Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-24-Speech-3-202"
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"en.20100224.19.3-202"2
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"The issue of women’s rights is always high on my agenda, and therefore I am particularly pleased when they are also a focus of our discussions here in plenary, as today. The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality has adopted a resolution that represents Parliament’s position as regards the Beijing platform. I would like to thank our colleagues on the committee very much for their good cooperation.
The platform adopted in 1995 within the framework of the United Nations was an historically important step. The Platform for Action adopted was the first global document of its type. It took an overall view of women’s conditions and rights. The UN has a long and proud tradition in the area of human rights and adopted a declaration as far back as 1948.
The Universal Declaration comprises 30 articles and they are often cited. This Declaration already stated – in Article 2 – that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind, and sex is expressly mentioned. Within the EU, the issue of equality between women and men has a clear basis both in the treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The committee was united on the importance of the Beijing platform and the need to work more specifically within the EU on systematically monitoring developments and ensuring that we move towards increased equality in every area. The new European Institute for Gender Equality, based in Vilnius, will be a way for us to obtain assistance with this work and will also be able to provide research to show which political measures are most effective, for there are many areas in which we do not have the necessary facts or knowledge.
I support the proposal for a European Protection Order, which I am very pleased that the Spanish Presidency has tabled. The Beijing platform contains a number of areas that are incredibly important if we are to make progress. These are areas such as poverty which, first and foremost, affects women, inadequate access to health care for women, violence against women in all its forms, and inequality in economic structures and in economic policy.
As you are aware, a delegation of eight MEPs is to travel to New York to represent the European Parliament. We will follow the discussions and negotiations that form part of the assessment of how far the world has come in 15 years towards achieving the objectives of the platform. We will take the resolution that we are adopting tomorrow with us to New York, and it is important for us to have it with us.
The Committee adopted one paragraph stating that sexual and reproductive health and sexual and reproductive rights are part of women’s rights and that these need to be improved in Europe and globally. The Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) has requested a separate vote on this paragraph. We all know that when people want to vote separately on a paragraph, it is because it is particularly important, and that is why they do not want it voted on in a block with the rest of the resolution.
I entirely agree with the PPE Group that paragraph 9 is central. However, I fear that they want to vote down this paragraph, which I feel would be deeply regrettable. I am fully aware that the Members of this Parliament have differing views and values, and that is only right. That is why we debate and discuss. This wording is a minimum, however, and should be able to be supported by everyone. No other wording has been proposed to replace paragraph 9. It would be most unfortunate if we went to New York with a resolution that does not even state the minimum on this fundamental issue, which is, after all, an extremely central issue at global level.
I hope and believe that everyone can accept the wording as it stands, because it only states what is self-evident to all of us. In the process, we also worked closely with thousands of different women and women’s organisations, giving this document a unique basis."@en1
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