The Daily Star - EU calls for electoral reform in Lebanon, June 26 2012

BEIRUT: The European Union stressed the importance of electoral reform in Lebanon, as it issued its first policy paper on its human rights and democracy work around the world as part of a yearly report Monday.

In a section on Lebanon, the report highlighted the body’s push for electoral reform in the country. Two million euros have been allocated for the project, and the report emphasized the EU’s work toward adopting policy changes from the 2009 elections.

Judicial and prison reform remained primary areas of focus for the EU, according to the report, with the body noting its support for changing the “de facto moratorium on the death penalty into its full abolition,” and for changing the “deplorable situation in Lebanese prisons.”

It noted how the EU’s reports on torture in the country have helped protect human rights defenders.

The EU also supports a draft National Action Plan for Human Rights that Parliament could adopt soon.

Lebanon is a major recipient of foreign funds to prop up its infrastructure, governance and change public attitudes toward human rights. In addition to the EU, the United Nations, the United States and Iran are major suppliers of aid to a variety of sectors throughout the country.

The public policy report is intended to be an account of the EU’s outlook on world affairs and an explanation of its lobbying efforts throughout the world.

It comes in conjunction with a proposal for an appointment of an EU Special Representative on Human Rights.

“The EU will continue to promote freedom of expression, opinion, assembly and association, both online and offline; democracy cannot exist without these rights,” the report states.

Women’s empowerment and children’s rights promotion will be a priority for the EU, the report says.

The paper also says it will continue its long-standing campaign against the death penalty, which it considers a “serious violation of human rights and human dignity.”

Those rights will continue to be a center of the EU’s relations with other nations, but will be “carefully designed for the circumstances of each country,” the report says.

“Human rights are one of my top priorities and a silver thread that runs through everything that we do in external relations,” Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton said after the new policy’s adoption.

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