EPP Political Assembly approves resolutions on Mali, Cuba, Syria, and religious intolerance
Whereas the EPP is honouring the memory of the founder of the Christian Liberation
Movement in Cuba, Oswaldo Payá, the young Christian Democratic leader Harold Cepero,
and their tragic death in July 2012
The European People’s Party:
1. Strongly calls for fundamental freedoms, especially freedom of expression and
political association, to be fully respected in Cuba;
2. Demands the immediate release from Cuban jails of all prisoners held for political
reasons and prisoners of conscience;
3. Demands an end to the persecution and harassment of those who believe in a
democratic future for Cuba;
4. Demands that the Cuban government honour the right for everyone, not least the
Payá family and representatives of MCL, to travel freely;
5. Steps up action to promote and support the work of human rights defenders in
Cuba;
6. Gives its unconditional support and full encouragement to the launching of a
peaceful process of political transition to multi-party democracy in Cuba;
7. Voices its profound solidarity with the entire Cuban people and its support for them
in their progress towards democracy and respect for human rights and freedoms;
The Political Assembly of the European People’s Party (EPP), which met on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels, discussed and adopted important resolutions on Mali, Cuba, Syria, and religious intolerance (attached). Moreover, on the sidelines of the Political Assembly, the 3rd EPP Saint Géry dialogue event took place (see pictures) and focused on how to achieve sustainable growth through financial stability and structural reforms.
On Mali, the European People’s Party adopted an emergency resolution which supports the UN resolution based initiative of the French government and calls for a stronger and faster involvement of the other EU member states and the European Union. This resolution also stresses that the presence of terrorist militias in Mali and its neighbouring countries poses a threat not only for the Sahel region but also for the whole international community. Regarding Cuba, the EPP underlines the need to respect fundamental freedoms and demands from the Cuban government to release prisoners which are being held for political reasons. The Political Assembly also expressed its concerns on the situation of Syrian refugees and also called for the raising of awareness on religious intolerance.
The Saint Géry dialogue stressed that the current reforms and newly available tools – such as the six pack, fiscal compact, the European Stability Mechanism and the European Financial Stability Facility – are starting to deliver but, at the same time, the efforts need to be maintained. The event featured Steven Vanackere, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Sustainable Development of Belgium; Lucinda Creighton, Minister of State for European Affairs of Ireland and EPP Vice President; Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy and EPP Vice President; Dr. Guntram Wolff, Deputy Director of Bruegel; Antonio López-Istúriz, MEP, EPP Secretary General and Corien Wortmann-Kool, MEP, EPP Vice President.
Resolution unanimously adopted by the EPP Political Assembly
(29th
January 2013, Brussels)
Regarding the situation in Cuba
Whereas defending the universality and indivisibility of human rights and freedoms remains
one of the main objectives of the EPP and the European Union,
Whereas the EPP has repeatedly expressed its commitment to freedom of thought, freedom
of conscience and freedom of religion, whereas these freedoms are inherent to all human
beings, independent of all circumstances or outside control, and whereas governments have
the duty to guarantee citizens’ full access to these freedoms,
Whereas dozens of Cuban independent journalists, peacefully active dissidents and human
rights defenders, mostly members of the democratic opposition, are still being harassed,
taken into custody or held in jail for exercising the human rights of expression and the right
of peaceful assembly,
Whereas a total of 6602 political detentions were recorded in Cuba in 2012, a 60 percent
increase from 2011. In December 2012 alone arrests reached a total number of 567,
according to Committee for Human Rights and National Reconciliation,
Whereas the EPP is honouring the memory of the founder of the Christian Liberation
Movement in Cuba, Oswaldo Payá, the young Christian Democratic leader Harold Cepero,
and their tragic death in July 2012
The European People’s Party:
1. Strongly calls for fundamental freedoms, especially freedom of expression and
political association, to be fully respected in Cuba;
2. Demands the immediate release from Cuban jails of all prisoners held for political
reasons and prisoners of conscience;
3. Demands an end to the persecution and harassment of those who believe in a
democratic future for Cuba;
4. Demands that the Cuban government honour the right for everyone, not least the
Payá family and representatives of MCL, to travel freely;
5. Steps up action to promote and support the work of human rights defenders in
Cuba;
6. Gives its unconditional support and full encouragement to the launching of a
peaceful process of political transition to multi-party democracy in Cuba;
7. Voices its profound solidarity with the entire Cuban people and its support for them
in their progress towards democracy and respect for human rights and freedoms;
Note to editors:
The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 74 member-parties from 40 countries, the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, 15 EU and 6 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.
For more information:
Kostas Sasmatzoglou,EPP Spokesman, Tel. +32-2-2854147
Javier Jiménez, EPP Senior Press and Communication Officer, Tel. +32-475480446