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| Jordan: EMHRN Executive Comitee statement | Date: 03-12-2006 |
| Author: EMHRN | |
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The Executive Committee notes with concern that the conflict in the Southern Mediterranean countries continues to endanger human security and constitutes an impediment to any progress on the path to democracy. The daily violence that the Palestinian people are subjected to and the refusal to recognize their inalienable right to a sovereign state, pursuant to United Nations resolutions, has dramatic implications on the future of the region. We welcome the ceasefire that was reached in Gaza and call on all parties to strenuously observe it. Nevertheless, the economic blockade imposed on all the Occupied Territories places an unbearable humanitarian burden on the Palestinians. Although the war in Lebanon has ended the reasons that provoked it remain intact, and, at the same time, threats of internal conflicts are starting to emerge in the country. The failure to respect the right of peoples to their own sovereignty is the prime cause of this situation which, in turn, only seeks to reinforce all the authoritarian regimes in the Southern Mediterranean.
The Executive Committee notes with concern the attitude of European Union countries whose economic assistance, though very important, should not be a substitute for a strong and unanimous political commitment to democracy, human rights for all and the restoration of peace. One year after the 10th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration, the effective creation of a space for security, development and democracy, remains a major challenge for all the peoples participating in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
Whilst all types of human rights violations are equally important, the situation of migrants and refugees is particularly worrying despite government commitments.
The EMHRN Executive Committee notes that the declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs who met in Tampere on the 27th and 28th of November 2006, included many points that meet its concerns. It welcomes the will that was expressed to ‘promote the full participation of women in political, economic, civil and social life’. It also welcomes the requirement expressed by the ministers, both from the North and the South of the Mediterranean, to base development in the region on democracy and human rights. It also welcomes the recognition of the need to take into account economic and social rights, especially regarding the need to ensure job opportunities that allow every person to live decently. The Executive Committee wishes that these commitments, some of which have been repeated for more than ten years now, will materialize concretely and quickly in people’s lives, especially through an increased effort regarding respect for democratic processes and human rights.
In this perspective, the role of civil society, part of which met in a Civil Forum in Marrakech on the 4th, 5th and 6h of November 2006, is now more crucial than ever. The recognition of the importance of this role at the Tampere conference should be underlined. In fact, it is through the civil societies of the North and the South of the Mediterranean that we can achieve a better understanding between peoples, as well as progress in terms of democracy and human rights. This implies a strict respect for freedom of association, as well as diverse forms of autonomous civil society organizations whose independence should be ensured.
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