a violent extremist with a diseases that needs to be cured and a mind that need to be washed.
to the ngos keep up the good work and hang in there.
my father insisted that i continue.
sorry but i don't buy this term and you shouldn't either.
to students educate yourselves and never stop your pursuit of the truth and your fight for justice.
on that day we were pulled out of the security line.
my father's wealth went to supporting the uyghur community from poor uyghur mothers to homeless children.
today there is no freedom for uyghurs in china you know this not at school not in public not even in private homes.
to the scholars continue your research to help expose these atrocities.
the chinese government was not interested in conversations about working on the tensions building in the uyghur region with a uyghur scholar like my father a man who was committed to peaceful resolution where the han and the uyghurs could live in harmony.
even in my home in washington dc my phone and computer are often hacked.
an unresolved problem he thought will lead to a bigger problem.
even speaking to you today makes me nervous.
although they have not received the prize their dedication and work deserve equal attention.
you have highlighted not only my father's work and the persecution he has endured because of it but you bring to the attention of the european union and the rest of the world the plight of over one million uyghurs who have been forcibly detained in concentration camps in the uyghur region.
but when he identified a problem he overcame his fear by working towards a solution no matter what the cost.
him. now the uyghur people need
i am grateful for the opportunity to tell his story because he cannot tell it himself.
when there was a problem my father always had a solution.
sometimes i wake up in a cold sweat.
in brazil the causes of the late marielle franco chief raoni and ms silva dos santos must be supported for their tireless work on preserving the amazon rainforest and the rights of marginalised indigenous people who live in the region. these incredible people need to be heard.
i will never be able to travel back to china and will likely never meet my family again.
human rights lawyers and human rights defenders are held in prison simply for protecting the rights of other human beings.
peace be upon you.
i would go in and out of sleep to the click of his fingers on the computer. i was a teenager then with little understanding of why my father would give up his profitable business career and our trips to the nujie halal meat market for the life that landed him in prison.
so i ask you in this room and those who are listening do you see a problem with the way the chinese government is treating uyghur people?
finally while i don't know where my father is i believe he is alive.
two thousand and seventeen was the last time my family received word about him.
uyghurs were being denied basic rights the right to believe what we believe;
it didn't end well before;
this is about protecting human rights.
after my father committed himself to advocating for the rights of uyghurs halal lamb grew more scarce in our household.
work from your place of influence.
i have not seen my father since we were separated at the beijing airport in two thousand and thirteen we were on our way to indiana university where my father was invited as a visiting scholar.
and understanding between the han chinese and the uyghurs living in the western part of china.
it is under this false label of extremism that the government has put one million people probably even more into concentration camps where uyghurs are forced to give up their religion language and culture where forced labour is widespread and people are tortured. some have died.
to the members of parliament use your laws to hold chinese government officials accountable.
for this reason i believe we must support the ongoing efforts at global oecd level to find a solution to this problem by the end of next year.
unilateral action by the eu as proposed in this resolution could damage our global competitiveness and even be perceived as an attack on us companies potentially provoking retaliation.
this is an extremely complex issue evidenced by the continuing deliberations at oecd level to find a solution for the fair taxing of digital companies.
estimates show that at least half a million girls and women who have suffered from genital mutilation live in europe.
it encompasses a variety of areas from general human rights to women's right to bodily integrity the tackling of gender based violence and the right to health.
president von der leyen's agenda for europe has put the prevention of gender based violence and the protection of victims at the heart of the union's equality policy for these five years.
i am fully committed to the fight against gender based violence and i am sure i can count on the support of the european parliament on this matter.
the european parliament has an important role to play through its political networks around the world.
it is important to work on different areas at the same time and to tackle the issue from different angles and across the portfolios.
prosecution and combating fgm worldwide.
the commission continues to provide funding through the daphne strand of the eu programmes for projects aimed at combating gender based violence including fgm.
in all our member states fgm is a crime. the efforts to combat it and support its victims are also integrated in eu legislation notably the victims' rights directive.
apart from funding and legislation we must include all stakeholders at all levels from our political dialogues with national administrations to our support for health care professionals religious and community leaders and families in eradicating female genital mutilation once and for all.
this is a subject that is very close to my heart and i am committed to doing everything within my power to eliminate this scourge this suffering which millions of girls and women are made to
it is essential that we expose and combat this severe violation of human rights women's rights and children's rights.
one five million women who received services for protection and care related to fgm.
madam president i thank the european parliament for putting this important topic on the agenda today.
with this project the scope is to leave no girl no woman behind.
i also thank the finnish government for their commitment towards gender equality.
the eu and the united nations programme to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls with an investment of eur one hundred million is the spotlight initiative as was already mentioned.
the issue is covered in eu asylum legislation.
the european institute for gender equality plays a leading role in providing information and research on female genital mutilation in the eu.
we should instead promote empowerment cooperation and dialogue.
i believe we can continue to work on the five priority areas outlined in the two thousand and thirteen commission communication on ending female genital mutilation that is improving knowledge and data supporting sustainable social change protection
women's rights are indeed at the core of eu foreign policy and this includes the fight against fgm. we need to work with our international partners across the world to support the implementation of the un sustainable development goals which cover violence against women.
honourable members we need to do more to make sure that the predictions of another estimated two hundred million fgm victims by two thousand and thirty will not materialise.
the forthcoming robust gender equality strategy which we will adopt in two thousand and twenty will address violence against women directly through various measures including those addressing fgm.
we have to acknowledge that fgm is a sensitive matter to tackle.
eight five million individuals to make a public declaration of abandonment. we know that fgm exists also within the european union.