Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. MINUTES of the meeting of 25 June 2015, Brussels

Transcription

1 European Parliament Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula DARP_PV(2015)0625_1 MINUTES of the meeting of 25 June 2015, Brussels The meeting opened at on Thursday, 25 June 2015, with Michèle Alliot-Marie (Chair) presiding the first part and Alessia Mosca (First Vice-Chair) presiding the second part. 1. Adoption of draft agenda (PE ) The draft agenda was adopted without modification. 2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 28 May 2015 (PE ) The minutes of the meeting of 28 May 2015 were approved without modification. 3. Chair s announcements The Chair informed Members that the current meeting had been organised following the Conference of Delegation Chairs' proposal that each delegation holds an annual meeting on human rights. On the proposal of the Chair, and as recommended by the Conference of Delegation Chairs, Members appointed Alessia Mosca, First Vice-Chair, as the delegation's focal point for human rights. 4. Debriefing on the UN-facilitated talks on Yemen, held from June in Geneva, by H.E. Ms Bettina Muscheidt, Head of the EU Delegation to Yemen Ambassador Muscheidt debriefed Members on the outcome of the UN-facilitated talks on Yemen, which had failed to reach a ceasefire agreement, and highlighted that the humanitarian crisis in the country is deepening with more than 80 % of the population in need of humanitarian assistance and hundreds of civilians killed and thousands injured. She called for an urgent lifting of the sea blockade to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into the country, but explained that even once the blockade will be lifted, the distribution of aid within the country will remain a major challenge. PV\ doc PE v01-00 United in diversity

2 Commenting on remarks by the Chair and Afzal Khan (S&D/UK) regarding the consequences of the conflict, Ambassador Muscheidt pointed out that the current crisis will not only have a devastating effect on the development path of Yemen but will also have longterm consequences on the stability in the region, increase migratory flows and play into the hands of trans-regional radicalism. H.E. Mr Dharar Abdul Razzak Razzooqi, Head of the Mission of Kuwait to the European Union, recalled that the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have always sought for a peaceful and political solution in Yemen. However, given the recent security threats, the military operation of the Saudi-led coalition has become unavoidable to preserve the stability and security of the Arabian Peninsula. 5. Exchange of views on the human rights situation in the Gulf countries with a particular focus on the situation of migrant workers Alessia Mosca (S&D/IT), First Vice-Chair, commented on some of the latest human rightsrelated developments in the Gulf States and recalled that the European Parliament should do its best to keep the issue on the highest level of EU-GCC relations. She encouraged the Gulf States to improve their communication on human rights and on ongoing reforms, arguing that this could increase understanding and knowledge about the developments in the region and help to work against misconceptions. Drewery Dyke, researcher on Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, Amnesty International, gave an overview of the human rights situation in the Gulf States, where there are serious concerns regarding the freedom of expression, of assembly and of association. He put special emphasis on the United Arab Emirates UEA), which, according to him, had slipped under the radar in the past few years, and cited cases of multiple arrests and of torture. Mustafa Qadri, researcher on Gulf migrants rights, Amnesty International, elaborated on the situation of migrant workers, pointing out that in spite of their importance for the Gulf countries' economies, they are inadequately protected by law and face exploitation and abuse. He recommended reforming the sponsorship, or "kafala", system, abolishing the exit permit system, and improving workers' rights as well as the measures to enforce them. He stressed that multinational companies and organisations such as the FIFA should also contribute to improve the working conditions and called on the EU and its Member States as well as on the workers' countries of origin to increase the pressure on the Gulf States to reform their labour systems. Rothna Begum, women s rights researcher on the Middle East and North Africa, Human Rights Watch, sketched out the situation of the about 2.4 million domestic workers in the GCC countries, who are often subject to physical and psychological abuse and whose situation is made very difficult, not only because of the sponsorship system but also due to the lack of adequate legal protection and complaint mechanisms. Ms Begum informed that Kuwait had adopted a law on domestic workers on 24 June and hoped that this positive example would be followed by other GCC States. Furthermore, she called on the EU to encourage the Gulf States to reform their labour law, recalling that this would improve the situation of millions of workers. Afzal Khan (S&D/UK) showed concern about the conditions of domestic workers and about the human rights situation in the Gulf in general. He stressed, however, that this is not only a problem in the Gulf countries and stated that the EU should also speak out against human PE v /7 PV\ doc

3 rights abuses in countries like the United States. Fedja Zlobec, International Relations Officer - Gulf Cooperation Council, European External Action Service (EEAS), stressed that the human rights situation in the GCC countries is of great concern for the EEAS, which addresses the issue in various ways and at different levels. It should, however, also be noted that the Gulf States are engaged in a reform process in this area and that many small steps are taken. Ambassador Razzooqi of Kuwait stated that human rights violations happen everywhere in the world and underlined that the GCC governments are taking measures to improve the human rights situation but that this process takes time. He also recalled the positive effects of labour migration such as the high amounts of remittances which considerably contribute to the development of the workers' countries of origin. Nabila Alshamsi, First Secretary, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Brussels, informed that the third EU-UAE informal human rights working group meeting was held in May She stressed that the UAE offer many opportunities to its foreign workers and that their conditions are constantly improved. 6. Any other business None. 7. Date and place of next meeting The next meeting will take place in Brussels on 17 September. The meeting closed at PV\ doc 3/7 PE v01-00

4 ПРИСЪСТВЕН ЛИСТ/LISTA DE ASISTCIA/PREZČNÍ LISTINA/DELTAGERLISTE/ ANWESHEITSLISTE/KOHALOLIJATE NIMEKIRI/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/RECORD OF ATTDANCE/ LISTE DE PRÉSCE/POPIS NAZOČNIH/ELCO DI PRESZA/APMEKLĒJUMU REĢISTRS/DALYVIŲ SĄRAŠAS/ JELLÉTI ÍV/REĠISTRU TA' ATTDZA/PRESTIELIJST/LISTA OBECNOŚCI/LISTA DE PRESÇAS/ LISTĂ DE PREZŢĂ/PREZČNÁ LISTINA/SEZNAM NAVZOČIH/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/DELTAGARLISTA Бюро/Mesa/Předsednictvo/Formandskabet/Vorstand/Juhatus/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Predsjedništvo/Ufficio di presidenza/prezidijs/ Biuras/Elnökség/Prezydium/Birou/Predsedníctvo/Predsedstvo/Puheenjohtajisto/Presidiet (*) Michèle Alliot-Marie (P), Alessia Maria Mosca (VP1) Членове/Diputados/Poslanci/Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Parlamendiliikmed/Μέλη/Members/Députés/Zastupnici/Deputati/Deputāti/Nariai/ Képviselõk/Membri/Leden/Posłowie/Deputados/Deputaţi/Jäsenet/Ledamöter Manolis Kefalogiannis, Afzal Khan, Angelika Niebler Заместници/Suplentes/Náhradníci/Stedfortrædere/Stellvertreter/Asendusliikmed/Αναπληρωτές/Substitutes/Suppléants/Zamjenici/ Supplenti/Aizstājēji/Pavaduojantysnariai/Póttagok/Sostituti/Plaatsvervangers/Zastępcy/Membros suplentes/supleanţi/náhradníci/ Namestniki/Varajäsenet/Suppleanter 200 (2) 206 (3) 53 (6) (Точка от дневния ред/punto del orden del día/bod pořadu jednání (OJ)/Punkt på dagsordenen/tagesordnungspunkt/ Päevakorra punkt/ημερήσια Διάταξη Σημείο/Agenda item/point OJ/Točka dnevnog reda/punto all'ordine del giorno/darba kārtības punkts/darbotvarkės punktas/napirendi pont/punt Aġenda/Agendapunt/Punkt porządku dziennego/ponto OD/Punct de pe ordinea de zi/bod programu schôdze/točka UL/Esityslistan kohta/föredragningslista punkt) PE v /7 PV\ doc

5 Наблюдатели/Observadores/Pozorovatelé/Observatører/Beobachter/Vaatlejad/Παρατηρητές/Observers/Observateurs/Promatrači/ Osservatori/Novērotāji/Stebėtojai/Megfigyelők/Osservaturi/Waarnemers/Obserwatorzy/Observadores/Observatori/Pozorovatelia/ Opazovalci/Tarkkailijat/Observatörer По покана на председателя/por invitación del presidente/na pozvání předsedy/efter indbydelse fra formanden/auf Einladung des Vorsitzenden/Esimehe kutsel/με πρόσκληση του Προέδρου/At the invitation of the Chair(wo)man/Sur l'invitation du président/ Na poziv predsjednika/su invito del presidente/pēc priekšsēdētāja uzaicinājuma/pirmininkui pakvietus/az elnök meghívására/ Fuq stedina taċ-'chairman'/op uitnodiging van de voorzitter/na zaproszenie Przewodniczącego/A convite do Presidente/La invitaţia preşedintelui/na pozvanie predsedu/na povabilo predsednika/puheenjohtajan kutsusta/på ordförandens inbjudan Bettina Muscheidt, Head of the EU Delegation to Yemen Drewery Dyke, Amnesty International Mustafa Qadri, Amnesty International Rothna Begum, Human Rights Watch Съвет/Consejo/Rada/Rådet/Rat/Nõukogu/Συμβούλιο/Council/Conseil/Vijeće/Consiglio/Padome/Taryba/Tanács/Kunsill/Raad/ Conselho/Consiliu/Svet/Neuvosto/Rådet (*) Комисия/Comisión/Komise/Kommissionen/Kommission/Euroopa Komisjon/Επιτροπή/Commission/Komisija/Commissione/Bizottság/ Kummissjoni/Commissie/Komisja/Comissão/Comisie/Komisia/Komissio/Kommissionen (*) Европейска служба за външна дейност/servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior/Evropská služba pro vnější činnost/ EU-Udenrigstjenesten/Europäischer Auswärtiger Dienst/Euroopa välisteenistus/ευρωπαϊκή Υπηρεσία Εξωτερικής Δράσης/European External Action service/service européen pour l'action extérieure/europska služba za vanjsko djelovanje/servizio europeo per l azione esterna/eiropas Ārējās darbības dienests/europos išorės veiksmų tarnyba/európai Külügyi Szolgálat/Servizz Ewropew għall-azzjoni Esterna/Europese dienst voor extern optreden/europejska Służba Działań Zewnętrznych/Serviço Europeu para a Acção Externa/ Serviciul european pentru acţiune externă/európska služba pre vonkajšiu činnosť/evropska služba za zunanje delovanje/euroopan ulkosuhdehallinto/europeiska avdelningen för yttre åtgärd (*) Nicolas Levine Ramon Blecua Fedja Zlobec Други институции/otras instituciones/ostatní orgány a instituce/andre institutioner/andere Organe/Muud institutsioonid/ Άλλα θεσμικά όργανα/other institutions/autres institutions/druge institucije/altre istituzioni/citas iestādes/kitos institucijos/ Más intézmények/istituzzjonijiet oħra/andere instellingen/inne instytucje/outras Instituições/Alte instituţii/iné inštitúcie/muut toimielimet/andra institutioner/organ PV\ doc 5/7 PE v01-00

6 Други участници/otros participantes/ostatní účastníci/endvidere deltog/andere Teilnehmer/Muud osalejad/επίσης Παρόντες/Other participants/autres participants/drugi sudionici/altri partecipanti/citi klātesošie/kiti dalyviai/más résztvevők/parteċipanti ohra/andere aanwezigen/inni uczestnicy/outros participantes/alţi participanţi/iní účastníci/drugi udeleženci/muut osallistujat/övriga deltagare Khalid Fila, Embassy of Oman Fahad Alfahli, Embassy of Kuwait Saeed Saeed, Embassy of Bahrain Najah Rashid, Embassy of Bahrain Ahlam Almofhli, Embassy of Yemen H.E. Dharar Razzooki, Ambassador of Kuwait Nabila Alshamsi, Embassy of the UAE Ajla Hotic, Embassy of the UAE Marlène Darwiche, GCC Delegation Секретариат на политическите групи/secretaría de los Grupos políticos/sekretariát politických skupin/gruppernes sekretariat/ Sekretariat der Fraktionen/Fraktsioonide sekretariaat/γραμματεία των Πολιτικών Ομάδων/Secretariats of political groups/secrétariat des groupes politiques/tajništva klubova zastupnika/segreteria gruppi politici/politisko grupu sekretariāts/frakcijų sekretoriai/ Képviselőcsoportok titkársága/segretarjat gruppi politiċi/fractiesecretariaten/sekretariat Grup Politycznych/Secr. dos grupos políticos/secretariate grupuri politice/sekretariát politických skupín/sekretariat političnih skupin/poliittisten ryhmien sihteeristöt/ Gruppernas sekretariat PPE S&D ALDE ECR Verts/ALE GUE/NGL EFDD NI Paolo Licandro Itziar Munoa Salaverria Tobias Teuscher Nusrum Bahadur Franzisco Orozco Кабинет на председателя/gabinete del Presidente/Kancelář předsedy/formandens Kabinet/Kabinett des Präsidenten/Presidendi kantselei/γραφείο Προέδρου/President's Office/Cabinet du Président/Ured predsjednika/gabinetto del Presidente/Priekšsēdētāja kabinets/pirmininko kabinetas/elnöki hivatal/kabinett tal-president/kabinet van de Voorzitter/Gabinet Przewodniczącego/Gabinete do Presidente/Cabinet Preşedinte/Kancelária predsedu/urad predsednika/puhemiehen kabinetti/talmannens kansli Кабинет на генералния секретар/gabinete del Secretario General/Kancelář generálního tajemníka/generalsekretærens Kabinet/ Kabinett des Generalsekretärs/Peasekretäri büroo/γραφείο Γενικού Γραμματέα/Secretary-General's Office/Cabinet du Secrétaire général/ured glavnog tajnika/gabinetto del Segretario generale/ģenerālsekretāra kabinets/generalinio sekretoriaus kabinetas/ Főtitkári hivatal/kabinett tas-segretarju Ġenerali/Kabinet van de secretaris-generaal/gabinet Sekretarza Generalnego/Gabinete do Secretário-Geral/Cabinet Secretar General/Kancelária generálneho tajomníka/urad generalnega sekretarja/pääsihteerin kabinetti/ Generalsekreterarens kansli PE v /7 PV\ doc

7 Генерална дирекция/dirección General/Generální ředitelství/generaldirektorat/generaldirektion/peadirektoraat/γενική Διεύθυνση/ Directorate-General/Direction générale/glavna uprava/direzione generale/ģenerāldirektorāts/generalinis direktoratas/főigazgatóság/ Direttorat Ġenerali/Directoraten-generaal/Dyrekcja Generalna/Direcção-Geral/Direcţii Generale/Generálne riaditeľstvo/generalni direktorat/pääosasto/generaldirektorat DG PRES DG IPOL DG EXPO DG EPRS DG COMM DG PERS DG INLO DG TRAD DG INTE DG FINS DG ITEC DG SAFE Tania De Ildefonso Ocampos, Benjamin Rey, François Massoulié, Omran Shroufi Правна служба/servicio Jurídico/Právní služba/juridisk Tjeneste/Juristischer Dienst/Õigusteenistus/Νομική Υπηρεσία/Legal Service/ Service juridique/pravna služba/servizio giuridico/juridiskais dienests/teisės tarnyba/jogi szolgálat/servizz legali/juridische Dienst/ Wydział prawny/serviço Jurídico/Serviciu Juridic/Právny servis/oikeudellinen yksikkö/rättstjänsten Секретариат на комисията/secretaría de la comisión/sekretariát výboru/udvalgssekretariatet/ausschusssekretariat/komisjoni sekretariaat/γραμματεία επιτροπής/committee secretariat/secrétariat de la commission/tajništvo odbora/segreteria della commissione/ Komitejas sekretariāts/komiteto sekretoriatas/a bizottság titkársága/segretarjat tal-kumitat/commissiesecretariaat/sekretariat komisji/ Secretariado da comissão/secretariat comisie/sekretariat odbora/valiokunnan sihteeristö/utskottssekretariatet Judith Bürger Сътрудник/Asistente/Asistent/Assistent/Assistenz/Βοηθός/Assistant/Assistente/Palīgs/Padėjėjas/Asszisztens/Asystent/Pomočnik/ Avustaja/Assistenter Nicole Devos * (P) = Председател/Presidente/Předseda/Formand/Vorsitzender/Esimees/Πρόεδρος/Chair(wo)man/Président/Predsjednik/Priekšsēdētājs/ Pirmininkas/Elnök/'Chairman'/Voorzitter/Przewodniczący/Preşedinte/Predseda/Predsednik/Puheenjohtaja/Ordförande (VP) = Заместник-председател/Vicepresidente/Místopředseda/Næstformand/Stellvertretender Vorsitzender/Aseesimees/Αντιπρόεδρος/ Vice-Chair(wo)man/Potpredsjednik/Vice-Président/Potpredsjednik/Priekšsēdētāja vietnieks/pirmininko pavaduotojas/alelnök/ Viċi 'Chairman'/Ondervoorzitter/Wiceprzewodniczący/Vice-Presidente/Vicepreşedinte/Podpredseda/Podpredsednik/ Varapuheenjohtaja/Vice ordförande (M) = Член/Miembro/Člen/Medlem./Mitglied/Parlamendiliige/Μέλος/Member/Membre/Član/Membro/Deputāts/Narys/Képviselő/ Membru/Lid/Członek/Membro/Membru/Člen/Poslanec/Jäsen/Ledamot (F) = Длъжностно лице/funcionario/úředník/tjenestemand/beamter/ametnik/υπάλληλος/official/fonctionnaire/dužnosnik/ Funzionario/Ierēdnis/Pareigūnas/Tisztviselő/Uffiċjal/Ambtenaar/Urzędnik/Funcionário/Funcţionar/Úradník/Uradnik/Virkamies/ Tjänsteman PV\ doc 7/7 PE v01-00