MEP McMillan-Scott presses Obama on US aid for rape victims

Last week I wrote on Liberal Democrat Voice about my chat with Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber Edward McMillan-Scott. He told me how the EU human rights body he leads has been helping the rebels in Syria with communications equipment for a while.

I was particularly impressed to read this week how he and fellow European Parliament Vice President Alexander Alvaro have written to President Obama to ask him to rescind the US policy of not allowing any US aid to go towards funding abortions, not even when women and girls have been raped in situations of armed conflict.

I can only imagine the immense suffering of the many women and girls who are so brutally violated in this way. For that to end in a pregnancy, and for them to be forced to continue with that pregnancy is physical and psychological torture. Imagine how you would feel in that circumstance. The Global Justice Center has a much more detailed Q & A on the effects of this policy.

As the letter from McMillan Scott and Alvaro says:

The rights of the “wounded and sick” to comprehensive medical care are guaranteed by common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, Articles 10 & 16 of Additional Protocol I, Articles 7 & 10 of Additional Protocol II, Article 14 of the Convention against Torture, and customary international law. Yet, despite these clear mandates, girls and women impregnated by rape in armed conflict are being routinely denied abortions in humanitarian medical settings. Many believe this is due to the global effect of the US prohibitions. Rape victims are the only category of war victims who are systematically denied their rights to complete medical care.

The failure to provide abortions to rape victims, who are also considered torture victims, can itself constitute torture and/or cruel and inhuman treatment, imposing serious consequences for these victims, including forcing continued pregnancy and dangerous child bearing, suicide, or unsafe abortions. The US prohibition contains no life or rape exceptions. 

They call on Obama to issue an Executive Order explicitly lifting the restrictions on these funds being used for abortions, thus giving these women access to total medical care.

Often the only people shouting about human rights for women and girls are female politicians. Hillary Clinton has been very good as Secretary of State and for decades before on these issues, but you rarely hear Obama, David Cameron, William Hague or even Nick Clegg mentioning them. I'm glad, therefore, to see these prominent MEPs taking such a strong line.

The letter in full is published below for the sake of completeness.

We write to you as concerned Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, who share a common view that ensuring the rights of persons “wounded and sick” in armed conflict under the Geneva Conventions is critical to our international legal order. We echo the concerns of those signatories to the amicus brief filed by the UK and European parliamentarians in the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case, urging the US Supreme Court to apply common Article 3 to review the US military commissions and indeed are some of the same signatories. We applaud the United States’ commitment to advancing global implementation of the laws of war, a key example being your Executive Order revoking the “torture memos” to ensure that the US is in compliance with its obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture (CAT).

We urge you to reaffirm this commitment by lifting the US “no abortion” clause put on all US foreign aid, including humanitarian medical aid directed for girls and women raped in conflict. This violates the rights of girls and women impregnated by rape in armed conflict who are “wounded and sick” persons entitled to non-discriminatory and comprehensive medical care, including abortions, under international humanitarian law (IHL). The ongoing and systemic use of rape as a weapon of war is a matter of global concern; ensuring that the laws of war are fully enforced to guarantee the rights of victims of rape in conflict is of paramount importance.

The rights of the “wounded and sick” to comprehensive medical care are guaranteed by common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, Articles 10 & 16 of Additional Protocol I, Articles 7 & 10 of Additional Protocol II, Article 14 of the Convention against Torture, and customary international law. Yet, despite these clear mandates, girls and women impregnated by rape in armed conflict are being routinely denied abortions in humanitarian medical settings. Many believe this is due to the global effect of the US prohibitions. Rape victims are the only category of war victims who are systematically denied their rights to complete medical care.

The failure to provide abortions to rape victims, who are also considered torture victims, can itself constitute torture and/or cruel and inhuman treatment, imposing serious consequences for these victims, including forcing continued pregnancy and dangerous child bearing, suicide, or unsafe abortions. The US prohibition contains no life or rape exceptions.

Although States in armed conflict have the primary obligation to provide care for war victims, common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions mandates all states to “respect” and “ensure respect” for the Geneva Conventions in all circumstances, including with respect to the provision of humanitarian aid. Further, all states have positive obligations to address violations of the Geneva Conventions.

The European Union's focus on women's rights within the "EU guidelines on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them", which aims at the particular support of female victims.

Additionally, we support the recommendation made by Norway during the Universal Periodic Review of the US at the Human Rights Council in November 2010 that the US “remov[e] blanket abortion restrictions on humanitarian aid covering medical care given women and girls who are raped and impregnated in situations of armed conflict.”

Further, we urge you to issue an executive order explicitly lifting the restrictions on abortion services for victims of war, thereby ensuring that US humanitarian aid relieves human suffering. We note that this is a letter in formation as we are seeking further support from our colleagues in the European Parliament.

Yours sincerely,

Alexander Alvaro, MEP                                              Edward McMillan-Scott, MEP

Vice-President of the European Parliament                                  Vice-President of the European Parliament

Liberal Democrat MEP McMillan-Scott gets European Hunan Rights Portfolio

Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, Edward McMillan-Scott, re-elected as one of the European Parliament's 14 Vice Presidents last month, has again been allocated the portfolio for Democracy and Human Rights.  He has also been given a new responsibility, for Transatlantic Relations. He  was put forward by the liberal Group in the European Parliament and is the only British MEP on the Parliament's Bureau, responsible for its management, organisation and finances. 

He has a long record in campaigning for human rights and democracy support. He was the first outside politician to get to Cairo after the fall of Mubarak and has been back to the region six times since, promoting liberal, secular forces. Last week, he met activists from Homs in Syria, the scene of such heartbreaking violence, who had come to appeal for support. He recently wrote in the Yorkshire Post  about his worries that the spirit of the Arab Spring is fading.

He told a senior delegation of the American Chamber of Commerce last week that his new portfolio will allow him to build bridges between legislative powers across the Atlantic Ocean, with a well functioning European Parliament's Liason Office in Washington, and mutual visits from Congressional and European Parliamentary delegations. He addeed  that these are fascinating times to begin this responsibility with elections in November and an extensive range of contacts necessary on democracy building and human rights worldwide.

Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne has welcomed the news of Mr McMillan-Scott's appointment:

“I am delighted at Edward’s re-election. He has proved a passionate, determined and highly effective campaigner for human rights and democracy.

“As the British Foreign Minister responsible for human rights and a fellow Liberal Democrat, I am greatly looking forward to working with Edward to pursue this agenda, which is so central to the enlightened interests of the UK and Europe as a whole.

“With the Arab Spring continuing, and tentative steps towards political reforms in Burma, the presence of strong and credible voices, fighting for human rights and democracy at home and abroad, is absolutely essential.

“I am convinced Edward is the right man to help ensure that we maximise the collective weight of the European Union in defending and promoting human rights and democracy.”

Chris Davies slams fellow Lib Dem MEP Wallis over her shock resignation

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Two days ago, Yorkshire and the Humber Lib Dem MEP Diana Wallis stood for the Presidency of the Parliament and almost, but for one vote, came second. That was as good as a result as she could have hoped for. Given the way these things are usually stitched up between the two main groups, she was never going to win.

The whole Liberal Democrat party will be shocked to learn of her resignation as an MEP, effective 31st January. This leaves the way clear, as in any other list seat, for the second placed person on the list to take over her seat. That person is Stewart Arnold, her husband, who also works for her. It has not yet been confirmed whether he will take the seat.

A statement on her website said:

"I have been in the European Parliament twelve years and I think that is time enough. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and it was truly a huge privilege; especially to serve as a Vice President of Parliament for the last five years. However, I think all of us, whatever our professions, need to turn a new page from time to time.

"At the mid-term of parliament many members come and go, so accordingly this moment following upon my unsuccessful bid for the Presidency is a good time to take stock. I undertook that bid for reasons that I deeply believe in but such a course of action is bound to lead to reflection. I want to take a break from politics and to take time and assess what next.

"I have been at the service of the people of Yorkshire and the Humber for twelve and a half years. I will always be grateful for the trust that was placed in me to carry out this role, but now is the time for someone with fresh eyes to take over.
"I remain a committed pro-European Liberal Democrat."

North West Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies was scathing about her decision to go, telling The Parliament website:

 "I am appalled and feel betrayed by her decision. To stand for election for the presidency one day and then resign the following day is quite unbelievable.

"It is an insult to her constituents and a slap in the face for the constituents who supported her in the last European elections.

"There will be some people who will regard this as quite unprincipled."

"I have known her for 13 years but I now think my assessment of her character was wrong."

An unnamed Lib Dem MEP was quoted as saying that her move had all the hallmarks of a stitch up.

Her constituency colleague, human rights champion and newly re-elected Vice President of the Parliament Edward McMillan-Scott was much more generous, paying tribute to her work. Sir Graham Watson and group leader Fiona Hall also were sympathetic.

One person who got it completely wrong, though was a Tory Yorkshire and Humber MEP, Godfrey Bloom, saying:

But trying to shoehorn her husband into her old salary as she resigns really is a working definition of nepotism in my opinion. One Wallis is as bad as another.

"The Lib Dems are always screaming in favour of gender quotas. Diana Wallis has gone all quiet about that now. Jobs for the boys now - you could hardly make this story up."

Gender quotas? Us? He's got that one wrong and he clearly doesn't know that we haven't used zipping since 1999.  If Arnold were to take her place, he would have to face reselection on a one member one vote basis, before the next election in 2014.

No doubt there will be more to follow on this, but I thought I'd let you know what was happening.