Human rights lie at the heart of EU policy and its external
relations. The EU has learned from its own history that peace
and prosperity can only be built through respect for human
rights. The EU's position is rooted in the conviction of
inherent dignity of all human beings and the inviolability of
the human person. Human rights should be accessible and
applicable to everyone, everywhere and should be based on the
simple universal concept of respecting each other. The EU seeks
to promote respect for individuals and respect for human rights
through a variety of means. The EU is opposed to the death
penalty and consistently advocates its universal abolition. In
line with the majority of international views, the EU considers
that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the
enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of
human rights. The abolition of the death penalty worldwide is
one of the main objectives of the EU's human rights policy. In
countries that maintain the death penalty, t