Venezuela and the Human Rights Council

Question for written answer  E-001450/2021
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 138
Hermann Tertsch (ECR)

On 10 March 2021, the update of the September 2020 report[1] of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) inquiry into the human rights situation in Venezuela[2] noted that violations committed by the drug regime which qualify as large-scale crimes against humanity and carried out with the express knowledge of Nicolás Maduro and two of his ministers are on the rise.

The UNHRC was set up by and reports to the General Assembly of which the European Union is a permanent observer and the highest contributor to the regular budget.

In July 2020, the Council of the European Union established the protection of human rights worldwide as one of its priorities at the UN.[3]

• 1.When does the EU intend to join the initiative of several States Parties to the International Criminal Court to formally open the case against Venezuela and prosecute the perpetrators of crimes against humanity?
• 2.When will the EU call on the UN to implement Resolution 60/251[4] and expel Venezuela from the Human Rights Council for as long as it continues to commit serious and systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity?

• [1] ^{ACNUDH | Statement by Marta Valiñas, President of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, at the 46th session of the Human Rights Council (ohchr.org)}
• [2] ^{Findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. A/HRC/45/CRP.11 of 15 September 2020. Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 27 September 2019. A/HRC/RES/42/25 of 8 October 2019.}
• [3] ^{EU priorities at the United Nations General Assembly https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9401-2020-INIT/en/pdf}
• [4] ^{See point 8 of Resolution 60/251, adopted by the General Assembly (without reference to a Main Committee (A/60/L.48)) 60/251. Human Rights Council}