(Sir Europe - Brussels) - With a report drawn up by British MEP Richard Howitt, the EU Parliament is taking care again of “human rights in the world” during its plenary session of 17-20 April (a debate and a voting sessions have been planned too). The report, which contains over 50 pages, is about the protection of fundamental rights, including freedom of religion and freedom of expression, the EU action for peace and development, not least in connection with the work of the UN and the International Criminal Court, the EU neighbourhood policy. Many sections are focussed on death penalty, torture, abused women (for which “zero tolerance” is sought), children’s rights, several forms of discrimination, control over the arms trade. The text that will be submitted to Parliament points out “that the EU policies should be consistent and exemplary within the Union, as well as consistent and in line with the fundamental values and principles, so as to maximise the European Union’s credibility in the world as well as the effectiveness of its human rights policies”. The report “calls the United States to meet their promise to close down the detention facility at Guantànamo Bay”; in addition, it calls the EU and the member states “to adopt without further delay the measures required to make sure migrants trying to enter the EU are rescued at sea”. (continued)

The report submitted to the EU Parliament lists lots of cases of human rights that have been breached in the world, making some specific examples about Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt … The document “draws attention to such plagues as forced sex-selective abortion, forced sterilisation and female genital mutilation”. The section about “Human rights, religious freedom and the persecution of Christians in the world” “firmly condemns” “any persecution based on religion or belief”. The EU Parliament “keeps its promise to make religious freedom a reality in all the areas of the world, as part of the strengthening of the EU efforts in its bilateral and multilateral action”; it “reiterates its concern about the full and real respect of the right to freedom of religion for all religious minorities in a number of third countries”. In addition, the report “firmly condemns any act of violence against Christians, Jews, Muslims and other religious communities, as well as of any form of discrimination and intolerance based on religion or belief and targeted to people who practise a religion, to apostates or non believers”.