On November 3, Ambassador Ahmed Aboul Gheit, speaking...

On November 3, Ambassador Ahmed Aboul Gheit, speaking at the Third Committee of the General Assembly (human rights) under item 116a (death penalty), said that existing different cultures and religions should be respected. "There is a conceptual difference with regard to capital punishment, and its application within the framework of human rights has received no international consensus," he said. "The European Union's draft resolution on capital punishment does not respect existing cultural differences. The European Union has the right to choose its legal systems, and enact its legislation in accordance with its value systems. Likewise, the European Union needs to respect the right of others to do so. Egypt desires a constructive dialogue and calls upon the European Union to reconsider its position in regard to its draft resolution."