19/09/2014

Jean writes in the Parliament Magazine on the European Parliament’s emergency resolution on the Ebola outbreak.

You can read the full article here: https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/opinion/strasbourg-round-meps-back-eu-emergency-ebola-plan

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LONDON’S Green MEP Jean Lambert has prompted the European Parliament to call for international action to help bring peace in Nigeria’s long-running conflict with extremists Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has brought violence to parts of Africa’s most-populous country for over a decade, killing thousands – Christians, Muslims, government employees and targeting schools and public places.

In April the group made headlines around the world when it abducted some 276 girls from a school in Borno state; over 200 girls remain missing, and are thought to be at risk of being sold into slavery or forced marriages.

And things are getting worse: the rate and spread of attacks is increasing.

The government response has been heavily criticised, often relying on indiscriminate violence rather than targeted intelligence.

Some 10,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring countries Niger and Cameroon and a state of emergency has been in place in three states for more than a year. Many more remain internally displaced within Nigeria.

“Tens of thousands are suffering at the hands of this terror,” said Ms Lambert.

“It has sparked a refugee crisis, that is in turn putting huge strain in the water and food supplies of an already severely-impoverished region.

“Obviously our starting point is expressing our deepest sympathy for all affected by this violence, but the violence has gone on long enough.

“The EU is engaged in Nigeria on issues such as governance and peace-building, as is the UN.

“The Nigerian Government must now take concerted action to tackle the violence and develop Nigeria’s true potential.

“This means tackling corruption so that its wealth can be used to reduce inequalities within and between regions, especially the growing North-South divide.

“The Government must also guarantee the rule of law and protect the human rights of its citizens.”

Ms Lambert proposed a resolution to condemn the violence and call for a greater role for the UN, EU and UNICEF at the European Parliament. It was passed with a huge majority.

For the full text of the resolution, see here.

For a video of Jean speaking in the debate, see here.

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The cross-party resolution, co-proposed by London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert, comes just weeks after Christian Meriam Yahia Ibrahim was released after successfully appealing against a death penalty for apostasy.

“Meriam’s case truly shocked the world,” said Ms Lambert. “That she was sentenced to death for what should have been a private religious decision, and forced to give birth in prison, in shackles, was a clear violation of her most basic human rights.

“Sadly, she is not alone. Her case is just one of a series of judicial decisions against women and girls that criminalise these private and personal decisions and, in many cases, lead to cruel and inhumane punishments.

“Sudan really needs to commit to fully protect the freedom of expression, religion and privacy of all living in the country, in line with its commitments under international human rights treaties.”

She added: “It needs to repeal all laws pulling in a different direction, change its policy regarding the way women prisoners are treated during childbirth, abolish the death penalty, and end a culture of impunity for those committing human rights abuses, which would include bringing all responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur to justice.

“I hope this resolution passed this week with cross-party support makes the EU position clear, and will prompt the Sudanese government into swift action.”

For the full text of the resolution, see here.

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“We are all too aware of the unacceptably high levels of poverty, inequality and environmental degradation across the African continent,” she said, in light of the EU-Africa summit taking which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“But the answers must lie in deepening dialogue, improving the accountability of big business and supporting African governments, particularly on climate change – as well as tackling issues of human rights.

“Let’s be clear – there are terrible human rights abuses taking place in some African countries: legislation outlawing homosexuality in Uganda and Nigeria are good examples, as are recent well-documented attacks on freedom of speech, recent reports of torture and disappearances and the silencing of political opposition. I was especially shocked to hear about the case of Dr Amadou Janneh who was sentenced to life in jail for printing T-shirts critical of the government in Gambia.

“But Africa is not just one place, and many African nations are facing quite different issues.

“We need to deepen and develop our relationships with different African countries to recognise the diversity across the continent.

“Climate change will be a growing background to many of these relationships – and we need a dialogue as to how Africa’s energy needs can be met without making the same mistakes as countries that industrialised some time ago.”

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Rebel groups, including ‘M23′, have seized control of several mining towns and cities in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the latest phase of civil war in the African country.

Their troops – including children – have been accused of systematic human rights violations, including the rape of women and girls, despite reportedly being backed by the governments of Uganda and Rwanda, both recipients of humanitarian aid from several EU members.

London Green Party MEP Jean Lambert, who was one of nine MEPs proposing a motion calling for an immediate end to atrocities in the region, said:

“Millions have died and thousands of women and girls have been systematically raped in the on-going military struggle for resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Many of these atrocities are being carried out by rebel groups, but there is increasing evidence that they are being backed by the governments of Uganda and Rwanda – both countries receiving considerable aid from across the EU.

“It is significant that MEPs have unanimously agreed that this is unacceptable, that all such cross-border interference should stop immediately, and that all perpetrators of human rights violations and war crimes – and their backers – should be prosecuted under national and international law.”

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The resolution, passed by MEPs across the political spectrum, urges the Nigerian government to take measures to end the violence as quickly as possible, guaranteeing the security and protection of its population, and also calls on all religious and ethnic communities to exercise restraint and peaceful means to resolve differences.

Speaking after the vote, Jean, who formed part of the European Parliament Election Observation Mission to Nigeria last April for the Presidential elections, said: “The conduct of last year’s Presidential elections struck a cautious note of optimism for the future, and hinted at a new standard of democratic integrity for the nation.  The people of Nigeria do want a government fit for purpose – it is why millions stood in the sun for hours on end waiting to vote.  Obviously the Nigerian government needs to deal effectively with these attacks in order for people to live in peace, but it also needs to deal with the gross inequality, fuelled by corruption, faced by so many in Nigeria.

“This cannot be done without resources, a functioning state and active civil society.  The EU has made a commitment to Nigeria; we can demonstrate that through the introduction of the Transparency Directive and helping to track money held in EU banks, which rightfully belongs to the national purse.”

END

Notes to Editor

1. The full resolution can be read here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2012-0090&language=EN&ring=B7-2012-0149

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The bill, which will now be sent to the country’s lower house for ratification before being approved by President Goodluck Jonathan, also seeks to tighten existing laws against homosexuality by making gay and lesbian public displays of affection a jailable offence and banning gay right groups.

Jean, a Member of the European Parliament’s cross-party Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, said today:

“I am shocked and deeply alarmed by the Nigerian Senate’s approval of this bill, which will effectively ban gay marriage in Africa’s most populous nation.  A 2008 survey carried out by Nigeria’s Information for Sexual and Reproductive Rights found that only 1.4 per cent of Nigerians feel ‘tolerant’ towards the gay community.  If approved, the law will only further institutionalise this mindset – a truly worrying development.

“The proposed bill goes against the most fundamental principles of human rights and democracy.  It is indefensible to curtail people’s rights on the grounds of who they are.  As a member of the international community, it is the duty of the Nigerian government to protect the rights of all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation and without exception. I will now write, without delay, to the Nigerian High Commission to raise my concerns with regards to this barbaric law.”

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The resolution, which gained cross-group support, condemns the resurgence of violence and intimidation in the country, which has led to the arbitrary arrests of human rights and political activists, and calls upon the Southern African community to do all it can in paving the way for free and fair elections.

Speaking after the vote, Jean said: “I believe that a genuine political process, inclusive of all parties that renounce violence and with free and fair elections, is the only way to achieve long term peace, stability and prosperity for Zimbabwe.  Whilst I welcome the economic progress that has been made since 2008, this has sadly not been matched in critically important areas such as democratic reforms and human rights.”

“The European Union and its Member States must take a firm stand against what is happening.  We should continue to exercise what possible influence we can on the Zimbabwean government to ensure it complies with its legal obligations under international human rights treaties.”

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The resolution, which focuses on the use of sexual violence in conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East, condemns the targeting of peaceful female demonstrators during the recent political upheaval in Libya and Egypt and calls for an independent inquiry to be established to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Speaking after the vote, Jean, who sits on the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, said: “The fact that women across the world are still prevented from expressing their views on the democratic future of their country due to fear of violent attacks and intimidation is a stain on the conscience of the international community.  The situation cannot be ignored – it demands decisive action.

“The current political changes taking place in North Africa and the Middle East must result in the creation of new, democratic frameworks which protect women and girls from violence and allows for their voices to be heard.  I urge the European Union to do all it can to end discrimination against women and to use its influence to ensure effective and systematic equality in the European Neighbourhood.”

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The resolution, which was adopted yesterday, has requested Council and Commission consider a legislative initiative based on the US ‘Conflict Minerals’ Law. The law requires American companies to disclose what steps they are taking to ensure that their products, including laptops, cell phones and medical devices do not contain “conflict mineral”, such as gold, tin tungsten from the DRC or neighboring countries.

Jean said: “Today’s vote not only strongly condemns the mass atrocities carried out in Democratic Republic of Congo during the summer [2], but also represents an important development for the promotion of corporate social responsibility.

“The illegal exploitation of DRC’s natural resources is a big factor in fuelling and exacerbating the conflict – conflict that has resulted in mass rapes, killings and other human rights violations. By supporting a request for the Council and Commission to consider legislation based on the US ‘Conflict Minerals’ Law, the European Parliament has accepted that business must not turn a blind eye and has an important role to play in developing a just, fair and inclusive society.

“Of course the situation in the DRC cannot be solved by business alone, and the resolution also calls on the Congolese authorities to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation and to bring to justice those responsible for the heinous crimes. Furthermore, as a matter of urgency, it calls on the UN Security Council to take all possible measures to prevent any further attacks on the civilian population.”

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