Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-24-Speech-4-173"
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"en.20021024.9.4-173"2
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". – Mr President, I should like to express my gratitude to honourable Members for tabling this motion for a resolution. Naturally, the Commission continues to be concerned by the human rights situation in Iran and, in particular, by the persistence of repressive measures against democratic institutions, civil society and the media.
The prevalence of arbitrary arrests, torture, discrimination against minorities and evident lack of the rule of law are all deeply disturbing. The all-too-plentiful evidence of the use of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, including the appalling stoning of children, of women and of men, continue to demonstrate the scarcity of civilised standards.
The most effective way to raise these concerns is through the half-yearly comprehensive dialogue meetings, bilateral talks at ministerial level and similar sustained activities. In addition, avenues for more direct and specific dialogue have been explored recently by the troika, as several Members said.
On 21 October the GAERC endorsed the strategy for starting a human rights dialogue with Iran on the basis of the recommendations of the exploratory troika mission that visited Teheran from 30 September to 1 October last. During these explanatory talks, the Iranian Government voiced a political will to enter into a human rights dialogue and to do so largely on the EU's terms. No restrictions were requested in relation to the list of human rights issues to be discussed and the dialogue will be regularly assessed with the help of specific and realistic benchmarks, such as reports from the visits of the United Nations thematics rapporteurs.
The dialogue would initially take the form of an experimental round table in Teheran in December of this year. Its format will be assessed immediately after the first session and could be revised, as necessary, in the spring of 2003.
The opening of negotiations with Iran on a trade and cooperation agreement, indissolubly linked to instruments on political dialogue and counter-terrorism, gives the European Union substantial leverage, since the progress in the negotiations will be directly related to parallel progress in, among other things, human rights. This connection is at the heart of the political package defined at the June Council and formally adopted on 12 July.
The establishment of a structured EU-Iran dialogue on human rights is obviously not a complete antidote to the variety of deep and serious concerns. At this juncture, however, it seems to constitute the most effective available means of promoting our attempts to bring about tangible improvements in the grievous human rights situation in Iran.
I emphasise that, in all of this, our concerns relate to the basic rights and well-being of human beings, regardless of their faith, regardless of their customs. That is the fundamental value that guides us and provides the motivation of the European Union. We will continue to act upon those fundamentals."@en1
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