international human rights conventions to which Nepal is party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, H. whereas the overall situation of many refugees in Nepal, in particular the Tibetans, gives cause for concern, I. whereas the EU reaffirmed its commitment to support democratic and participatory governance in the EU’s external relations by the adoption of its Council conclusions on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations on 17 November 2009, 1. Underlines the right to participate in democratic elections as a fundamental right of all citizens that must be upheld, protected and guaranteed in every democratic state; 2. Calls on the Government of Nepal to uphold the democratic rights of the Tibetan people, who are conducting a unique internal election process which has existed since 1960, to organise and to participate in democratic elections; 3. Emphasises the importance of peaceful democratic elections to the strengthening and preservation of the Tibetan identity both inside and outside the territory of Tibet; 4. Urges the Nepali authorities to respect the rights of Tibetans in Nepal to freedom of expression, assembly and association as guaranteed for all persons in Nepal by international human rights conventions to which Nepal is a party; 5. Calls on the authorities to refrain from preventive arrests and restrictions on demonstrations and freedom of speech that deny the right to legitimate peaceful expression and assembly during all activities undertaken by the Tibetan community in the country and urges the Government of Nepal to include such rights and to ensure religious freedom within Nepal’s new constitution, due to be enacted by 28 May 2011; 6. Calls on the Nepalese authorities to abide by their international human rights obligations and their own domestic laws in their treatment of the Tibetan community and urges the government to resist the strong pressure exerted by the Chinese Government to silence the Tibetan community in Nepal using restrictions which are not only unjustified but also illegal under domestic and international law; 7. Considers that the continuation of the full implementation of the ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ on the Tibetan refugees by the Nepali authorities is essential for maintaining contact between the UNHCR and Tibetan communities; 8. Calls on the European External Action Service through its delegation in Kathmandu to closely monitor the political situation in Nepal, especially the treatment of the Tibetan refugees and respect for their constitutionally and internationally enshrined rights, and urges the EU High Representative to address the concerns about the actions taken by the Nepalese Government to block the Tibetan elections, with the Nepalese and Chinese authorities; 9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government of Nepal and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.