Spanish Congress passes motion to take measures against ISIS

www.congreso.es

Madrid, 25.03.2015

At the request of Basque Parliamentarian Group, Spanish Parliament passes measures against ISIS and to support the democratic future of Iraq and Syria.

• The Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Spanish Parliament has supported a motion that was prepared by Aitor Esteban (Basque Parliamentarian Group) and agreed upon by PP (Partido Popular) and PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español).

• The initiative calls for a commitment to the affected civilian population and urges the United Nations to examine the situation of ethnic minorities and avoid abuses of human rights and impunity, and any in the violations past and future.

Congress of Deputies urges the Spanish Government to:

1) Take all measures in their power to prosecute and punish the acts of the so-called “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (EIIL) / Daesh”, acts of genocide and crimes against humanity, especially in the cases of Yazidies, Assyrians, Chaldeans and other ethnic or religious minorities in the Middle East.

2) To support the competent organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council examining the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Syria and Iraq, in order to preserve their wealth and religious and ethnic diversity, with special emphasis on measures designed to prevent impunity for abuses or violations of human rights in the past or future, as well as the destruction of the cultural and artistic heritage of the region.

3) Promote the realization of other parallel dossiers by the UN to collect the evidence of the destruction of cultural heritage of humanity by ISIS/Daesh being carried out systematically.

4) Commit to the protection of the civil population affected and promote humanitarian actions to the displaced people because of the conflict in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and especially to the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, where the proportion of IDPs in relation to the population is much higher.

5) To recognize the work done by the authorities of the countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and especially of the authorities of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan converting their territory into the only place in Iraq where the coexistence of faiths and ethnic minorities is possible today, even in the midst of war.

6) Promote and increase the efforts of Spain in the Coalition in all areas.

7) Commit for a democratic future in Iraq and Syria and ensure a real stabilization and peace in the area.

8) Request the fulfillment of economic and military agreements adopted by the Iraqi parliament, among which is included in fair distribution of oil revenues.

9) Condemn any act which constitutes an abuse or violation of human rights in the area, whether carried out by the ISIS, by pro-government militias or any other group or government acting on the Syrian-Iraqi conflict.