I have mentioned some positive examples. Nonetheless, there are many challenges. One of them is the death penalty. Almost 90 percent of known executions in 2020 took place in North Africa and the Middle East – in Iran, Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. However, countries like China or North Korea are not part of the picture as they keep the data secret. As you know, the European Union strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and invests much effort in its abolition worldwide. The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment that neither deters violent crime nor contributes to a safer society.
Although there has been some progress over the last years, women and migrant workers still face numerous obstacles in the Gulf countries. The recent steps towards the full abolition of the so-called kefala system in Qatar or Saudi Arabia’s reforms to advance women’s economic participation are encouraging developments. Unfortunately, a number of human rights defenders, dissenters, independent journalists and bloggers continue to be detained across the region. I have repeatedly raised many of these individual cases.
Although there has been some progress over the last years, women and migrant workers still face numerous obstacles in the Gulf countries.
The European Union will continue to call for the release of all human rights defenders and political prisoners in the region and beyond. In this regard, the Action Plan foresees very concrete lines of action – by our Delegations, through human miedemrights projects and through political engagement.