Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-21-Speech-3-296"
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"en.20040421.12.3-296"2
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".
Mr President, I too welcome the opportunity to address the House in the context of this debate on human rights. It is an important debate. As I mentioned before, it is an issue of particular concern and interest to me.
In her report, Ms De Keyser focuses on three main themes: first, trends in the international war on terrorism; second, the impact of the international situation on reproductive health; and third, the rights of disabled people, particularly in conflict situations or in extremely poor or developing countries.
In regard to disability, I was struck when reading the report by the reference to the fact that three-quarters of disabled people live in developing countries. The incidence and intensity of disability in the developing world is aggravated by poverty and, as Commissioner Patten has said, by conflict. It is a horrific fact that a huge amount of mutilation and disability flows from the use of landmines produced in so-called developed, civilised nations and then exported to the third world.
In recognition of the rights of persons with a disability, during the Irish presidency we will further progress work within the Union and at the UN-level to lead to an elaboration of a UN convention on the human rights of persons with disabilities.
In the context of reproductive health, the annual report highlights the worrying increase in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in eastern Europe and in central Asia, and the relationship between poverty and reproductive health issues. The Irish presidency has recognised the importance of addressing the AIDS issue and it is way beyond the capacity of any one government to solve. In February the presidency hosted a major conference in Dublin on the problem of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region under the title 'Breaking the barriers: the fight against HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia'.
On reproductive health in general, I want to state that the European Union will unstintingly work to ensure that the rights to reproductive health care and services accepted in all basic documents of the major UN conferences would be implemented.
The European Union and its Member States are committed to the specific reproductive health goal that was agreed at the Cairo International Conference. That is to make primary health care – reproductive health care – accessible to all individuals of appropriate age as soon as possible and no later than 2015. This commitment is demonstrated by the regulation, adopted by the European Council in July 2003, on aid for policies and actions on reproductive health.
As for terrorism, Mrs De Keyser is quite right to emphasise that the danger of emotional reactions, such as fear, anger and a desire for vengeance, can lead to calls for repressive measures in the fight against this phenomenon. This is a common theme that has run through so many of the debates in this House: we all are interested in a common fight against terrorism but we must also make sure that the fight is balanced with respect for human rights for democratic principles and for the rule of law.
In the period since September 2001, the fight against terrorism has become a global priority. At the same time, that fight has posed new challenges for the promotion and protection of human rights. Acts of terrorism can never be justified by any cause or ideology, and must unreservedly be condemned. The indiscriminate slaughter of unsuspecting human beings, which is the hallmark of terrorism, constitutes first and foremost a flagrant denial of the most fundamental right of all: the right to life.
All states have a duty to protect their citizens from terrorist attack and to combat terrorism in all its forms. Yet, in order to receive the widest possible support and to be successful in the long term, the fight against terrorism must be conducted in full respect of human rights and in full respect of fundamental freedoms. Fostering human rights should indeed become an integral part of any fight against terrorism.
We must also address the causes of terrorism. To seek to understand the causes of terrorism should not be understood as being in any way soft on terrorism or on the terrorists. On the contrary, it is an essential step in the elimination of terrorism.
Enhancing the dialogue between Parliament and the Council on human rights issues is very important. It is an important focus of the Irish presidency. It is very important that we should be close on this issue. I want to thank Ms De Keyser for her very valuable report on human rights in the world in 2003 and the EU's policy on the matter. The report will be part of a very important discourse. We might disagree on some elements within it, but the reality is that this is a very good report.
As the President of the European Council, Mr Ahern stated here in Parliament last month that any good physician will tell us that in treating a disease it is first necessary to tackle its causes as well as its symptoms. All too often the simplistic response to terrorism is equivalent to addressing only the symptoms, not the disease. In the context of combating terrorism, Mrs De Keyser also rightly notes the need not to use this objective as an excuse to suppress the freedom of the press and specifically not as a justification for attacks on individuals or individual journalists.
The European Union has traditionally attached great importance to the work performed by all human rights defenders, including those in the media. Human rights defenders have become increasingly effective in ensuring greater protection to victims of human rights violations. However, this progress has frequently been achieved at a high price and at high individual cost. The defenders themselves have increasingly become the targets of attacks and their rights have been violated in too many countries.
While the European Union has attached importance to the protection of human rights defenders this has been largely done on an ad hoc basis to date. The Irish presidency is working to produce specific policy guidelines in order to strengthen the European Union’s support for human rights defenders. These guidelines will shortly be brought before the Council of Ministers.
Let me again congratulate the rapporteur on her report. On behalf of the Council, the presidency welcomes this collaboration with Parliament in further advancing our common cause of democracy and human rights. The European Union is founded on respect for human rights, and this is true both of the internal affairs policy within the Union and it is equally true of our policy in foreign affairs.
The protection and promotion of human rights should be a constant yardstick of our international actions. We adhere to the basic principle that human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and inter-related. As Commissioner Patten just said, they are so closely related to the troubles we have in a troubled world.
I need not emphasise the close relationship between peace, security and stability on one hand and the respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy on the other.
The present debate in Parliament is timely, including for the reason that it coincides with the current sixth session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which is ongoing in Geneva. I should like to say a few words about our relationship with the Commission. The annual report of Parliament rightly makes reference to the large degree of congruence between the European Parliament's priorities as expressed in its resolutions and the EU action taken at sessions in the Human Rights Commission. This is a concrete example of the implementation of the Council and the European Parliament working together more closely to achieve openness and transparency and the European Union's human rights policy. Indeed this is one of the recommendations of the General Affairs and External Relations Council in their conclusions on 10 December 2002, concerning human rights and the democratisation of third countries.
The European Union has played a positive role at this year's commission in Geneva. To date, on individual country situations the Union has successfully tabled resolutions on human rights situations in Belarus, Turkmenistan and in North Korea. A resolution on Israeli settlements in the occupied Arab territories was also adopted by the Commission.
The thematic resolutions tabled by the European Union have also been successfully steered to adoption. The Union's resolution on the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance, for example, has been adopted by consensus. The resolution on the rights of the child was adopted by mere unanimity following a call for a vote by the United States. I expect that the Commission will also adopt the European Union's resolution on the death penalty later this week. All of that is to be welcomed.
However, a number of important United Nations-EU initiatives have fallen. This is due, in significant part, to the composition of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. It also reflects the unwillingness of some regional groups to accept any condemnation of their members. This has always struck me as one of the fatal flaws within the UN system. An initiative from the EU on Chechnya was defeated and our resolution on Zimbabwe fell to a 'No Action' motion. It is noteworthy that the number of votes that were cast against the draft resolution on Chechnya was, this year, significantly higher than those recorded on the same issue last year. We will have to analyse this outcome and learn why this has happened. We will also need to address the number of critical, country-specific resolutions that we table at the Commission. Not least, we need to decide on whether our priority is to make Union declarations so that the world knows where we stand, or to see our texts in fact adopted by a majority of members of the Commission. If I could lapse into less diplomatic language, it may be time that the European Union learned to 'box a little more cleverly' in its dealings on the Human Rights Commission. If we want to be effective, as opposed to simply making declarations, we have to be strategic in our approach.
I want to deal with three priority areas that are mentioned in the report."@en1
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