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Jean's name was one of 109 on an appeal to prevent a war in Iraq, a Green initiative in the European Parliament.
Read the appeal and list of signatures
JEAN CALLS FOR UK TO RATIFY MIGRATION TREATY ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Migrant workers in the UK are amongst the most vulnerable in Europe due to Government refusal to ratify a UN treaty guaranteeing their human rights, according to Green MEP Jean Lambert.
Jean's London constituency has one of the highest densities of migrant workers in Europe. She has called on foreign secretary Jack Straw to ratify the 1990 UN 'Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families' at a conference organised to mark World Human Rights Day (Tuesday, December 10).
8th December
What has been the impact of Western
investment in key communities such as
the Kurds, Colombians, Afghans and Tamils?
How does the British Government contribute to human rights violations? How do
arms sales support repressive regimes?
Asylum seekers are increasingly demonised as Economic Migrants in search of easy welfare. But the vast majority are fleeing social or economic oppression. Jean addressed this seminar on the broader links between enforced migration and globalisation.
Proposals to crack down on rogue employment agencies have come under the spotlight at the European Parliament. MEPs are to consider European Commission proposals to extend full-time employment rights to the millions of temporary staff employed by agencies across the EU.
Jean Lambert MEP, whose London constituency boasts one of the highest densities of temping agencies in Europe, said: "Many of London's employment agencies are extremely reputable and offer us examples of best practice.
Read about the Temporary Agency Workers Directive
Read the Green/EFA Group press release
JEAN CALLS FOR AN EU WORKING GROUP ON THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE EU CONVENTION
Employment and social welfare are to come under the spotlight of a new working group to the Convention charged with drawing up blueprints for a new constitution for the EU after enlargement in 2004 after members responded to pressure from unions, welfare groups - and a few far-sighted politicians. The decision, announced by Convention president Valerie Giscard d'Istaing, was taken after a broad consensus emerged amongst Convention members to support a cross-party call for the working group.
Jean Lambert welcomed the decision. "This is fantastic news," she said. "Greens in Europe have been seeking the views of employers, unions and organisations working on social issues for some time, and we have heard the same message over and over again - if it is to be more than simply a market any new constitution must give the European Union a human face by placing social issues and workers' rights on a level footing with trade liberalisation and employers' interests.
Read Jean Lambert's report with Jill Evans MEP on the Future of the EU convention
UK UNDERMINES FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKERS SAYS JEAN (EU DIRECTIVE ON TRAFFICKING)
The UK Government plans to opt out of European rules that would grant temporary residence permits to victims of human trafficking.
In a letter to Immigration Minister Beverley Hughes urging her to reconsider the Government's position, Green MEP Mrs Lambert says opting out risks violating the human rights of victims and could jeopardise international efforts to stamp out the illegal people-smuggling rings.
GREEN PARTY LAUNCHES ALTERNATIVE ENERGY REVIEW AT SOLAR CENTURY IN LONDON
A new review of energy use will show how England could aspire to world leadership in the field of non-nuclear renewable energy - improving quality of life, abolishing fuel poverty, creating sustainable jobs, and reducing the health and environmental costs of nuclear and fossil-fuel energy production. The Green Party Alternative Energy Review will broaden out the energy debate after two UK government energy reviews this year have failed to ask the right questions about energy use.
Link to the Green Party website
JEAN CALLS ON UK GOVERNMENT AND BP TO PULL FINANCIAL BACKING FOR CONTROVERSIAL OIL PIPELINE
It will be no surprise that BP is involved in another controversial pipeline project, or that the proposed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline will further destabilise an already conflict-riven region or, for that matter, that a pipeline boasting a 1m barrels a day capacity will accelerate global warming.
Neither is it unusual that the scheme will have most impact on already oppressed minorities in Turkey and the Caucasus region, or that the proposals are motivated by the oil companies' drive to maximise profits, rather than security of supply. Perhaps more surprising will be the contribution of the UK government in underwriting part of the project's cost with taxpayers money channelled through the Export Credit Guarantee Department.
Read Jean's letter to the Independent
Read about the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline campaign
A report adopted 22nd October by a clear majority of Euro MPs puts pressure on governments to ensure that all asylum migrants in need of international protection are welcomed to EU countries.
Jean Lambert, who drew up the proposals for the Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee, said: "I am delighted that Parliament has adopted this position, which demonstrates that Europe's traditional commitment to humanitarianism and the spirit of international human rights law remains as strong as ever."
The European Parliament is adamant that the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees should be interpreted broadly as originally intended, so that all those in need of help will be granted protection. The Convention is the basis of international refugee law and was drawn up in the light of the aftermath of the Second World War and the Cold War. It binds states to grant protection to refugees with a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of their race, nationality, political opinions or membership of a social group.
The House of Commons
Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry into the future of saving
for retirement. The NPC has submitted written evidence to the inquiry which can
be downloaded from www.natpencon.org.uk/index.htm.
Jean Lambert's office went to hear the concerns of the NPC.
Read Jean Lambert's briefing on the EU and pensions
There are over 37 million people with disabilities in the European Union. In 2003, the European Commission and the disability movement are organising the European Year of People with disabilities, to highlight barriers and discrimination and to improve the lives for those of us who have a disability. The European Commission will organise a major event, called the People’s March.
Starting in January 2003 in Athens, a specially designed European Year bus will travel through the 15 EU member countries, with disabled children, their friends and allies accompanying the bus on its journey.' The disability community in each country will organise events along the bus’s route. Besides the March, there will be thousand of activities such as street festivals, competitions and demonstrations taking place in towns and villages throughout Europe.
WORK has begun on a controversial 100m mast at a British military base in Cyprus before a report into the antenna's impact on more than 240 bird species has been completed, according to London's Green MEP Jean Lambert.
Mrs Lambert, who has just returned from a fact-finding visit to the Akrotiri military base on the Mediterranean island nation - which is set to join the EU in 2004 - said local feelings are running high. Speaking at a press conference outside the base, Mrs Lambert - who later discussed the case with Cyprus Green MP George Perdikis - said: "What are we doing allowing any sort of installation - whether a giant fish and chip shop or a 100m military antenna - to be built on a site of international ecological significance?"
Jean spoke at a conference organised by Yorkshire CND, in Sheffield, on missile defence, militarization of space and the broader economic and military strategies of the West from a European perspective. Jean looked at moves within Europe to dominate militarily and economically, at the expense of the environment, peace and the poor.
Jean on the Yorkshire CND platform
Jean Lambert MEP joined Crispin Truman, Green Candidate for Mayor of Hackney in support of his "Feel Good About Hackney" Campaign. She joined Crispin at the Narroway shopping area in Mare Street on Friday morning to meet local people and support the Green's campaign.
Stop the War Coalition rally
The National Demonstration on 28th September against the threat of war against Iraq was jointly organised by the Stop the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain and supported by many organisations and individuals, including Jean Lambert (Green MEP for London).
Jean attended the rally at Hyde Park under her local party, Waltham Forest Green Party, banner.
Jean met with Ealing's Polish Catholic community at their Civic Mass. This was at Mayor of Ealing's invitation.
Jean
gave the keynote speech at the AGM of the Centre for Alternative Technology in
Machynlleth, North Wales.
GREEN PARTY CONDEMNS UK GOVERNMENT BID TO BUILD TELECOM MAST IN CYPRUS
The UK's leading Green politicians have condemned the government's bid to build a 190-metre telecom mast at a British army base in Cyprus. The joint statement of support for a Cypriot MP arrested during protests against the mast plan has been signed by Green peer Lord Beaumont, Robin Harper MSP, the UK Green MEPs, a spokesperson for Wales Green Party/Plaid Werdd Cymru, and the leader of the Greens on the London Assembly.
London Green's Cyprus campaign wins national backing
LONDON campaigners fighting construction of a 200m spy antenna by the British military in Cyprus have won the backing of the Green Party at its National Conference.
The party adopted an emergency motion proposed by former Birds of a Feather star Peter Polycarpou and London MEP Jean Lambert calling for an immediate halt to building work and destruction and removal of wildlife from the Akrotiri wetland, a protected wildlife habitat and proposed nature reserve.
Read Emergency Motion and Press Release
Tony Blair must oppose US plans for Star Wars missile defence and war on Iraq or risk destroying the UK's international reputation, London MEP Jean Lambert told the CND Annual Conference on Sunday (September 15, 2002). "The Bush administration's attitude to international law completely undermines any supposed rationale for war on Iraq. We have seen time and time again how the US uses its military and economic might to ignore or undermine any international obligations which stand in its way," said Mrs Lambert.
London Green Party Federation rejects Mayor's Plan
London Greens from across Greater London met at their annual conference yesterday to discuss Ken Livingston's draft London Plan - rejecting it as failing to protect the environment or improve quality of life for Londoners.
The conference - attended by London's Green MEP, the Mayor's Environment Adviser, Green members of the London Assembly, and prominent Green campaigners and party members - voted overwhelmingly to "oppose the plan as it has been drafted".
Secret negotiations on allowing US investigators greater access to criminal suspects in Europe could weaken human rights protection across the EU, London's Green Party MEP Jean Lambert has warned.
A proposed co-operation agreement with the US to be discussed by EU home secretaries meeting in Copenhagen on Friday (September 13) could allow suspects to be tried twice for the same crime, contravene existing data protection legislation and even erode Europe's absolute ban on the death penalty, Mrs Lambert told home secretary David Blunkett.
MEPs called for aircraft to be taxed on the basis of the noise pollution they produce - and rejected a European Commission proposal to keep the charges artificially low for the largest, and noisiest, aircraft.
2nd September
Jean Lambert MEP has agreed to sign a European Parliamentary motion on the UN's monitoring in Indonesia. The motion was circulated by Proinsias de Rossa MEP for MEPs to sign. TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, is one of the organisations supporting the motion
Read their article: http://tapol.gn.apc.org/166-7west.htm.