The GUE/NGL group is represented by two MEPs Miguel Viegas (Portugal) and Neoklis Sylikiotis (Cyprus) at the Parliamentary Assembly-Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM)* taking place in Lisbon on 11 and 12 May. They are members of a European Parliament delegation to the Assembly.

MEPs Viegas and Sylikiotis participated in the work of the five Standing Committees** as well as the Parliamentary Assembly's Plenary Session.

They tabled a significant number of amendments which were adopted and included in the PA-UPM recommendations. These included amendments on Palestine, promoting the respect of Human Rights, for a genuine policy on migration focusing on human rights, international law and the principle of solidarity and a call to deal with the root social economic and political causes of wars and interventions leading to unemployment, poverty and humanitarian tragedies.

After a long debate in the Standing Committee on Political Affairs, Security and Human Rights, the following text by GUE/NGL was approved and incorporated in the relevant Recommendation: “Encourages also the establishment of a working group of the Committee on Political Affairs, Security and Human Rights of the PA-UfM on Palestine in order to give support to the Palestinians' legitimate demand for recognition of a Palestinian State in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.”

Speaking on behalf of the group today during the plenary session, Miguel Viegas stressed that when speaking about this humanitarian crisis, it is necessary to speak about the EU and member states' lies on the criminal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and the implicit and explicit support to the on-going crimes against the Palestinian people by Israel. He called for the immediate recognition of a Palestinian State and the end of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus as central to achieving stability and peace in the area.

*The PA-UfM holds at least one plenary session per year and comprises 280 members, distributed equally between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. The European Parliament has 49 members.

**Five standing committees work within the PA-UfM:

Committee on Political Affairs, Security and Human Rights; 
Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs, Social Affairs and Education;
Committee on Improving Quality of Life, Exchanges between Civil Societies and Culture;
Committee on Women's Rights;
Committee on Energy, Environment and Water.