Translation of "Human Rights Association " (English → French) :

grants to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as to the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, providing a European Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation and an EU-UN Fellowship Programme, and its associated network of universities delivering human rights postgraduate diplomas, including scholarships to students and human rights defenders from third countries ...[+++].

Welcomes new radio and TV laws which provide for several positive developments such as an increase in the percentage that foreign entities may lawfully own in Turkish media companies (50 %, up from 25 %), but expresses concern at the fact that broadcasting may be stopped on grounds of national security without a court order or a ruling by a judge; notes with concern the practice of bringing criminal prosecutions – especially under Article 285 of the Penal Code on ‘breaching the confidentiality of a criminal investigation’ and Article 288 on ‘attempting to influence the judiciary’ – against journalists who communicate evidence of human rights ...[+++] violations or raise other issues in the public interest; considers the criminalisation of opinions as a key obstacle to the protection of human rights in Turkey and deplores disproportionate restriction of the freedoms of expression, association and assembly; urges Turkey to comply rigorously with its international human rights obligations in this respect by amending its relevant legislation and by training its police and judiciary;

Urges the Council and the Commission to set up human rights subcommittees with all neighbourhood countries; reiterates its call for parliamentarians to be associated with the preparations for meetings of such subcommittees and to be informed of their outcome; is of the view that, while first rounds of meetings, as was the case with Tunisia, might focus on establishing the durability of the subcommittee and fostering trust and confidence among partners, such subcommittees, notably with Morocco now, should move to ...[+++]wards a result-oriented phase, with the establishment of concrete benchmarks and indicators of progress, as well as the possibility of raising individual cases; stresses that discussions on human rights should certainly not be confined to these subcommittees, and highlights the need to include these issues in the political dialogue up to the highest level so as to increase the coherence of the EU's policy in this field and reduce discrepancies in statements on the human rights situation given by both sides to the press; welcomes the Council's statement of 16 October 2007 that discussions concerning a future EU-Libya framework agreement will specifically address, inter alia, cooperation and progress on human rights;

Notes that, despite significant economic reforms, systematic violations of political and human rights still persist in China, taking such forms as political imprisonment, attacks on, and intimidation of, lawyers, human rights defenders and journalists including the weiquan movement, the lack of an independent judiciary, forced labour, the suppression of freedom of expression and religion and of the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, arbitrary detentions, the Laogai camp system and alleged organ harvesting; remains equally concerned about the blacklisting of journalists and human rights ...[+++] activists, the Dalai Lama and his associates and Falun Gong practitioners;

Similarly, the Action Plan agreed at the Valencia conference reaffirmed the commitment of all the parties to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in this region, whilst the association agreements concluded or under negotiation with the Mediterranean countries include the condition of engaging in a political dialogue covering, inter alia, issues of human rights and democracy.

* Pursue the GAC conclusions of 22 January 2001 on the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, focus the human rights dialogue better, assess it on a continuous basis, and identify ways of making it more effective and results-oriented, notably on the key issues of concern identified in the GAC conclusions, including co-operation with human rights mechanisms; guarantees for the protection of those prosecuted for a crime for which the death penalty could be imposed and restriction of the cases in which the death penalty can be imposed; reform of administrative detention; respect for ...[+++] the fundamental rights of all prisoners; untrammelled exercise of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, of the freedom of expression and of the freedom of assembly and of association.