CoE+G7 Chair on Women Rights, French Minister Schiappa to EF on Global Coop., Surrogacy exploitation
*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- While France currently Chairs not only the PanEuropean CoE, but also the "G7", and even UNO's Security Council, its hyperactive Minister for Equality of Women/Men and No Discrimination, Marlène Schiappa, replying to "Eurofora"s Questions, stressed the Need to enhance Global Cooperation for respect of such Human Rights, including in notorious cases of Massive Commercial Exploitation of Poor Women for Surrogacy in some Countries accross the World, (f.ex. India, etc).
Significantly, Minister Schiappa said that in Reply to our Questions at a Press-point following the Official Opening in Strasbourg of a CoE's fully booked Conference on International Cooperation for Women's Rights, co-organized Together with UNO's Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Dubravka Simonovic, and saluted by CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland.
In order to Advance "Beyond" some Problems, Questions and Controversies unfortunately hampering yet the full functioning of CoE's special "Istanbul" Convention on "Domestic Violence", (as CoE Assembly's President, Liliane Maury Pasquier, Experienced Swiss MEP and former Chair of the Socialist Group, had characteristicaly urged, already during relevant Debates at the World Forum for Democracy of 2018 in Strasbourg, See, f.ex.: .., etc), CoE has nowadays Established an "International PLATFORM of Experts against Violence on Women", Headed by UNO's Rapporteur, Miss Simonovic, (Comp. Supra).
This "Platform" Gathered Together, Yesterday and Today in Strasbourg, Leading Senior Officials from 7 or 8 relevant Organisations accross the World, including, f.ex., the "Committee for elimination of Discrimination against Women" (CEDAW), the above-mentioned "Istanbul Convention" on "Domestic Violence against Women", the "African Commission on Human and People's Rights"' Rapporteur on Women's Rights in Africa, UNO's "Working Group on Discrimination against Women, in Law and Practice", the "Follow-up Mechanism to the Belem do Para Convention (MESECVI), and the "Inter-American Commission on Human Rights"' Rapporteur on Women's Rights, (etc). The Head of EU's Delegation to the CoE, Meglena Kuneva, also took part in the work of that International Conference, Later-on this Afternoon.
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=> Questioned by "Eurofora" whether she expected some "Interesting Perspectives from such International Cooperations", in order to Protect Women, Minister Schiappa was adamant :
- "Yes, Certainly !", she Replied Positively from the outset.
- "That's precisely why we wish that Europe Cooperates with the UN and Others", accross the World, for Women's Rights, he told us.
- "By the way, you can see that even those who are Against Womens' Rights, know how to Leave aside all their Ideological, Political, Economic, or Other Differences, in order to act all Together against Womens' Rights !", Schiappa Denounced.
>>> - "That's one reason more, for which we believe that it's Important for all European and International Organisations, States, NGOs, Experts, etc., which Help and Defend Womens' Rights and Equality between Women and Men, to also Unite Together, Leaving aside any smaller Differences that they might have between them Elsewhere, in order to stand firm, all together on what is Essential (matters most)", she stressed in Reply.
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+ Moreover, "Eurofora" raised also a Question "on Equality", concerning an Issue which is not always on Establishment Medias' Limelights, but, nevertheless, is Important for Human Rights, and, it seems, quite WideSpread nowadays accross the World, particularly in Countries like India and various Poor Countries : That of Massive Commercial Exploitation of Poor Women for Surrogacy, (i.e. in order to bear a Pregnacy and give Birth to a Child destinated to Other Persons, Strangers to her, through Technically Asssisted, Artificial Reproductive Methods). - What do you think that it could be done in order to Help those Women ?", we asked Schiappa.
- After taking a moment to Think, and Verify that "Eurofora" spoke, indeed, about Exploitaton of poor Women, in case of Surrogacy, alias "Surrogate Mothers", (Comp. Supra), the competent French Minister reacted Positively and practically :
- "Against the Commercial Exploitation of Women, in cases of Surrogacy, "We (French Presidency of the CoE, G7, UN SC, etc) are very much Committed" on that, she stressed.
- F.ex., among others, "there is also an Inter-Ministerial Mission against Human Trafficking of Women, which, naturally, may usefully act on that matter" too. "Thank you very much", Saluted, in fine, Minister Shiappa, before Leaving CoE's Building with a Smile ...
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- The Fact that PanEuropean CoE's Organisation, particularly through also various Conventions open to signature and ratification by Other, Non European Countries, and its Annual "World Forum for Democracy" (organised in Strasbourg, each November), (etc), currently seeks, in Growing Cooperation with the EU, to Develop and Enlarge also a kind of "Global View", throughout the World's various Continents, including on Women's Rights, was Confirmed, in Reply to an Earlier Question by "Eurofora", also by the Experienced CoE's Director for Democratic Governance, Claudia Luciani, during a previous Press Conference at Strasbourg's Press Club. It was on this occasion, f.ex., that, while we asked, f.ex., about Fresh Data concerning Womens' Rights also in Countries such as China, etc., Luciani agreed, but Pointed also to India, and other Countries, (f.ex. Pakistan, etc), in this regard.
+ But a main Concern of the CoE Nowadays, in these regards, appears to be, particularly, to Focus also on "Implementation" of Women's Rights, World-wide.
- "Whenever we (CoE) have certain Legal Standards, normaly we could and should Implement them", stressed, as a matter of General Principle, CoE's Director General for Democracy, Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, in Reply to a relevant Question by "Eurofora".
Smiling, she diplomatcally avoided, however, to explicitly Reply also to a subsequent Question, on whether CoE really had, already, Sufficient and Clear "Legal Standards" to aply also on the Atrocious phenomenon of Many Poor Women over-Exploited for Massive Surrogacy Business, (sometimes in conditions worse even than animals) in some Countries, as f.ex. also India, etc, according to many NGO's Denonciations, in Scandalous situations against basic Human Dignity, as numerous Videos show at the Internet...
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+ Meanwhile, Marlène Schiappa didn't ommit, however, also to publish at her Twitter Account, a Statement by French President Emmanuel Macron Denouncing "the Violence which Attacked" many innocent Civilian People "on the Streets" of nearby Lyon City Today, where an "Explosion Wounded" reportedly 13 persons, ...9 of whom (i.e. the Majority) were Women, including a Young Girl aged Only 10 y.o...
- Macron had already Spoken, Earlier Today, about a Brutal "Attack", while the French Police in Paris had just Started Official Investigations, reportedly for Criminal Actions with a Nail Bomb Explosion, aimed at "Murder", in relation with "Terrorism".
And, by another Astonishing Coincidence, indeed, Many among the recent years' Islamist Terrorist Attacks have Curiously Targetted, often, much More ...Women (even Old Ladies Aged 90 !), than Men !
F.ex., inter alia, also at a series of Knife-Attacks at the Street in Helsinki ; inside a Shopping Center at Washington State, by an armed Young Turk; or the unique Killing of Only an American Lady, earlier out of the Brittish Museum in London ; the DeCapitation of 2 Scandinavian Tourists Women in Morocco ;(etc), Not to Forget the Different, but also Violent Massive Aggressions, including Thefts, Sexual Attacks and/or Rape, by Groups of Thugs against several Hundred of unprotected Young Women and Girls in Koln (Germany) during the New Year's eve, on January 2016, which provoked a Worldwide Scandal, and a "Hot" and Long Debate at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, calling for Sanctions of all those responsible, for Attacking or Abandoning all those Women withOut Any Protection at all, (and even ...Blocking the only available Public Transport means, it seems), resulting into Toppling the Government of RNW Laender, shortly afterwards, (See, f.ex.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeforenquiryandjusticeonmobviolentattacksagainstwomen.html, http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coetodebatewomensmassaggressionsandattemptstohidethetruth.html , etc).
Curiously, indeed, it's Not only the infamous Mass Kidnapping of 1.000 Young African Girls by "Boko Haram"'s Terrorists (notoriusly affiliated with ISIS), and/or the Massive Deprivations of Liberty for Brutaly kidnaped, Yazidi and other Women in Syria/Iraq by ISIS, followed also by systematic Exploitation as "Sex Slaves", and other Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, as Denounced at the CoE and EU Parliament in Strasbourg, by 2 or 3 Victims who managed to Escape, later-on, Urging for "Justice" to be done, (Comp., inter alia, also, f.ex.: ... etc).
Indeed, Timely, that Lyon's Bomb Attack Today, indirectly but clearly, reminded also the Fact that Real Protection of Women's Rights, particularl against the Worst forms of Brutal Violence, has become, recently, an astonishingly Growing Issue, particularly Out at the Streets, and especially in certain Countries accross the World.
(../..)
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(NDLR: "DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora"s Donors/Subscribers, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap. +Fast Translation from the Original in French.)
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An "Eugenic" loophole Amendment, which might expose to Dangers reminiscent of "3rd Reich's" notorious Genetic Abuses, hidden at the last minute inside an otherwise Good, larger Health policy Package scheduled to be voted on Thursday, was strongly denounced by a coalition of MEPs from various Political Groups and Countries, in a Press Conference held this afternoon at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
Mainly calling to "Select Human Embryos", via "Genetic Counselling" and "pre-implantation" Techniques including "Genetic Tests", in order to "Eradicate Hereditary rare Diseases", it might open ways to Dangerous Practices in Future, they denounced in substance.
But they also made it clear that a much larger Report inside which this Controversial Amendment "No 15" was added in dubious circumstances, officialy destinated to struggle against "Rare Diseases", and drafted by Professor Antonios Trakatellis, was otherwise "an Excellent Report", aiming at a "completely Uncontroversial target" of Health policy on which "all MEPs and Experts are united, believing that Europe should act" to protect People's Health (See "EuroFora"'s earlier News).
The controversy came at a particularly delicate moment for the EU in relation to Citizens, at the eve of June 2009 EU Elections, and shortly before Ireland re-votes for "Lisbon Treaty"..
- Denouncing risks of "an Eugenic demand, very similar to what we had during the 3rd Reich in Germany, but now coming from some Scientisists themselves", German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Dr. Peter Liese stressed that critical MEPs were against "Eugenic" engineering with "Selection of Human Embryos", and anything which might ultimately lead up to to a "Selection of Human Race". It doesn't help to "eradicate" Human Lives, he added.
Several Experts and NGOs expressed "Deep Concern", as f;ex. DR M.C. Cornel of the "European Society of Human Genetics", which stressed, on this occasion, that "the importance of Non-Directiveness in Reproductive issues is a Central characteristic of Human Genetics, after the Atrocities committed in the name of Genetics in the first half or the 20th Century".
- "This is completely Unacceptable", stressed Italian Liberal MEP Vittorio Prodi, on the Controversial Amendment, also because pushes to "eliminate early Human Life", as he noted.
- "This opens a Dangerous Road, rather a Motorway", denounced Danish MEP Mrs Margrette Auken, from the "Greens", observing that various similar attempts were made in the Past "not only in Germany, but also in several other Countries, "even at the 1970ies", "f.ex. on forced Sterilisation of Roma" People, and other criticisable situations f.ex. in the UK, in Sweden, etc. as she said.
+ Other NGOs, as f.ex. "LebenHilfe" from Berlin, added that, among various other Risks, could also be that, by exploiting the pre-implantation Genetic Diagnostics and the Selection of "healthy" Embryos, some may "propagate" several "Eugenic" aims, starting f.ex. by pushing to eradicate Human Livies which might "Cost too much" to preserve, ultimately exposing to dangers reminiscent of the "3rd Reich"'s atrocious abuses.
In consequence, ChristianDemocrats/EPP and "Green" MEPs "decided by Majority to vote against" this Controversial Amendment, anounced to Journalists the 5 MEPs who participated in the Press Conference, representing a wide spectrum, from Liberals to "Greens" and ChristianDemocrats, and from Hungary, Italy, Germany and Danemark up to Ireland (Gay Mitchell), etc.
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Hungarian ChristianDemocrat MEP Laszlo Surjan said "that it was "Suddenly, at the End of the Procedure" in Committee, that "appeared this (Controversial) Amendment, which has nothing to do" with the main purpose of the Report, on which all agreed.
He denounced an "Unhonest" move, and called to "avoid this kind of unacceptable situations". Nobody should "Select People", Surjan stressed.
- "We (MEPs) had No Chance to Discuss" this last-minute Amendment earlier added at a Committee's level, said German MEP Peter Liese
Speaking to "EuroFora", Dr. Liese, the Spokesman of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group in EU Parliament, said that MEPs didn't oppose other references of the Report f.ex. on "Genetic Tests", because they were "no proposals" to impose them, while, on the contrary, there was "a Problem" if anyone attempted to "impose" f.ex. this or that Genetic Technique and "Genetic Counselling", etc. to the People on human reproduction.
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The precise Text :
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Controversial parts of Amendment No 15 ask mainly "to lead finally to the Eradication" of "Hereditary" "rare diseases", "through Genetic Counselling .., and ..pre-Implantation Selection of healthy Embryos".
But EU Rapporteur Professor Trakatellis, said to "EuroFora" that fears should be alleviated by Guarantees that all this should be done only "where appropriate", when it's "not contrary to existing National Law", and "always on a Voluntary basis", according to other Parts of the Amendment.
He stressed that the main aim was to allow "a free and informed choice of persons involved", without imposing them anything : - "It's not an obligatory, but advisary" text, he said.
To make that point clear, he was ready, in agreement with many MEPs, to eventually drop at least that part of the controversial Amendment which initially called for "efforts to ..lead finally to the Eradication of those rare diseases" "which are Hereditary".
But, until late Wednesday evening, reportedly together with many other MEPs, he stood by all the rest of the controversial Amendment, (fex. on the "Genetic Counselling" and the "pre-implantation Selection of healthy Embryos"), so that critical MEPs, going from ChristianDemocrats as Dr. Liese, to "Greens" or "Ind/Dem", observed to "EuroFora" that "this was not enough" to close the dangerous loophole.
Particularly since, as Professor Trakatellis noted himself, "this is already allowed to the U.K.", and "other National Legislations would probably follow, sooner or later" in a similar direction. As for a general call to "Eradicate Hereditary rare Diseases", this "should happen, at any case, in practice, de facto", to protect public Health.
On the contrary, "our goal should be to help patients suffering from rare diseases, not to eradicate the patients. In case of genetic disease risk, the decision should not be guided by scenarios" made by politicians. "Perents who may decide to accept a child, even if handicapped or with genetic disease, must be respected and supported with solidarity", critical MEPs stated.
- "Any Pressure" to "a patient or couple (who "should be able to make an informed choice consistent with their own values"),"from health Professionals, Public Health Policies or Governemental Institutions, or Society at large, should be avoided", stresses the "European Society for Human Genetics".
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Each MEP's vote will be registered !
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The Socialist Group requested a "Split vote" on the Amendment 15, first without, and afterwards with the words "lead finally to the Eradication" etc.
But the first "split vote" leaves intact all the other parts of the Controversial Amendment, (i.e. "Genetic Counselling", "Selection of healthy Embryos", etc).
That's why, 3 Groups of MEPs : ChristianDemocrats/EPP, "Greens/EFA", and "Ind/Dem", have asked for "Roll Call Votes", on everything regarding the Controversial Amendment No 15, and on the final outcome of the resulting Report as amended, which will register all the individual positions to be taken by each MEP.
Something which will obviously make each MEP think twice before voting for one or another choice, to be sure that he/she will make the right choice in front of EU Citizens, particularly at these pre-Election times...
Crucial Votes were scheduled between 12 Noon and 1 p.m. local Strasbourg time, in the middle of a long series of various other Reports, and after a long Public Debate on the larger Health policy package, from 9 to 11.50 am.
The specific Report inside which was hidden the controversial Amendment is due to be debated between 11 and 12 am.
So that more last-minute Surprises may not be excluded a priori...
Particularly at the present Historic moment, when even the Institutional Future of the EU depends on the result of a second Referendum on "Lisbon Treaty", later this year, in ...Ireland, a mainly Catholic country, where People are particularly sensitive in such kind of socio-cultural and values issues...