THE EUROPEAN UNION’S DUTY UNDER INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW TO ENSURE NON-DISCRIMINATORY MEDICAL CARE TO WOMEN AND GIRLS RAPED IN ARMED CONFLICT, INCLUDING ACCESS TO SAFE ABORTION SERVICES Excerpts of EU, International, and National Laws, Policies & Practices Relevant to this Duty Updated as of February 27, 2014 Preface The duty of the European Union (EU) to respect international law—and in particular international humanitarian law as established in the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols—is firmly rooted in its laws, regulations, and guidelines. For women and girls raped in armed conflict, abortion is a legal right under international humanitarian law (“IHL”). This is because they are persons “wounded and sick” under the Geneva Conventions, entitled “to the fullest extent practicable and with the least possible delay the medical care and attention required by their condition,” with no adverse distinction made “on any grounds other than medical ones,” under common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, its Additional Protocols and customary international law.i Denying abortions to women and girls impregnated by rape in armed conflict, while providing male rape victims and all other persons “wounded and sick” in armed conflict the medical care required by their condition, is unlawful discrimination under the Geneva Conventions. Forcing childbearing on female victims of war rape is also cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment under IHL. Therefore, IHL imposes an absolute and affirmative duty to provide the option of abortion to rape victims in humanitarian aid settings. These IHL protections are further supported by international human rights law. The Committee against Torture and the Human Rights Committee have both declared the denial of abortion to be torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in certain situations. Furthermore, under these treaties, which apply concurrently with humanitarian law during armed conflict, State Parties are required to provide the highest standard of rehabilitative care for torture victims, which includes the provision of complete medical services for injuries resulting from torture. In the case of impregnated female rape victims, such care must include the option of abortion. This compendium contains excerpts from relevant EU, EU Member State, and International law, policy, and practice, which underscore the EU’s commitments to ensure that its humanitarian aid to women and girls raped in armed conflict affords them their full and inalienable rights to medical care under IHL. (It also contains excerpts of European, but non-EU Member, States’ law, policy and practice, which—while not binding—serve as important indicators of the legal principles and values guiding EU Member States). The EU is a global leader in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to the victims of armed conflict. The EU should continue to endeavour to comply fully and faithfully with the rights and protections these victims are accorded under IHL. This compendium serves as a reference document for the following documents produced by the Global Justice Center: Call for the European Union to Protect the Right to Abortion of Female Victims of Rape and Forced Pregnancy in Armed Conflict (date TBD), available at … Table of Contents I. Sources of European Union Legal Obligations to Positively Ensure its Humanitarian Aid for Persons “Wounded and Sick” in Armed Conflict, Including Girls and Women Raped in Armed Conflict, Is in Accord with the Medical Mandates of International Humanitarian and Torture Law, Including Providing Necessary Abortions ....................................................................................................................... 1 A. European Union Laws and Guidelines ...................................................................................... 2 European Parliament Resolution on the Millennium Development Goals – defining the post-2015 framework (13 June 2013) ......................................................................................... 2 European Parliament Resolution on equality between women and men in the European Union (13 March 2012) ................................................................................................................ 2 Updated European Union guidelines on promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Law (2009) ............................................................................................................. 2 DG ECHO’s Funding Guidelines: Humanitarian Protection (2009) .................................... 4 The Treaty of Lisbon (2007) ........................................................................................................ 7 European Parliament Resolution on the situation of women in armed conflicts & their role in the reconstruction and democratic process in post-conflict countries (1 June 2006) .......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Council Regulation concerning humanitarian aid, (EC) No 1257/96 (20 June 1996) ........ 8 European Convention on Human Rights .................................................................................. 9 Protocol No. 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights ...................................... 10 Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights Relating to Abortion ........................ 10 Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights Relating to Torture ........................... 19 B. European Union Policies, Practices & Statements Relevant to Humanitarian Aid and Abortion for Girls and Women Raped in Armed Conflict ................................................................ 21 Letter from Global Justice Center to Claus Sørensen, Director-General DG ECHO (24 May 2013) ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Letter from Claus Sørensen, Director-General DG ECHO, to Global Justice Center (20 December 2012) .......................................................................................................................... 24 Letter from Global Justice Center to Kristalina Georgieva, Member of the European Commission (14 August 2012) .................................................................................................. 25 Parliamentary Questions to European Commission on the Effect of US Abortion Ban on European Commission Aid (May 2012) and Answer (July 2012) ........................................ 28 European Commission Framework Partnership Agreement with Humanitarian Organisations (2008 – 2012) ...................................................................................................... 29 European Council Joint Statement: European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid (2008) 30 EU Presidency Statement - Status of Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions (18 October 2006) .............................................................................................................................. 32 Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship (2003) ..................................... 33 Resolution 1212 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Rape in Armed Conflict (2000) ................................................................................................................ 35 Letters to US President Barack Obama regarding the US Abortion Ban on Humanitarian Aid ................................................................................................................................................. 35 C. United Nations Security Council (“SC”) Resolutions ............................................................ 41 UN Security Council Resolution 2122 (2013) ......................................................................... 41 UN Security Council Resolution 2106 (2013) ......................................................................... 41 UN Security Council Resolution 1960 (2010) ......................................................................... 42 UN Security Council Resolution 1888 (2009) ......................................................................... 43 UN Security Council Resolution 1889 (2009) ......................................................................... 43 UN Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008) ......................................................................... 43 UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) ......................................................................... 44 D. UN Secretary-General Reports.................................................................................................. 45 Report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (4 Sept. 2013) ......... 45 E. International Humanitarian Law ............................................................................................... 46 Expert Legal Analysis by Prof. Louise Doswald-Beck, Former Head of the Legal Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Regarding the Right to Abortion under International Humanitarian Law (April 2013) ............................................ 46 International Committee of the Red Cross, Customary Rules of International Humanitarian Law (2005) ........................................................................................................... 49 Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (1994 Summit), “Budapest Document 1994: