FIDH policy officers have been in permanent contact with the EU institutions and decision makers, consistently raising all these issues through briefing papers and meetings with key actors and in particular regarding the situation of women in Egypt which the EU agrees “is of great concern, in particular violence and other forms of harassment.” Another key point highlighted by FIDH was “the adoption of a new NGO law that ensures NGO transparency while respecting the independence of Civil Society from government control (…) and that does not limit or demonize NGO funding.” FIDH warmly welcomes the inclusion and importance of human rights within the “the need to build a political consensus and the establishment of a conducive business environment.”
Moreover, the European Parliament, in its resolution of 14 March 2013 on the situation in Egypt “urges the VP/HR and the Commission to develop the ‘more for more’ principle, with a particular focus on civil society, women’s rights and minority rights, in a more coherent and practical way, including clear conditions and benchmarks should the Egyptian Government steer away from democratic reforms and respect for human rights and freedoms” and “calls on the Egyptian authorities to sign and ratify the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
EU SPEAKS OUT FOR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN EGYPT.
FIDH welcomes the speech by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton at the European Parliament on the 13th of March regarding the current situation in Egypt, where she highlights the EU’s particular concerns “on police abuse, torture, and impunity, freedom of expression and belief, women’s rights, working conditions for NGOs, and the promotion of economic and social rights.”