EP calls on EU to sponsor or co-sponsor resolutions in Geneva on over thirty countries and on a series of civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights

Brussels, 25/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution by French Green member Hélène Flautre calling on the European Union to sponsor or co-sponsor resolutions on over thirty countries and on a series of fundamental rights, during the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights to be held from 16 March to 22 April in Geneva (see EUROPE of 24 February, p.8). During Wednesday's debate, MEPs called on the EU not to have “double standards” depending on which countries are concerned. There are countries which, in the resolutions adopted in Geneva, “slip through the net” such as Iran and China, but a resolution must also be presented against these countries, Swedish Liberal Cecilia Malmström exclaimed. Countries singled out by the MEPs are: Russia (not only because of Chechnya, Portuguese member of the UEN group José Ribeiro i Castro said), Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Furthermore, Hélène Flautre hoped for a UN recommendation on human rights and combating terrorism, and Vittorio Emanuele Agnoletto (GUE, Italy) raised the problem of the behaviour of international forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In its long resolution (that we shall publish in our series EUROPE/Documents), the Parliament calls on the EU in particular (specifying that the list is not exhaustive) to sponsor or co-sponsor resolutions on: - all countries for which an expert in human rights has been mandated: Belarus, Afghanistan, Iraq, Burma, Cambodia, North Korea, Cuba, Haïti, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Somalia and Liberia; - as well as on violations in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine; - on a series of other countries: Russia (Chechnya), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal, China, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Saudia Arabia, Mauritania, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Eritrea and Togo; - on a series of civil and political rights (including racism, children's rights, women and minorities, summary executions and disappearances, protection of journalists and defenders of human rights, discrimination due to sexual leaning, responsibilities of transnational companies) and economic, social and cultural rights. Also, the Parliament calls on the EU Council to appoint a special rapporteur on human rights in Nepal (see following page).