Last week the European Parliament adopted its annual report on human rights in the world. The situations in Darfur, China and Russia receive special attention in the 2006 report. 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.
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.
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 cited. The report calls for a human rights clause with clearer obligations on Russia to be inserted into a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between EU and Russia.
For a full copy of the report, click here.
Compiled from: Human Rights and Wrongs: MEPs Look Back Over 2006, Press Release, European Parliament, 2 May 2007.