2011 (A/66/268) on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, focusing on the effects of solitary confinement, including the use of that
method in psychiatric clinics; expresses serious concern over the evidence from different
countries that psychiatric hospitals are being used as de facto detention centres; calls on the
VP/HR, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, the EEAS and the Commission
to pay appropriate attention to this problem;
109. Expresses concern over the future operation of rehabilitation centres for torture victims;
calls on the EEAS and Commission services to work across the dividing line of external
and internal policies to ensure that administrative competency lines do not endanger EU
support to rehabilitation centres, both outside and inside the Union;
110. Regrets that human rights violations still remain a painful problem in the occupied areas of
Cyprus; notes that thousands of refugees, who have been forced to abandon their homes
and properties, are being denied by the Turkish military forces to live in their homeland
until today; notes further that families and relatives of missing persons are still denied the
right to have answers regarding the fate of their loved ones, as Turkey does not facilitate
access to the military zones or to archives containing relevant investigation reports by the
Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus;
Discrimination
111. Insists that the political dialogue on human rights between the EU and third countries must
cover a more inclusive and comprehensive definition of non-discrimination, inter alia on
the basis of religion or belief, sex, racial or ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation
and gender identity;
112. Underlines that for the EU’s foreign policy to be credible and coherent in the field of
fundamental rights, equality and anti-discrimination, the Council should adopt the directive
on equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or
sexual orientation, and enlarge the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and
Xenophobia to cover other targeted groups, such as LGBT persons;
113. Requires the Member States to vigorously oppose any attempt to undermine the concept of
universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights and to actively encourage
the UNHRC to pay equal attention to the question of discrimination on all grounds,
including gender, gender identity, race, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief;
Strongly regrets that homosexuality remains criminalised in 78 states, including five in
which it is subject to the death penalty; calls on these states to decriminalise homosexuality
without delay, to free those imprisoned on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender
identity and not to execute them; calls on the EEAS to make full use of the LGBT Toolkit
to protect the rights of LGBTI people; calls on the Council to work towards binding
guidelines in this area; calls on the EEAS and Member States to assist LGBTI human
rights defenders in countries where they are at risk, and calls on the VP/HR and the EU
Special Representative on Human Rights to continue making clear the European Union’s
firm commitment to equality and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression in the world, including by launching and supporting
initiatives at bilateral, international and UN level on these matters; repeats its call on the
Commission to issue a roadmap for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender
identity;