HC Deb 23 April 2001 vol 367 cc121-2W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the EU made an announcement of its position on a China resolution at the 57 UN Commission for Human Rights prior to seeing the text of the resolution which the USA was drafting. [157450]

Mr. Battle

EU partners felt it was important to send an early and clear message to those concerned, including China and member states of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), about the EU's approach towards the US resolution on China, and the expected Chinese no-action motion at the current UNCHR session. EU Foreign Ministers agreed a common position at the General Affairs Council on 19 March, after receiving informal briefing from the US authorities. It was agreed not to co-sponsor the US resolution on China at the UN Commission on Human Rights, but to strengthen the EU common position by actively lobbying against the expected Chinese no-action motion, for the first time since 1996.

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