Policies

HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD

The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is designed to safeguard and promote the European Union's (EU) fundamental values: democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and minorities.

Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. The EPP-ED Group is very concerned about the respect of human rights in the world. Therefore the Group takes initiatives to put this issue on the agenda inside and outside the European Parliament.

The EPP-ED Group remains concerned about crimes involving genocide and ethnic cleansing, mass expulsions for political reasons, attacks against the civilian population in conflicts, a rise in fanaticism and denial of freedom of expression, disregard for minority rights and the growing importance of problems of exclusion and marginalization.

The EPP-ED Group encourages a policy, which aims to guarantee that the right to participate in the political process is a fundamental and universal one. Economic and social rights should also be guaranteed as well as the right to a healthy and unpolluted environment.

The issues of human rights abuses in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Cuba were given high priority by the Parliament, largely as a result of EPP-ED Group efforts. The situations in other countries and regions have also received a lot of attention of the Group. Important examples are Laos, Burma and Belarus.

The case of Amina Lawal, a Nigerian woman sentenced to be stoned, was taken up by the Group. The Group condemned the sentence and demanded a positive outcome in the case. In September 2003 the court decided that Amina Lawal should not be prosecuted any longer.

In the case of Zimbabwe the Group has continuously condemned the illegal confiscation of land and attacks on members of the opposition by the government. The Group has also pushed for sanctions against those responsible for human rights abuses. The Council adopted these sanctions in 2002.

The situation in Cuba remains a matter of great concern for the EPP-ED Group. In 2003 the Cuban government arrested people who want to have democracy in Cuba. They have been sent to prison for many years. The Group demands the release of these people.

The EPP-ED Group successfully nominated Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, leader of the Opposition Movimento Cristiano de Liberacion de Cuba, as a candidate for the European Parliament’s 2002 Sakharov Prize for human rights and freedom of thought. This award was in honour of his promotion of the Varela project. The aim of this project is to offer the Cuban people a referendum, under the provisions of the existing constitution. The referendum is about the freedom of speech and association, respect for economic and social rights, and the release of political prisoners by the Castro regime.

In Laos, Burma and Belarus people are facing all kinds of harassment and oppression by the government. In Burma the focus is on the person of the Nobel Peace Prizewinner Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi. The Burmese government should respect the election results. The EPP-ED Group not only condemns the acts of these governments, but also demands the release of all political prisoners. What these and many other countries need is democracy.

Freedom of religion is very important for the EPP-ED Group. Unfortunately this freedom doesn't exist everywhere. The Group has focused on several cases in countries that are not respecting religious freedom. Examples are Cambodia, Vietnam and Kazakhstan. The Group demands an end to the obstruction of religious communities by the governments in these and other countries.

The EPP-ED Group supported the creation of the new International Criminal Court (ICC) as a key vehicle for bringing war criminals to justice.

The EPP-ED Group also welcomes the charter of fundamental rights of the European Union. Human rights should be respected everywhere. The Group demands that the charter be included in the European constitution.

The Group demands equal opportunities and the respect of women's rights, the rights of children as well as the protection of persons likely to be the victims of exclusion or discrimination.

According to the EPP-ED Group the EU will have to focus constantly on democracy and the respect of human rights in its relations with third countries. The inclusion of a specific clause relating to the respect of women's rights in the association and partnership agreements could be considered. This would be part of the already existing human rights clauses in agreements with third countries.


Andreas-Renatus Hartmann
Luigi Mazza
Juan Salafranca