Text adopted on 15.1.92

Joint resolution replacing B3-0031, 0032 and 0033/92

RESOLUTION

on the financial protocols with Syria, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt,

Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel and these countries' respect

for human rights and international agreements

The European Parliament,

A. believing that it is the duty of the institutions of the

Community to promote parliamentary democracy, respect for

human rights and respect for internationally recognized

frontiers in all countries for which the Community provides

financial aid and technical cooperation,

B. whereas the financial protocols with Syria, Morocco,

Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel do not

contain any provision concerning these countries' respect

for human rights and international agreements,

C. noting that in some of these countries, notably Syria and

Morocco, these criteria are not met and that the human

rights abuses are particularly grave,

D. having regard to the large numbers of political prisoners

being held in Syria and recalling that Syria is also

sheltering and protecting the Nazi criminal Alois Brunner,

E. particularly concerned by the human rights situation in the

territories occupied by Israel, resolutely condemning the

decision of the Israeli Government to banish 12

Palestinians from the occupied territories and supporting

in this connection United Nations resolution 726,

F. insisting on the need for the application of an overall

policy for the Mediterranean and the Middle East,

1. Calls for all the protocols to the agreements to include

a "clause concerning democracy and human rights";

2. Insists on the need for substantial progress in the

development of democracy, notably through the holding of

free elections, freedom of opposition parties to

participate fully in the political process, freedom of the

media and respect for the rights of minorities;

3. Insists also that human rights be better respected,

especially by putting an end to torture, imprisonment

without trial and by upholding the right to emigrate;

4. Asks the Commission, when it implements the cooperation

agreements, to see that the signatory states respect human

rights and international agreements, in particular the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations

and the Geneva Conventions;

5. Recommends the governments of the Member States to hold an

annual meeting of the Cooperation Council with each of the

partner countries and requests:

- that problems connected with human rights and respect for

international agreements should be included on the

agenda,

- that the European Parliament should be invited to attend

as an observer for this item on the agenda,

- that the rules of operation of the Cooperation Council

should be adapted accordingly;

Insists particularly on compliance by the signatory states

with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council

and General Assembly, as well as with other international

bodies;

7. Is especially anxious that Israel should comply with United

Nations resolutions 242 and 338 on the occupied territories

and that Morocco should comply with resolution 690 on the

Western Sahara;

8. Asks the Commission, in the case of the financial protocol

with Israel, to ensure that the financial resources made

available are not used in any way for the financing of

activities linked to the policy of new settlements in the

occupied territories or any other activity which

contravenes the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949;

9. Insists that all the United Nations resolutions on

terrorism and the taking of hostages should be respected

by all the contracting parties;

10. Recalls its determination to monitor, with a view to their

possible suspension by the Commission or the

discontinuation of financing, the conditions for the

implementation of the financial protocols in the light of

the requirements set out in this resolution;

11. Urgently requests the Commission not to start implementing

the fourth protocols with Syria and Morocco until these

countries conform with the conditions set out above

regarding respect for human rights and resolutions passed

by the United Nations Security Council;

12. Urges the Commission likewise to refrain from implementing

the fourth protocol with Israel for as long as the human

rights situation in the occupied territories fails to

improve and the UN Security Council resolutions on the

occupied territories remain inoperative;

13. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to defer application

of the fourth protocol with Algeria until the political

situation there has become clearer;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the

Council, the Commission, the signatory states of the

financial protocols and the Secretary-General of the United

Nations.