|
|
B5-0087/2001
European Parliament resolution on Plan Colombia
and support for the peace process in Colombia
The European Parliament, - having regard to its previous resolutions
on Colombia, - having regard to the conclusions of the General
Affairs Council of 9 October 2000, - having regard to the statement
by the EU Presidency of 25 October 2000,
A. whereas, in spite of concerted efforts at dialogue with the
guerrillas and the peace talks under way, the parties have not
yet succeeded in bringing an end to a conflict which has lasted
for over three decades,
B. recalling the undertaking given by the Clinton administration
and President Pastrana in September 1999 on the joint implementation
of a 'plan for peace, prosperity and the strengthening of the
state', otherwise known as Plan Colombia,
C. whereas Plan Colombia is not the product of a process of dialogue
amongst the various partners in society and whereas acceptance
of the strategy for peace by all of the country's institutions
would be a most welcome development which should involve not only
action to combat drugs production and trafficking but also a strategy
for social and economic recovery, the strengthening of institutions
and social development, all of which need to be supported,
D. whereas one of the objectives of Plan Colombia lies in stamping
out drug trafficking and the spread of illegal crops by means
of a strategy which favors aerial crop-spraying and the use of
biological agents, methods which are leading to the forced displacement
of families and communities and are seriously affecting Colombia's
rich biodiversity,
E. having regard to the declaration by the Support Group for the
Peace Process in Colombia (Madrid, 7 July 2000), in which the
participants expressed their full political support for the peace
process under way, and the declaration by the EU delegation calling
for greater efforts by the Colombian government with a view to
breaking up paramilitary groups,
F. having regard to the statement by the General Affairs Council
of 9 October 2000, in which the European Union reaffirmed its
support for the ongoing peace efforts and its willingness to play
an active role in the negotiating process, which should involve
consulting civil society and obtaining the agreement of all parties
with a view to achieving peace which is founded on respect for
human rights, humanitarian law and fundamental freedoms,
G. whereas the problem of drug trafficking and related offenses
calls for a global approach based on the principles of shared
responsibility and international cooperation between drug-producing
and drug-consuming countries, with a particular view to further
action to stamp out the laundering of money derived from drug
trafficking,
H. having regard to the dialogue established at the meeting held
in Costa Rica in mid-October and the growth in dialogue between
civil society and armed groups; having regard to the meeting of
the Support Group for the Peace Process in Colombia (Bogota, 24/25
October 2000) attended by representatives of the Commission and
the EU Presidency,
I. whereas acts of violence and terrorism, assassinations, kidnappings
and massacres, aimed at the civilian population in particular,
have increased while the peace talks have been taking place and
considering the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of such crimes
and, in particular, by those who order the crimes to be carried
out,
J. having regard to the recent visit by Mrs. Mary Robinson to
Colombia and the attention which she drew to the inadequacy of
the measures taken against paramilitary groups and to impunity
in general; whereas not only tens of thousands of Colombians but
also Europeans have been the victims of crimes which have gone
unpunished, such as the Spanish volunteer Iñigo Eguiluz, the Belgian
Daniel Gillard, the Italian Giacomo Turra, the Swiss Hildegard
Feldmann and many others,
1. Reiterates its firm support for the peace process initiated
by President Pastrana and urges the parties to pursue their efforts
in this regard, in spite of the difficulties involved; calls on
the FARC to return to the table and to continue the peace negotiations;
2. Takes the view that, in addition to their military dimension,
the prevailing situation and conflict in Colombia have a social
and political dimension whose roots lie in economic, political,
cultural and social exclusion;
3. Believes that stepping up military involvement in the fight
against drugs involves the risk of sparking off an escalation
of the conflict in the region, and that military solutions cannot
bring about lasting peace;
4. Warns that Plan Colombia contains aspects that run counter
to the cooperation strategies and projects to which the EU has
already committed itself and jeopardize its cooperation programs;
expresses particular concern at the current situation in the Putumayo
region;
5. Considers that the European Union must support the aspects
of the peace process which involve the strengthening of institutions,
alternative development, humanitarian aid and social development,
since these are the ones which are most in accordance with its
cooperation strategy;
6. Believes that the social movement, which has been severely
affected by repression, NGOs and local communities must play an
active role in the ongoing peace process; welcomes the fact that
their role has been affirmed (in particular at the meeting in
Costa Rica) and believes that it must be coordinated with the
efforts being made at the negotiating table;
7. Believes that lasting peace cannot be achieved in Colombia
without deep-seated changes to the means by which wealth is distributed,
since many of the problems confronting the country stem from the
fact that peasant farmers do not own land;
8. Highlights the importance of encouraging genuine agrarian reform,
using notably land confiscated from drug barons, which presents
peasant farmers with economic alternatives; therefore urges the
Colombian government to implement ambitious reform policies designed
to curb the increasing concentration of land and improve social
conditions;
9. Stresses that European Union action should pursue its own,
non-military strategy combining neutrality, transparency, the
participation of civil society and undertakings from the parties
involved in the negotiations;
10. Welcomes the conclusions of the 9 October 2000 Council meeting,
which contain announcements concerning the implementation of a
'substantial European program of socio- economic and institutional
support for the peace process in Colombia, aimed at promoting
and protecting respect for human rights, humanitarian law and
fundamental freedoms, improving the living conditions of the local
populations, encouraging the cultivation of alternative crops
and the protection of biodiversity and supporting the introduction
of structural reforms in all fields which fuel armed conflict';
11. Expresses its outrage at the large-scale massacres of country
dwellers which have recently been carried out by paramilitary
groups in the regions of Magdalena, Magdalena Medio, Cauca and
Putumayo, and the threats which have been made to country dwellers
in the Tumaco region and elsewhere; takes the view that securing
significant results in the fight against impunity and against
armed groups which violate human rights and contravene international
humanitarian law is essential to the credibility of the rule of
law; urges the Colombian government to continue its fight against
paramilitary groups and its efforts to strengthen the foundations
of the rule of law, and to implement immediately and in their
entirety the United Nations recommendations on human rights;
12. Considers that the European Union must play a more determined
role in the political protection and the funding of organizations
(in particular organizations for the families of victims) which
campaign to have crimes against humanity investigated, to preserve
the memory of the victims of such crimes and to ensure that the
perpetrators thereof do not go unpunished;
13. Welcomes the proposal by Commissioners Patten and Nielson
to grant substantial support for the peace efforts in Colombia
amounting to EUR 105 million for the period 2000-2006; stresses
that, so as to give credibility to the Union's action, initial
measures contributing to the peace process should be introduced
without delay and be aimed at promoting respect for human rights,
humanitarian law and fundamental freedoms, improving the living
conditions of the local populations, using civil society organizations
and social movements as channels and bearing in mind the forced
displacement of a section of the rural population, of which women
and children form the vast majority;
14. Welcomes the decision by the Council of Ministers to undertake
a six-monthly appraisal of the state of the peace process, the
progress in implementing programs and compliance with the respective
undertakings and obligations of the Colombian government and the
groups involved in the negotiations to strengthen peace, and asks
the Council and Commission to inform Parliament at the same time;
15. Is convinced that, in the fight against illegal crops, negotiated
and agreed solutions, agrarian reform and alternative crops, together
with criminal proceedings against traffickers and money launderers,
should take precedence over crop-spraying campaigns; believes
in this regard that the Union must take the necessary steps to
secure an end to the large-scale use of chemical herbicides and
prevent the introduction of biological agents such as Fusarium
oxysporum, given the dangers of their use to human health and
the environment alike;
16. Highlights the importance of strengthening regional cooperation
and dialogue on the basis of the principle of international coresponsibility,
given that past experience in the fight against illegal crops
has shown that tackling this problem in one country alone merely
serves to transfer it to neighboring countries;
17. Stresses the need to step up inter-regional cooperation to
curb and stamp out drug trafficking and combat money laundering;
in this respect, the European Union ought to support Colombia's
request to sign the Strasbourg Convention;
18. Calls on the Venezuelan government to cooperate with the Colombian
government in jointly establishing mechanisms which will make
it possible to resolve the border problems relating to the fight
against drug production and trafficking;
19. Urges the Colombian government to follow the approach used
in the talks with the FARC in establishing dialogue with the other
guerrilla groups with a view to promoting the principles of neutrality
and transparency and thus earning the support of the various armed
groups for planned programs and projects;
20. Urges all the armed groups to support a humanitarian agreement
under which they would cease kidnapping, release their hostages,
refrain from committing terrorist acts, from recruiting under-age
supporters and from carrying out attacks on the civilian population,
and conclude a serious cease-fire agreement;
21. Reiterates its support for the Office of the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights and its efforts to secure a humanitarian agreement
in Colombia;
22. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the
Council, the Commission, the governments of Colombia, Venezuela
and of the mediating countries.
