Activities of Susy DE MARTINI related to 2013/2147(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on Saudi Arabia, its relations with the EU and its role in the Middle East and North Africa PDF (209 KB) DOC (108 KB)
Amendments (14)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the changing political and strategic context in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region necessitates a reassessment ofunderlines the importance of strong, positive EU- KSA relations;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas KSA is a hereditary absolute monarchy without an elected parliament; whereas it faces the challenge of royal succession; whereas KSA has a population of 28 million, including 9 million foreigners and 10 million aged under 18; whereas some reforms have been implemented in KSA since 2001, but are not institutionalised and can thus be easily reversed; whereas the country’s record in the field of human rights remains dismal, with; whereas there are fundamental gaps between its international obligations in the field of human rights and their implementation;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recognises that continued EU-Saudi trade and investment partnerships will benefit the economies of both sides; further recognises the importance of the Saudi energy sector in particular to EU markets; further calls for efforts to conclude a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recognises that women are playing an increasing role in aspects of Saudi life; welcomes the growth in the number of women participating in higher education, including those who have the opportunity to study abroad;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges the KSA authorities to revoke the medieval male guardianship system, and to take further steps aimed at lifting restrictions on women’s rights, including freedom of movement, employment opportunities, legal personality and representation in judicial processes, eliminatingto eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in private and public life and promoting theirin order to allow them to participatione fully in theall economic, social, cultural and political spheres;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the first licences issued to women lawyers, but deploregrets the fact that the legal system is in the hands of male judges of religious background; takes note of the gradual codification of the Sharia and urges that it be speeded up, since lack of codification and the judicial precedent tradition often result in considerable uncertainty in the scope and content of the country’s laws and in miscarriages of justice; asserts the crucial importance of securing judicial independence and adequate legal training for judges;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the authorities to improve the working conditions and treatment of immigrantforeign workers, with special attention to the situation of women working as domestic helpers, who often find themselves in conditions of virtual slavery; welcomes recent efforts to introduce national labour laws in order to provide standardised protection for domestic workers and ensure the prosecution of employers responsible for sexual, physical and labour rights abuses;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Rejects the zero-sum game logic as a paradigm for international relations in the Middle East, since it fuels distrust, sectarian hatred and the arms race in the region, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; in this connection, deplores the destabilising effects of arms sales by some EU Member States to KSA and other countries in the region; bBelieves that the solution to the region’s escalating security problems lies in establishing a common security framework, from which no country is excluded and in which the legitimate security interests of all countries are taken into consideration;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is concerned that KSA’sStresses the importance of continued cooperation with the KSA authorities on counter-terrorism measures which have implications far beyond the Middle East; is concerned that financial and political support for religious and political groups in North Africa may result in reinforcing fundamentalist and obscurantist forces that undermine efforts to create democratic governance and oppose the participation of women in public life; is further concerned that the unconditional political and financial support offered to the leaders of the military coup in Egypt issuch support is also undermining the efforts of the EU to promote a peaceful and inclusive political solution to the Egyptian crisis;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the KSA authorities to actwork 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; condemns any form of direct and indirect interference;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its call on KSA to continue to contribute constructively and to mediate in the interests of peaceful reforms and national dialogue in Bahrain;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the KSA authorities to engage in peaceful dialogue with Iran over bilateral relations and the future of the region; further welcomes the 24 November statement of the KSA Government on the outcome of the Geneva Agreement with Iran;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Urges the KSA, as a member of the Friends of Syria Group, to play a full and active role in reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria and to providing all possible humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people affected by the fighting;