EP - Motions for resolutions for 59th Session of UNCHR

Motions for resolutions on the EU's rights, priorities and recommendations for the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva (17 March to 25 April 2003)

Doc.: B5-0064/2003, B5-0066/2003, B5-0067/2003, B5-0068/2003, B5-0072/2003, B5-0074/200
Debate: 29.01.200
Vote: 30.01.2003

Vote

The European Parliament adopted a resolution expressing its concern over the weakened role of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights as a result of the "highly confrontational atmosphere" during the Human Rights Commission's previous session, marking an increasing North/South divide, and of the fact that the rotating membership during last year's session included a large number of countries accused of human rights violations. It deplored the election of Libya to chair the UNCHR this year and strongly regretted the EU Member States' abstention during this vote.

Parliament called on the EU presidency to sponsor or support resolutions during the upcoming session on: China, in particular addressing the situation in Tibet and Xinjang; Russia, in particular addressing the situation in Chechnya; Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, the human rights situation in the Israeli Occupied Territories and in the area under the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Congo, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Ivory Coast, Sudan, Cuba, Colombia, North Korea, Burma and Nepal. Parliament in particular condemns the execution by China of Lobsang Dhondup from Tibet and urges the suspension of the death penalty against Lama Tenzin Delek.

MEPs also advocated a resolution inviting all states to introduce a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty completely. They requested the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iran in particular once again to end all executions immediately. In this respect, MEPs congratulated governor George Ryan of Illinois for having commuted the sentences of all 167 inmates on death row in his state. The European Parliament asks the EU presidency to sponsor a resolution calling on the US immediately to clarify the situation of prisoners in Guantanamo, including those who have lately been transferred to other parts of the US, and to release prisoners against whom there are no retainable charges. Parliament, furthermore, condemned the use of stoning, all forms of degrading and cruel punishment and all legalised forms of torture, notably as practised in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and some states of Nigeria.

Among other things, Parliament also called for a resolution on all forms of forced work, e.g. forced prostitution of children, women and men, forced child labour, child soldiers, slavery-like conditions of work and trafficking in human beings. It also warned that the fight against terrorism should in no way endanger the protection of fundamental human rights and must be based on international humanitarian law. MEPs decided to set up an ad hoc delegation to attend the UNCHR session and requested the Council and the European Commission to report back to Parliament on the outcome of the session by May 2003. Despite Parliament's insistence, the Council did not do so on the UNCHR session of last year.

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