Session document
13.1.2010 B7‑0021/2010
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
to wind up the debate on the statement by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
on the situation in Yemen
Fiorello Provera, Lorenzo Fontana, William (The Earl of) Dartmouth
on behalf of the EFD Group
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Yemen
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Council Conclusions of 27 October 2009 on Yemen,
– having regard to the declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union of 27 October 2009 on the deteriorating security situation in Yemen,
– having regard to the European Community Strategy Paper for Yemen for the period 2007-2013,
– having regard to the statement by Tobias Pflüger, acting chair of its Delegation for relations with the Gulf States, including Yemen, issued after the visit by the delegation Bureau to Yemen from 22 to 25 February 2009,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian terrorist who tried to blow up an aeroplane over Detroit on 25 December 2009, was trained at a Yemeni al-Qa'ida camp,
B. whereas a further deterioration in the security situation in Yemen may offer terrorist and insurgent groups in the region, particularly al-Qa'ida, a safe haven in which to plan, organise and support subsequent terrorist operations,
C. whereas since 2007 there have been more than 30 terrorist attacks on pipelines, oil facilities, government buildings, embassies (including those of Italy and the USA), ships and tourists in Yemen; whereas, following the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, the Yemeni authorities have failed to investigate this terrorist act and allowed suspects linked to al-Qa'ida, including the plotter Jamal al-Badawi, to evade detention,
D. whereas the security situation is being worsened further by the civil war against Zaidi Shi’i revivalists in Sa'dah in the north of Yemen and the outbreak of violence by the secessionist movement in the south of the country,
E. whereas the local fighting in the Sa'dah region took on a regional dimension when Saudi military forces engaged the rebels on the Saudi-Yemen border and launched at least two punitive raids on the rebel positions,
F. whereas the 2008 food crisis has had a huge impact on the poorer sections of the Yemeni population, whilst the global financial crisis, particularly the fall in oil revenue, has contributed to unsustainable pressure on public finances, further aggravated by the limited implementation of overdue economic and fiscal reforms,
G. whereas Yemen’s oil reserves, the source of over 75% of its income, are close to depletion, and whereas the country has few viable options for a sustainable post-oil economy,
H. whereas another significant problem facing Yemen is the severe water shortage, which is caused by several factors, including rising domestic consumption, poor water management, corruption, a lack of resource management and wasteful irrigation techniques; whereas according to the government's estimates 99% of all water extraction is unlicensed,
I. whereas the situation created by Yemen’s lack of food and water is further complicated by the population’s dependence on qat, a quick-cash crop which requires heavy irrigation to thrive and which is cultivated so extensively that Yemen has become a net food importer,
J. whereas Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world, with an annual per capita income of less than €650, nearly half the population earning less than €2 per day, and an unemployment rate of 35%; whereas at the same time it has one of the world's highest population growth rates, which creates additional economic, educational and social problems,
K. whereas the increase in piracy in the Gulf of Aden and continuous migratory pressure from the Horn of Africa are further factors impacting on the stability of the country,
L. whereas since 2004 the EU has donated aid worth more than €144 million to Yemen, with the largest share going towards economic development, and has implemented bilateral assistance programmes to support the Yemeni police and coastguard, such as the €7.5 million aid programme to modernise the country's police academy,
M. whereas the Yemeni education system remains poorly developed, as reflected in a national illiteracy rate of about 50%, a female illiteracy rate of nearly 70%, and an inadequate number of qualified teachers,
N. whereas governance reforms have been recognised as a priority by the Yemeni Government in the National Reform Agenda,
O. whereas the parliamentary elections which were to be held in April 2009 have been postponed in order to enable the authorities to implement the essential reforms of the electoral system; whereas Yemen's President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is the Middle East's longest-serving head of state after President Mu'ammar al-Quadafi of Libya,
P. whereas serious concerns remain about developments in Yemen with regard to democracy, human rights and the independence of the judiciary, especially unfair trials before the country's notorious Specialised Criminal Court and the use of torture in order to obtain false confessions; whereas there have been cases involving persecution of journalists; whereas the situation of women is especially difficult, characterised by forced marriages and unequal treatment by law of men and women,
Q. whereas six European citizens - five Germans and one Briton - are still being held hostage following their kidnapping in June 2009, whilst three other people from that group were found dead immediately after their abduction; whereas some local tribal leaders have pointed at al-Qa'ida as being responsible for the kidnappings,
1. Expresses its deep concern at the growing presence of al-Qa'ida in Yemen and underlines that a failure to take concrete action could lead to a further erosion of central government authority and destabilisation of the region to the degree seen in Somalia or Afghanistan, which will in turn provide opportunities for extremists directed or inspired by al-Qa'ida to regroup, organise, train, and launch jihadi terrorist operations throughout the world from Yemeni territory;
2. Reaffirms its call for an immediate ceasefire in Sa’dah and in southern Yemen and expresses its view that only a comprehensive political solution can bring lasting peace;
3. Reminds all parties to the conflicts of their obligation to respect human rights and international humanitarian law; calls on the parties to allow civilians wishing to escape from the conflicts to reach places of safety, to facilitate access for the UN and NGOs to areas where internally-displaced people have gathered and to allow emergency medical and humanitarian relief to reach those internally displaced as a matter of urgency;
4. Reaffirms its support for a unified, stable and democratic Yemen;
5. Calls on the Yemeni authorities to implement overdue institutional, economic and fiscal reforms, namely strengthening the roles and capabilities of democratically-elected institutions at central and local level, strengthening state institutions, improving the business environment, fostering Yemen’s integration into the global and regional economy, expanding social service provision, bolstering employment and education opportunities, addressing corruption, inflation and unemployment and curbing government subsidies;
6. Calls on the Yemeni authorities to introduce the reforms needed to improve the human rights situation in the country, particularly by ensuring media freedom, the right to a fair trial, equal treatment for men and women and the abolition of forced marriages; welcomes, in this regard, a recent law which fixes the minimum age for marriage at 17;
7. Emphasises the importance of holding elections in 2011 and encourages all political parties to implement their agreements setting out the measures required to improve the electoral system and deepen democracy, in particular taking into account the recommendations made by the EU Election Observation Mission following the democratic 2006 presidential and local elections; calls on the Commission and the Council to monitor the process of constitutional and electoral law reform which has led to the postponement of the parliamentary elections;
8. Welcomes the steps already taken by the authorities to combat corruption, namely the establishment of a Central Organisation for Control and Auditing and a Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption;
9. Calls on the Gulf States to hold out the prospect of membership of the Gulf Cooperation Council for Yemen in exchange for the necessary reforms, including progress on curbing government subsidies, addressing corruption and enacting measures to deal with security concerns; in this regard, calls on the Commission and the Council to encourage the Gulf Cooperation Council to become a mediator capable of bringing the various Yemeni parties to the negotiating table and initiating a comprehensive political dialogue;
10. Welcomes Yemen's active role in international coordinated strategies, such as Operation Atalanta;
11. Calls for the establishment of a fully-fledged Commission Delegation to Yemen with responsibility for aid management and with additional human resources based locally; calls on the Commission to enhance aid effectiveness;
12. Calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that the aid supplied by the international community, and in particular from the European Union budget, is used to finance projects which directly benefit as many people as possible and whose effectiveness will be evaluated on the spot;
13. Calls on the Yemeni authorities to strengthen coastguard and border-guard units and introduce improved police training and programmes to professionalise the prison service in order to improve the security situation of the country and its ability to combat terrorism;
14. Calls on the Commission and the Council to implement a special programme of assistance to Yemen, including out-of-country training for Yemeni civil servants (as conducted by EUJUST LEX in Iraq) and the placement of trainers in key ministries (as undertaken by the EU in Bosnia-Herzegovina);
15. Calls on the Yemeni authorities to step up their efforts to ensure the release of the six European hostages being held on its territory;
16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Yemen and the Gulf Cooperation Council.