Question 8483 — foreign policy

Summary

Mr. Michel Sala questions the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs about the legal proceedings against Vanessa Mendoza Cortès, psychologist, president of the association for the defense of women's rights "Stop Violence" in Andorra, while she was exercising her right to freedom of expression. Indeed, Ms. Vanessa Mendoza Cortès defended the fundamental rights of women and girls in Andorra by criticizing the total ban on abortion in the country during a session organized in October 2019 by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). However, it is necessary to remember that discussing the situation of women's rights in one's country is not a crime and represents the very purpose of these international meetings, so that women's rights progress in all countries and in all areas. Today accused of a crime “ against the prestige of institutions” (article 325 of the Penal Code), she risks a maximum fine of 30,000 euros as well as an entry on her criminal record. It is therefore urgent to act, all the more so because France, whose President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron is co-prince of Andorra, has recently adopted an ambitious international strategy in terms of sexual and reproductive rights and health. The latter emphasizes in particular that “France wishes to carry out ambitious political advocacy in all international, multilateral and bilateral spaces, in order to guarantee the rights to control one's body and sexual and reproductive health as an essential condition for equality between women and men”. This strategy also includes within these six thematic priorities that of “access to safe abortion”. In consistency with the feminist diplomacy carried by France as well as its International Strategy on the issues of sexual and reproductive rights and health, the MP asks him how France wishes to position itself in order to truly guarantee the right to defend human rights and more precisely the right of girls and women as well as the right to freedom of expression. He also wishes to know what actions will be implemented placed by France in order to support activists around the world who are regularly attacked for their actions and fights in favor of human rights.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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