B4-0826, 0840, 0852, 0860, 0874, 0875 and 0888/97

Resolution on Afghanistan

The European Parliament,

- recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan,

A. whereas Taliban control of the capital Kabul has resulted in massive and continuing violations of human rights and relevant international humanitarian conventions, under the pretext of a certain interpretation of Islam, widely rejected within the islamic world,

B. whereas fighting between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance is continuing in many of the country's regions,

C. whereas under Taliban rule the oppression of women, until recently part of an urban and educated community which took an active part in the public life of their city, has reached an unprecedented level, and whereas in particular, according to a new Talibani edict, Kabul's main hospitals can no longer take women patients and now women can be treated only by women and in only one hospital of the capital, where water, electricity and surgical facilities are either inadequate or non-existent,

D. whereas the UN and NGO agencies working in the region have adopted a different approach to this problem,

E. whereas the European Union is the main donor of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, giving the country US $ 200 million in the last two years,

F. whereas opium production has increased by 20% since 1996 in the regions controlled by the Taliban; whereas, according to the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP), Europe is the principal market for heroin produced from Afghan opium and only lasting peace in the region will cause the source of revenue from this trade to dry up;

G. whereas the present impasse in developments in Afghanistan calls for an international political initiative in which the European Union must play a key role in order to promote a peaceful settlement based on the respect of human rights,

H. condemning the intolerable treatment to which the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Emma Bonino, and her colleagues were subjected during their recent official visit to Kabulwhen they were arrested and interrogated for several hours by Taliban soldiers for having photographed Afghan women,

1. Strongly condemns the Taliban regime and its policy of systematic human rights abuses, a policy which runs contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the principles of Islam;

2. Expresses its solidarity with the women of Afghanistan who continue to protest against the violation of their fundamental rights despite the oppression to which they are subjected and the threats overshadowing them;

3. Supports, furthermore, Commissioner Bonino's call for a political initiative aimed at finding a solution to the conflicts in Afghanistan;

4. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to do everything in their power to decide on a European Union joint action in the context of the CFSP with a view to organizing an international conference aimed at resolving the conflict in Afghanistan by peaceful means, and to launch an initiative in cooperation with the neighbouring countries in order to contribute to the restoration of peace and respect for human rights in Afghanistan;

5. Reiterates its appeal to all the member countries of the United Nations not to establish diplomatic relations with the present Kabul authorities and invites Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have already recognized the Taliban Government, to reconsider their position;

6. Reiterates its demand for an arms embargo; is however of the opinion that considering the large amounts of arms present in the country the only efficient measure to halt the war would be an additional embargo on all related equipment;

7. Calls on the Commission to propose to the various UN agencies and NGOs in the field a code of conduct for granting their aid, in accordance with the UN Convention on Human Rights which prohibits any discrimination based on gender;

8. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the emergency aid is organized solely by independent NGOs and UN agencies and is not subjected to any discrimination by the authorities;

9. Requests that, on the occasion of the forthcoming world day of women of 8 March, particular attention should paid to the situation of Afghan women;

10. Calls for the Member States to take particular measures in favour of Afghan refugees in Europe;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the United Nations Secretary-General, the governments of the United States, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Russia, India, the Northern Alliance and the Taliban authorities.#FR