Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The European Union's Foreign Policy Department said through a statement issued in Brussels at the end of the week that the European Union and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held their second dialogue on human rights in Riyadh, and that the dialogue was in a constructive and sincere atmosphere. It provided the opportunity for detailed discussions on a wide range of topics, including economic, social and cultural rights, women's rights and empowerment, the rights of people in vulnerable situations, freedom of expression and association and the rule of law, as well as cooperation in United Nations human rights forums.
The statement added that during the dialogue that took place on the sixth of last November, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia briefed the European side on the planned judicial reforms and the introduction of new laws, especially the new Penal Code and the Personal Status Law, with the aim of codifying the legal system and improving its transparency and predictability. The European Union expressed its readiness to contribute to addressing the remaining challenges in this regard by exchanging best practices and experiences. The European Union raised the long prison sentences imposed recently on activists on social media, and the Saudi side indicated that the convicts have the right to challenge the sentence through a request for cassation before the Supreme Court in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The European Union welcomed the ongoing social and economic reforms, in particular the important steps taken to promote women's rights in Saudi Arabia and increase Saudi women's access to the labor market, and encouraged the continuation of this progress. The EU also encouraged the Saudi authorities to extend labor reforms to domestic workers. The European Union has reiterated its position on the death penalty and raised concerns about the sharp increase in executions this year. Freedom of assembly and association were similarly addressed, with the EU raising individual cases and using travel bans.
The European Union recognized the achievements made in Saudi Arabia with regard to access to education and new curricula and welcomed its commitment to work towards the full inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The European Union also called on Saudi Arabia to ratify the core international treaties on human and labor rights, including the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and to cooperate fully with the UN Special Procedures.
The Co-Chairs agreed to hold the next Human Rights Dialogue in 2023 in Brussels and identified a number of topics for possible further cooperation.
The EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamonn Gilmour led the EU delegation. The Saudi delegation was headed by the head of the Human Rights Commission, Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri. Representatives of the embassies of the member states of the European Union attended in Riyadh as observers.