Strasbourg, 11/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - By adopting a resolution on Tuesday in Strasbourg by the foreign affairs committee on rights, priorities and recommendations by the EU for the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (15-23 April), the European Parliament has invited the European Union to sponsor or co-sponsor resolutions on the following countries: China, Vietnam, North Korea, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the territories occupied by Israel and the area under Palestinian authority, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Republic of Central Africa, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chechnya.
The Irish presidency has also been invited to sponsor or co-sponsor resolutions on: human rights and terrorism; impunity; the independence of the judiciary; the legal system; torture and detention; disappearances and summary executions; children's rights; women's rights (particularly reproductive rights); defenders of human rights; freedom of the press and the protection of journalists; the protection of displaced persons within their own countries; religious intolerance; indigenous peoples; modern forms of slavery and sexual orientation.
Parliament is calling on the EU to sponsor a resolution on the situation of the Dalits, as well as the murder of women over dowry disputes and calls on the Irish presidency to support the Brazilian initiative on discrimination based on the orientation of one's sexual orientation. 241 votes for, 231 against with 27 abstentions, the parliament voted for calling on the European Union to "promote a concrete initiative within the United Nations Commission of Human Rights on the very serious situation in the Palestinian territories in order to reach a fair and lasting solution to the conflict and end the occupation, repression and the construction of the "wall" which is in violation of international law" (amendment by Luisa Morgantini for European United Left). It is also calling on the Council to "respect the resolution adopted by a crushing majority at the European Parliament in December 2003, requesting that the EU embargo on weapons to China is firmly maintained (Greens/EFA amendment).