Next event: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading 2014/03/11 more...
- End of procedure in Parliament 2014/03/11
- Debate in Parliament 2014/03/10
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading 2014/02/18
- Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading 2014/02/06
- Amendments tabled in committee 2014/01/08
- Committee opinion 2013/11/29
Progress: Procedure completed
Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
---|---|---|---|
Lead | AFET | GOMES Ana ( S&D) | GIANNAKOU Marietta ( PPE), NEYTS-UYTTEBROECK Annemie ( ALDE), LOCHBIHLER Barbara ( Verts/ALE), DE MARTINI Susy ( ECR), MEYER Willy ( GUE/NGL), BELDER Bas ( EFD) |
Committee Opinion | FEMM | MATERA Barbara ( PPE) | Silvia COSTA ( S&D), Norica NICOLAI ( ALDE) |
Committee Opinion | INTA |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 052
Legal Basis:
RoP 052Subjects
Events
The European Parliament adopted by 546 votes to 32, with 17 abstentions, a resolution on Saudi Arabia, its relations with the EU and its role in the Middle East and North Africa.
Parliament recalled that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is an influential political, economic and religious actor in the Middle East and the Islamic world, the world´s leading oil producer, and a founder and leading member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and of the G-20 group. It is an important trading partner for the EU. However, the changing political and strategic context in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region necessitates a reassessment of EU-KSA relations.
Parliament stated that KSA needs to ensure the real freedom of religion, particularly regarding public practice and religious minorities, in line with an important role that KSA plays as custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of Islam in Mecca and Medina.
Recognising the interdependence between the EU and KSA in terms of regional stability, relations with the Islamic world, the fate of the transitions in the Arab Spring countries, the Israel-Palestine peace process, the war in Syria, as well as a number of other areas, Parliament underlined that the geopolitical environment makes KSA and other GCC member states a focus of security challenges that have regional and global implications. Parliament underlined the European interest in a peaceful and orderly evolution and political reform process in KSA, as a key factor for long-term peace, stability and development in the region.
Parliament called on the KSA to:
allow its National Human Rights Association to operate with independence and to comply with the UN standards on national human rights institutions (the Paris Principles); honour its commitments to several human rights instruments, including the Arab Charter on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC); improve their Shari’a-based criminal justice system in order to meet the international standards governing procedures for arrest, detention and trials, as well as prisoners’ rights; release prisoners of conscience , to end judicial and extra-judicial harassment of human rights defenders and to speed up the implementation of the new legislation on NGOs, ensuring their registration, freedom to operate and ability to operate legally; reform the justice system in order to eliminate all forms of corporal punishment and the death penalty; ensure that all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment are thoroughly and impartially investigated, that all alleged perpetrators are prosecuted, and that any statement that may have been extracted under torture is not used as evidence in criminal proceedings; revoke the male guardianship system; outlaw public executions bearing in mind that KSA is one of the countries in the world that still practises public executions, amputations and flogging and that these practices constitute a gross violation of a number of international human rights instruments to which KSA is a party; eliminate all restrictions on women’s human rights , freedom of movement, health, education, marriage, employment opportunities, legal personality and representation in judicial processes, and all forms of discrimination against women in family law and in private and public life in order to promote their participation in the economic, social, cultural, civic and political spheres; stop exerting pressure on those who campaign for the right of women to drive; review and reform women’s education in order to increase their economic participation; stop the recent violent attacks against migrant workers and to release the thousands who have been arrested and are being kept in makeshift centres, reportedly often without adequate shelter or medical attention.
Moreover, the EU institutions are urged to increase their presence in the region and to strengthen working relations with KSA, by increasing resources to the Delegation in Riyadh and by planning regular visits to the Kingdom, namely by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
Financing and supporting terrorism : Parliament is concerned that some of the KSA’s citizens and organisations provide financial and political support for some religious and political groups notably in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and in particular in South Asia (namely Pakistan and Afghanistan), Chechnya and Dagestan, which may result in reinforcing fundamentalist and obscurantist forces that undermine efforts to nurture democratic governance and oppose the participation of women in public life.
It called on the KSA authorities to work with the EU and internationally to stop Salafi movements supporting the anti-state activities of the military rebels in Mali, which are leading to the destabilisation of the entire region.
Syrian issue : Parliament stressed that KSA is a key member of the ‘Friends of Syria Group’ and called KSA to contribute to a peaceful, inclusive solution to the Syrian conflict notably through support for the Geneva II talks, without preconditions.
It also called for:
more active support and the provision of all possible humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people affected by the Syrian civil war; stop any financial, military and political support of extremist groups.
Although Parliament shared some of the concerns expressed by KSA on the Syria issue, it urged urges the government to actively and constructively engage with the international community. It welcomed in this context notably the agreement between the United States and Russia on ridding Syria of chemical weapons while avoiding a military confrontation.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Ana GOMES (S&D, PT) on Saudi Arabia, its relations with the EU and its role in the Middle East and North Africa.
The report recalled that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is an influential political, economic and religious actor in the Middle East and the Islamic world, the world´s leading oil producer, and a founder and leading member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and of the G-20 group. It is an important trading partner for the EU. However, the changing political and strategic context in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region necessitates a reassessment of EU-KSA relations.
Members stressed the European interest in a peaceful and orderly evolution and political reform process in KSA, as a key factor for long-term peace, stability and development in the region. Against this background, the KSA is called upon to:
allow its National Human Rights Association to operate with independence and to comply with the UN standards on national human rights institutions (the Paris Principles); honour its commitments to several human rights instruments, including the Arab Charter on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC); improve their Shari’a-based criminal justice system in order to meet the international standards governing procedures for arrest, detention and trials, as well as prisoners’ rights; release prisoners of conscience , to end judicial and extra-judicial harassment of human rights defenders and to speed up the implementation of the new legislation on NGOs, ensuring their registration, freedom to operate and ability to operate legally; reform the justice system in order to eliminate all forms of corporal punishment and the death penalty; ensure that all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment are thoroughly and impartially investigated, that all alleged perpetrators are prosecuted, and that any statement that may have been extracted under torture is not used as evidence in criminal proceedings; revoke the male guardianship system; eliminate all restrictions on women’s human rights , freedom of movement, health, education, marriage, employment opportunities, legal personality and representation in judicial processes, and all forms of discrimination against women in family law and in private and public life in order to promote their participation in the economic, social, cultural, civic and political spheres; stop exerting pressure on those who campaign for the right of women to drive; review and reform women’s education in order to increase their economic participation; stop the recent violent attacks against migrant workers and to release the thousands who have been arrested and are being kept in makeshift centres, reportedly often without adequate shelter or medical attention.
Lastly, the EU institutions are urged to increase their presence in the region and to strengthen working relations with KSA, by increasing resources to the Delegation in Riyadh and by planning regular visits to the Kingdom, namely by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
Documents
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0207/2014
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0125/2014
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE526.235
- Committee opinion: PE519.533
- Committee draft report: PE524.523
- Committee draft report: PE524.523
- Committee opinion: PE519.533
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE526.235
Activities
- Roberta ANGELILLI
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Véronique DE KEYSER
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Ana GOMES
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Iñaki IRAZABALBEITIA FERNÁNDEZ
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Miroslav MIKOLÁŠIK
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Jacek PROTASIEWICZ
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Davor Ivo STIER
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Dubravka ŠUICA
Plenary Speeches (0)
Amendments | Dossier |
33 |
2013/2147(INI)
2013/10/11
FEMM
33 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women in Saudi Arabia continue to face many forms of discrimination and segregation in private and public life and must obtain permission from a male guardian for most basic life decisions, in particular for certain medical procedures;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Regrets, however, that the law protecting women against domestic violence, adopted on 26 August 2013, requires the consent and support of the legal guardian in order for victims to be able to complain;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses the importance of strengthening the political, economic and social rights of women, especially in the context of family law (for example, with regard to marriage, divorce, child custody, parental rights, nationality, heritage, legal capacity, etc.), in compliance with international instruments;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the information campaign launched by the national authorities, in collaboration with civil society organisations, to raise awareness among women about their rights and the measures put in place to protect them; draws attention to the need to target such awareness-raising campaigns at men, too, so that they too are aware of women's rights and of the overall repercussions on society if those rights are not respected; stresses the fact that this information should also reach rural areas and areas that are isolated from the rest of the country;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Saudi Government to establish policies promoting women and their role in civil society, business and political activities and encouraging female education;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Welcomes the decisions of the Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the Human Development Fund, to expedite and promote the recruitment of women in various private sectors, and calls on the ministry to take action to ensure that the measures in question are effectively implemented and followed up;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Saudi authorities to fight against forced and early marriages, which constitute a violation of human rights, causing social unrest and a barrier to development of gender equality;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Saudi authorities to fight against forced and early marriages, which constitute a violation of human rights, a form of torture and a barrier to development;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Saudi authorities to fight against the tradition of forced and early marriages, which constitute a violation of human rights and a barrier to development;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Saudi Arabian government to address reports that execution by stoning with and without legal proceedings has allegedly occurred in Saudi Arabia which contravenes the UN Commission on the status of Women who identify it as a barbaric form of torture;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women in Saudi Arabia continue to face many forms of discrimination
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Saudi Government to review and reform women's education in order to increase their economic participation, to ensure greater focus on fostering entrepreneurship competencies and furthermore to address gender- specific challenges in the regulatory environment to improve women´s access to government business licensing services;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Highlights and welcomes the training programme established with the National Organisation for Joint Training, aimed at preparing girls to enter the labour market, and underlines the efforts of the Saudi authorities in improving the status of girls in relation to training and expanding their opportunities in new, usually male, sectors;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses the importance acquired over recent years by the practice of blogging and the use of the internet and social networks, particularly among women;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Reminds the Saudi Government of its commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and those which are incumbent upon it also under the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/53/144 adopting the Declaration on human rights defenders; regrets, therefore, the recent sentencing of two Saudi women activists to 10 months in prison and a ban on leaving the country for two years, for having rescued a woman who was a victim of domestic violence;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Reminds the Saudi Government of its commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and thus to unequivocally sanction the principle of equality between men and women and the prohibition of any form of discrimination or violence against women and girls;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Regrets that LGBT persons rights are unrecognised by the Saudi Arabian government, and expresses its deep concern that human rights abuses have been reported against presumed or actual LGBT persons;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Saudi authorities to
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls on the Saudi Government to use its influence as one of the leaders in the Islamic and Arab world to defend and promote the integrity, dignity and fundamental rights
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls on the Saudi Government to use its influence as one of the leaders in the Islamic and Arab world to take more targeted and effective action to defend and promote the integrity, dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms of women and girls
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the EU in its human rights dialogues with Saudi Arabia to promote the prevention, investigation and prosecution of violence against women, and asks that Saudi Arabia promotes the importance of human rights dialogue with other third countries in the Middle East and in North Africa.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women in Saudi Arabia continue to face
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Stresses the importance of the debate opened among Islamic women scholars with a view to interpreting religious texts from the perspective of women’s rights and equality;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Any negotiations on an EU free trade agreement that includes Saudi Arabia must first provide for strict obligations that safeguard the protection of women and girls.
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Encourages the Saudi Government to support forms of partnership, exchanges of good practice and networks – including international ones – involving artistic and professional women in the culture, media and journalism sectors;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Encourages the Saudi Government to support and promote forms of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, especially among women.
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the Saudi Government has recently made efforts to promote and defend the rights of women, particularly in education, decision-making and employment issues;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the World Bank report on 'Women, Business and the Law 2014 – Removing Restrictions to Enhance Gender Equality'1 places Saudia Arabia as the first in the list of countries whose laws limit the economic potential of women; 1 http://wbl.worldbank.org/~/media/FPDK M/WBL/Documents/Reports/2014/Women -Business-and-the-Law-2014-Key- Findings.pdf
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Encourages the commitments made by Saudi Arabia in favour of women (the right to vote and stand as candidates in the municipal elections of 2015; nomination of women to the Shura Council; the introduction of a law to protect women, children and domestic workers from abuse; the granting of licenses allowing women to practice law); encourages the Saudi authorities to ensure that measures taken in support of women's rights are implemented in both urban and rural areas; asks the EU to pursue a dialogue with Saudi Arabia in support of further reforms for better gender equality and welfare for women;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Encourages the commitments made by Saudi Arabia in favour of women (the right to vote and stand as candidates in the
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Encourages the commitments made by Saudi Arabia in favour of women (the right to vote and stand as candidates in the municipal elections of 2015; nomination of 30 women to the Shura Council – 20% of the total number of members of this Council; the introduction of a law to protect women, children and domestic workers from abuse; the granting of licenses allowing women to practice law); asks the EU to pursue a dialogue with Saudi Arabia in support of further reforms for better gender equality and welfare for women;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Encourages the commitments made by Saudi Arabia in favour of women (the right to vote and stand as candidates in the municipal elections of 2015; nomination of women to the Shura Council; the introduction of a law to protect women, children and domestic workers from abuse; the granting of licenses allowing women to practice law); asks the EU to pursue a dialogue with Saudi Arabia in support of further reforms for better gender equality, empowering women and welfare for women;
source: PE-521.469
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