Human rights and wrongs: MEPs look back over 2006

Last week the European Parliament adopted its annual report on human rights in the world. The situation in Darfur, China and Russia receive special attention in the 2006 report. In particular Moscow’s actions to restrict NGOs come in for criticism, while MEPs want trade with China made «contingent» on human rights reform. It also criticised the EU for not doing enough to make the Sudanese government accept an international peacekeeping force in Darfur.

The report - drafted by Irish European People’s Party member Simon Coveney - looks at the human rights activities of the European Commission, the Council and the Parliament. It identifies offenders, assesses EU actions and makes recommendations. Below is an overview of some of the key points.

Darfur: Peacekeeping force and no-fly zone needed

MEPs would like to see the EU taking more «unilateral action» to get the government of Sudan to accept a peacekeeping force. They also strongly back a no-fly zone and «targeted sanctions» should the regime not comply with the demands of the international community.

As well as a challenge for the EU - Mr Coveney also sees the crisis there as an «acid test» for the UN’s new Human Rights Council. The council has replaced the controversial Human Rights Commission whose members were themselves violators of human rights. Speaking before the debate, French Green MEP Hélène Flautre told a press conference that «we are concerned about the efficiency and credibility of UNHRC».

China: «serious concerns» remain

The report expresses serious concern about the number of executions in China and MEPs say the EU’s human rights dialogue with Beijing needs to be improved. According to the report, the Union should «raise the question of Tibet» and make the growing trade relationship between the two sides contingent on human rights guarantees.

It also comments on the «deterioration of the human rights situation» in Iran and calls on the Council of Ministers to raise the issue during any contacts with Tehran.

Russia: restrictions on NGOs criticised

The Russian government came in for strong criticism, especially regarding new legislation to restrict the activities of NGOs and threats to «journalists and human rights defenders». The murders of two vocal critics of the Kremlin in the last year - Anna Politkovskaya and Alexander Litvinenko - were also mentioned. For Mrs Politkovskaya the report is «appalled» at the murder and calls for greater protection of journalists whilst for Mr Litvinenko it says it is «concerned about allegations of Russian involvement».

The Coveney report is stark in its appraisal of the EU’s influence on Russia saying it has only had «limited success» in bring about policy change. It calls for a human rights clause with clearer obligations on Russia to be inserted into a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Russia. This agreement is currently stalled in a dispute over Polish meat exports.

Ban cluster bombs, stem flow of conflict diamonds

In the report MEPs call for an EU-wide ban on cluster bombs - where unexploded ordinance can lie scattered around a wide area endangering civilians.

The human rights report also calls for the Commission to take advantage of its chairmanship of the Kimberly Commission in 2007 to push for stronger action to stem the flow of «conflict diamonds», which often fuel wars in Africa’s poorest countries.

Finally, it calls on the Council to «reassess the procedure for listing terrorist groups and...consider a clear method for taking groups off the list». You can read more about the Parliament’s 2006 Human Rights report and a debate on it by following the links below.

Further information :

 Report

 Human Rights debate 26 April

 Press service report on human rights