The European Parliament adopts OMCT’s amendments in its Annual Report on Human Rights

In adopting this Report, the European Parliament has indeed reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of human rights and the fight against torture throughout the world. In this respect, OMCT appreciates the inclusion in the Report of a number of suggestions that OMCT submitted in order to support the development of the EU policy on human rights.

In particular, OMCT welcomes the adoption of the paragraph calling on the Council and on the Commission to enhance the cooperation with the Council of Europe in a view to creating a “Europe-wide zone free from torture and other forms of ill-treatment, as a clear signal that European countries are firmly committed to eradicating these practices also within their borders”.

As for EU trade policy and investments in third countries, OMCT considers a decisive achievement the adoption of paragraph 128, urging the Commission to ensure that the economic activities of EU private companies in third countries - in particular as regards the exploitation of natural resources - abide by international human rights standards, including the obligation to obtain the prior and informed consent of local communities and indigenous peoples affected.

The European Parliament also endorsed OMCT’s suggestion to include a clear reference to the special situation of human rights defenders in the new EU Common Code on Visas, as well as an explicit mention of economic, social and cultural rights defenders within this category.

Moreover, OMCT welcomes the fact the European Parliament reaffirmed the principle of interdependence of human rights by highlighting the need for a human rights impact assessment accompanying the Sustainability Impact Assessments of DG Trade. In this respect, OMCT recalls that this is in line with the recommendations of the EU Human Rights Forum - held in Lisbon in December 2007 - on the topic of economic, social and cultural rights.

Further inputs provided by OMCT include, among others, the explicit mention of the principle of indivisibility of human rights, as well as a call for transparency in the process of renewal of the UNHRC special procedure mandates, which should be both gender and geographically balanced.

Finally, OMCT welcomes the opinion submitted to the Report by the Committee on Civil Liberties and, in particular, the adoption of the paragraph calling on the EU for a more holistic approach in addressing torture that takes into consideration a wide spectrum of possible measures aimed at eradicating torture, including prevention, assistance to victims and the fight against impunity.

OMCT now calls on the Council of the European Union and on the Commission to follow-up the pronouncement of the European Parliament by adopting concrete measures aimed at addressing the concerns expressed in the Report.

Geneva, 27 May 2008