madam president the european commission shares the deep concerns of this parliament so explicitly and clearly expressed by the honourable members as regards the human rights situation in iraq
the foreign affairs council on monday expressed its outright condemnation of the recent terrorist attacks notably those which targeted places where civilians congregate including christian and muslim places of worship
the council adopting conclusions put forward by high representative vice-president ashton also stressed that the new government in iraq will need to dedicate itself to the pursuit of national reconciliation
this means it should represent the interests and needs of all iraqis regardless of creed and ethnicity
the protection and promotion of human rights including those of persons belonging to minorities must be a top priority
in its dialogue with iraq the european union frequently voices its human rights concerns including not only the freedom of religion or belief but also on the death penalty
ten days ago the eu made an urgent and direct call on the authorities in reaction to the decision by the iraqi high tribunal to sentence to death five representatives of the former regime including tariq aziz
the eu recalled its firm opposition to the use of capital punishment under all circumstances seeking a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step
human rights have a prominent place in the partnership and cooperation agreement which we hope to sign with iraq soon
that is the direct answer to mrs de lange
since two thousand and three an important part of eu cooperation with iraq has focused on strengthening the rule of law and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms for example through eujust lex and community assistance
substantial funds have also been dedicated to providing protection and relief to the most vulnerable iraqis
many of them are for obvious reasons internally displaced and now live in areas with dense minority group populations
our work has ranged from promoting awareness and enforcement of human rights among vulnerable groups to the rehabilitation of schools in areas already mentioned in the discussions such as nineveh which has a large christian population
humanitarian assistance also continues to reach the most vulnerable inside and outside iraq
eu aid cannot directly target specific ethnic or religious communities but it should and it can help the most vulnerable iraqis wherever they live
we do not underestimate the challenges facing the iraqi government
it is no easy task to root out the extremists who seek to create sectarian tensions through acts of barbarity
security development and the preservation of human rights are closely linked
the eu remains committed to helping iraq as best as it can to secure progress on all three issues
the iraqi people deserve no less
