Below is an article published by UNPO:

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Marco CAPPATO (ADLE, IT) on the 2007 Annual Report on Human Rights in the World, and regretted the fact that the European Union is still far from conducting a coherent and hard-hitting policy to uphold and promote human rights around the world. MEPs expect substantial progress to be made in this area, as well as the strengthening of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which is largely influenced by national interests. In addition, it is necessary to maintain the Union’s efforts to improve the ability of the European Union to respond rapidly to breaches of human rights by third countries and therefore better mainstream human rights policy into all external European Union policies.

In an email to UNPO, Marco Cappato, rapporteur and author of the report stated that:

“The Report deals with many different aspects of the protection of human rights in the world and it makes explicit reference to indigenous people and minorities. In particular, the articles of the Report concerning this subject are the following:  

34.     Welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and congratulates the Council and Member States for backing the adoption of that text, which will create a framework in which States can protect and promote the rights of indigenous people without exclusion or discrimination; at the same time, notes with concern that, without new instruments to guarantee the implementation of the declaration in question, real improvements in the life of indigenous peoples, especially those living under authoritarian and dictatorial regimes, cannot be expected; urges the Commission, therefore, to follow up on the implementation of the declaration, in particular through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), while in particular enjoining all the Member States to ratify as a matter of urgency ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, which backs up the principles set out in the declaration in question with a legally binding instrument;

106.   Reiterates its request that all human rights and democracy discussions with third countries, instruments, documents and reports, including the Annual Reports, explicitly address discrimination issues including the issues of ethnic, national and linguistic minorities, religious freedoms including intolerance against any religion and discriminatory practices towards minority religions, caste-based discrimination, the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples, the human rights of women, the rights of children, the rights of indigenous peoples, disabled people including people with intellectual disabilities, and people of all sexual orientations, fully involving their organisations, both within the European Union and in third countries, where appropriate;”