Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-03-10-Speech-4-228"
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"en.20050310.26.4-228"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, the municipal elections in Saudi Arabia do indeed represent a significant step forward in terms of the political reforms that country is undertaking; we should acknowledge this just as it is acknowledged in the resolution we are presenting today. Nevertheless, the fact that women quite literally suffer segregation and have not been able to vote or stand for office is a blatant anachronism.
Women suffer incomprehensible and unacceptable restrictions in terms of freedom of movement — they are not even allowed to drive — work opportunities, legal personality and legal representation in judicial processes.
Furthermore, the precarious conditions suffered by the immigrant population as a whole is to be regretted, and in this case too, women are particularly affected.
If Saudi Arabia wants to be recognised internationally as a modern state that respects human rights, it must, as a minimum, respect the rights laid down in the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, to which — I would remind you — Saudi Arabia is a contracting party.
In particular, Article 7 of that Convention states that the contracting parties must take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country, and in particular they must guarantee women’s right to vote in all elections and to be elected, and also to participate in the creation of State policy and its implementation. In the recent municipal elections, this article has clearly not been complied with.
Furthermore, we should remember that, according to Amnesty International, at least 31 people were put to death during 2004. We must therefore once again call for the abolition of the death penalty, as the European Union has been doing for a long time.
It is important to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia, and this offers an opportunity for both parties to contribute to greater understanding between peoples and cultures.
Nevertheless, precisely in the interests of these good relations, Saudi Arabia should not be another example of the double standards sometimes shown by the European Union when considering democratisation and respect for human rights in the world. The credibility of the European Union is once again at stake."@en1
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