WRITTEN QUESTION E-0543/02 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Death sentence in Khartoum (Sudan).
Date: 2002-02-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Commission Delegation, EU relations, Sudan, cooperation policy, death penalty, democratisation, human rights, marriage, penalty, right of action

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/15

While the border alignment appears to concern several hundred square kilometres in the provinces of Ha
Giang and Lang Son, details have not yet been made public. In these remote areas, the population speaks
both the Vietnamese and Chinese languages. According to the information received so far, the people
continue to live in their villages and no forced relocation is foreseen.

(2003/C 92 E/017)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0543/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(27 February 2002)

Subject: Death sentence in Khartoum (Sudan)

Human Rights Watch, has taken up the case of Abok Alfa Akok, an 18-year old Christian woman
sentenced to death by stoning by a criminal court in southern Darfur because she was pregnant after extra-
marital sex, although she stated during the trial that she had been raped. Human Rights Watch has pointed
out that it is unlawful for the Sharia to be applied by a criminal court and that the Sudanese authorities
have stated on numerous occasions that Sharia law would never be applied to Christians.

1.

In the light of the above, can the Commission say whether it is aware of these facts?

2.
Are there any economic cooperation relations with Sudan and, if so, do they take account of the
tragic situation of some of the population and the discrimination they are suffering solely on racial and
religious grounds?

3.
Does the Commission not consider that it should intervene, through its President, and urge the
Sudanese government to restore the observance of human rights in a country which is also one of those
with a significant Islamic fundamentalist presence within its institutions?

4.
In a period in which the fight against terrorism and fundamentalisms of all kinds appears to have
become the central focus of political action by many governments, is it not appropriate to revise the
fundamental rights a
criteria and substance of EU foreign policy in order to make observance of
precondition for the establishment of diplomatic relations with non-member countries?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 2002)

The Commission through its Delegation in Sudan has been active on this issue and contacts have

1.
been taken with the Sudanese authorities.

2.
Sudan is a party to the Lomé Conventions and the Cotonou Agreement. However, due to the
situation in the country, development finance co-operation with Sudan could not be implemented since
March 1990. In view of the development of a dialogue to restore peace in Sudan a conditional resumption
of cooperation could be an option.

3.
It is clear that the international community’s concern on this case has been influential. The Court of
appeal in Southern Darfur overturned the sentence of death by stoning and sent the case back to the lower
criminal court in Nyala for new sentencing where Ms Akok was given 75 lashes. However, Ms Akok’s
lawyer has launched an appeal to the High Court on the grounds that the sentence was given and
immediately executed, thus making it impossible for Ms Akok to seek legal advice and preventing her from
exercising any right of appeal.

The Commission, together with the Member States, is presently involved in a political dialogue with Sudan
and is closely monitoring the situation with respect to human rights. A Union Troïka has held talks with
the Sudanese Government in December 2001 and agreed commitments for 2002 in areas of human rights,
democratisation, rule of law and the peace process.

C 92 E/16

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

17.4.2003

Respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law are essential elements of the
4.
Cotonou Agreement which links the Union with Sudan. Although observance of fundamental rights is not
a precondition for diplomatic relations, it is a condition for cooperation.

(2003/C 92 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0583/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(5 March 2002)

Subject: Gender mainstreaming

What progress has the Commission made in the implementation of the 2001 Programme of Action for the
Mainstreaming of Gender Equality in Community Development Cooperation?

In particular, what progress has been made on the following issues, which were identified in the
Commission’s workplan and which were scheduled to be completed in 2001:

(cid:1) a review of the policy guidelines according to the situation of women and men in each of the EC’s

priority areas;

(cid:1) the integration of a gender dimension in the preparation and evaluation of Poverty Reduction Strategy
Papers, Country Strategy Papers, the Commission’s annual work programme and all performance
reviews;

(cid:1) an improvement in the attention which is given to gender during the entire project cycle in order to
identify problems, define target groups and beneficiaries, set objectives, formulate indicators and
improve monitoring?

Would the Commission give precise details of the resources (cid:1) both human and financial (cid:1) which have
been made available in order to implement the remaining goals and activities of the Programme of Action
on Gender Mainstreaming?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2002)

In regard to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the mainstreaming of gender equality in
Community Development Co-operation, the following activities have been completed:

The budget line B7-6220 for 2001 was programmed including budgets for training and capacity building
for the Commission staff in 2001 and 2002 of EUR 2,2 million.

A review of 40 country strategy papers (CSPs) was undertaken in order to assess to which extent
mainstreaming of gender equality in development co-operation has been taken into account in the
programming process. The 40 CSPs were selected randomly, the majority however from the African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)-partner countries.

The manual for the Project Cycle Management has been revised notably taking account of mainstreaming
gender equality. Stakeholder analysis has been introduced and gender equality is now considered a quality
criteria throughout the project cycle.

The thematic evaluation of gender requested by the Board of EuropeAid has just been launched. The
Evaluation is designed primarily to provide Commission staff with tools to improve the ‘integration of
gender in the Commission’s external programmes and policies’. The request for the Evaluation is based on
Council Regulation (EC) No 2836/98 of 22 December 1998 on integrating gender issues in development
co-operation (1) (article 11) and covers the years 1995-2001.