Human Rights First

Dalai Lama’s official visit to the European Parliament has been scheduled for December 3 in the Strasburg headquarter. Hans-Gert Poettering, president of the 27 country assembly, gave the news last week, at the plenary session held in Brussels on May 7 and 8, during his encounter with Kesang Yangki Takla, minister of International Relations of the Tibet Government in exile…Among the issues addressed human rights in the world, the value of sport in contemporary society, the lobby regulation around common institutions.Tibet, China and Burma. “China must immediately begin substantive discussions leading to meaningful negotiations with representatives of the Dalai Lama”, Mr Poettering said during the meeting with the Tibet representative. “I have met the Dalai Lama three or four times and Minister Takla reconfirmed to me what he himself has always stated: he is not seeking independence for Tibet but autonomy within the Chinese constitution “, to “enable the Tibetan people to manage their own affairs in areas of religion, culture and social norms”. Poettering asked the parties involved to find a constructive dialogue and asked China to respect rights and freedom of the Tibet people. At the beginning of the session, Mr. Poettering expressed solidarity to the Burma people, remembering the “enormous tragedy that killed tens of thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless”. The Nargis cyclone created an “unprecedented disaster” , that calls for international community action. Mr. Poettering has then listed the responsibilities of Asian country’s “governing military junta” that “hasn’t address the situation adequately”. The Commission has approved the first financial aid, and explained to the deputies the intervention initiatives to help people struck by the hurricane that will soon follow.Churches are not “lobbies”. Various issues have been addressed by the Assembly. Among them, that of the 15 thousand lobbyists in Brussels, one third of whom accredited at the EU Parliament. A consolidated reality , that has been ruled in the Parliament since 1996 by a register, available on the web. By approving the German MEP Ingo Friedrich ‘s report (547 yes, 24 no and 59 abstentions), the Assembly calls for the creation of a common mandatory public list for all the EU institutions and an ethical conduct to rule its activity. The report includes the definition of lobbyism: Friedrich talks of a series of “activities aimed at influencing policies and decision-making of European institutions”. In the EU’s offices “stakeholders” and associated realities (not only economic, but also social, cultural, voluntary work and environment) “play an essential role in an open and pluralistic dialogue, the pillars of every democratic system”. An “open” but also “independent” Parliament, Commission and Council: the text states that the euro-deputies “must be able to carry out independent policies from the lobbyists”. The creation of a “one-stop-shop” for the accreditation and ethical code will “rule their existence”. On the other hand, the members of Parliament have ruled out another amendment that would have equated churches and religious communities to lobbies, rather than considering them as essential for the Continental integration process.Human rights in the world. The Parliament also approved (533 in favour, 63 against and 41 abstentions) after a long debate and vote on various amendments, the Italian MEP Marco Cappato’s report on defence and promotion of human rights in the world. They have been defined as universal and inseparable from the rule of law and international order, to promote peace, freedom, justice and democracy “. This is why the text attacks the lack of consistency in the EU foreign policy. The EU must also support international courts and the enforcement of the death penalty moratorium of recently approved by the UN. Furthermore “race, religious, gender and sex discrimination” should be combated. The 80-page report highlights rights violations in different countries such as China, Russia, Burma, Darfur. Also issues on ethnic minorities, exploitation of minors, violence against women and children emerged. The overall focus on religious creed is less pressing. Some parts of the report on the safeguard of sexual health and the family are controversial. The report also calls for 2010 to be “European Year of Non-violence”.