The European Parliament adopted a resolution on EU
priorities for the UN Human Rights Council sessions in
2017.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP,
S&D, ECR, ALDE and Greens/EFA groups.
UN Human Rights Council:
recalling the need for the respect of human rights to be
mainstreamed in all EU policy areas, Parliament recalled the
EUs commitment to continue to support and defend its
integrity, independence and functioning. The EU should engage
actively and consistently with UN human rights
mechanisms.
Members encouraged all states to take concrete
steps to act on the Universal Periodic Review recommendations
and to overcome shortcomings by putting in place an implementation
and follow-up mechanism, including the establishment of national
plans of action and national coordination mechanisms.
Thematic priorities:
Parliament considered that the European Union should focus on the
following issues:
- the importance of the role of human rights NGOs and
defenders in the promotion and protection of human rights,
whistle-blowers, journalists or bloggers and condemning any act of
violence, harassment, intimidation or persecution against
them;
- the issues of freedom of expression online, digital
freedoms and the importance of a free and open internet to be
raised in all international fora;
- the right to freedom of association and
assembly;
- condemning any kind of discrimination and persecution
on any ground or status such as race, colour, language, religion
and belief, gender identity and sexual orientation, social origin,
caste, birth, age or disability;
- advocating zero tolerance for the death
penalty;
- speaking out in support of the UNs work against
torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or
punishment, mass executions and other executions;
- condemning the attacks by terrorist or paramilitary
organisations against civilians, particularly women and
children.
Parliament expressed its support for the
International Criminal Court (ICC) as a key institution for
holding perpetrators to account with regard to genocide, crimes
against humanity and war crimes.
The EU is called upon to:
- work actively towards an initiative on UN recognition
of the genocide against ethnic and religious minorities committed
by so-called ISIS/Daesh;
- encourage all states to place human rights at the
centre of their respective development policies and to implement
the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development;
- continue to promote equality between women and men and
to actively support the work of UN Women and gender mainstreaming
initiatives in its activities and programmes;
- continue to promote childrens rights, by
eliminating child labour, recruitment of child soldiers,
deprivation of liberty, torture, trafficking, child, early and
forced marriage, sexual exploitation and harmful practices such as
female genital mutilation;
- promote the rights of persons with disabilities,
including their equal participation and social
inclusion.
Parliament welcomed the UNs New York
Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which led to the
adoption of a global compact on a comprehensive refugee response
(CRR) framework and the commitment that applies to migrants and
refugees. It called for the EU and its Member States to take the
lead in these international efforts, and to uphold, in accordance
with their obligations under international law, their commitments
to protect the human rights of asylum seekers, refugees, migrants
and all displaced persons.