Strasbourg, 08/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - Adopting a resolution on Thursday by the EPP-ED, Socialist, Liberal, Greens, United Left and UEN groups on the EU's priorities for the 58th meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission from 18 march to 26 April in Geneva, the EP again called for the EU to table resolutions on China and more specifically the situation in Tibet and Mongolia; and also on Russia, particularly the situation in Chechnya. The EP also called on the EU to table resolutions in Geneva, either unilaterally or together with other countries, on the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe, the African Great Lakes region (Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo more specifically), Colombia, Burma and North Korea. By 306 to 156 with 10 abstentions, the plenary session rejected an amendment tabled by Swedish Liberal Cecilia Malmström calling for an EU resolution on Tunisia.
Parliament noted that the Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers should also table resolutions (possibly along with other countries) on fundamental rights and freedoms in the framework of anti-terrorist legislation and activity, asylum, the death penalty, torture, the disappeared, freedom of speech and religion, children's rights, workers' rights, conscientious objectors, racism, indigenous peoples and homosexuality.