Mister President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia[*], Montenegro* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area, as well as the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

We condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s unprecedented unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It grossly violates international law, international humanitarian law and undermines global peace, security and stability. We also condemn the involvement of Belarus in the aggression against Ukraine, which itself constitutes an act of aggression. The EU stands firmly and unwaveringly by Ukraine and its people, in times of grave concerns over civilian casualties and the human rights implications of Russia’s actions. We supported the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry and hope for it to become operational as soon as possible. The Human Rights Council needs to remain seized of the situation.

The EU welcomes the oral update by the High Commissioner and the reports on Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras. We reaffirm our strong support for the mandate and independence of the OHCHR. 

The European Union remains concerned about the deteriorated human rights situation in Venezuela and calls for full respect and protection of human rights of all political and civil actors, including members of the media and press, as well as the right of political parties and individuals to participate in the political process without restraint. The EU urges once again an immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained. We highlight the work undertaken by the International Criminal Court on Venezuela as an important step in the fight against impunity. In this perspective, we reiterate the importance of all parties returning to the table of negotiations in Mexico in good faith, with a view to a peaceful political solution to the Venezuelan crisis in accordance with democracy, rule of law and human rights. Credible, and inclusive legislative and presidential elections are essential and, in this context, the EU encourages the Venezuelan authorities to implement the EU Election Observation Mission’s recommendations.  The EU is a strong supporter of the reinforced OHCHR Office in Caracas that allows a better monitoring, promotion and protection of the human rights in Venezuela. We support the important work of the FFM.

Concerning Cuba, following the protests on 11 July and the planned Civil March for Change on 15 November, the trials of hundreds of people indicted, including minors, have now started. We urge the Cuban Government to respect and fully protect the human rights of all individuals, including the right to peaceful assembly and association and to freedom of opinion and expression in all its forms. We also urge the Cuban judiciary to ensure that ongoing trials against those involved in July 2021 protests are fair and transparent, upholding the right to defence and complying with due process standards. We call on the Cuban authorities to allow the diplomatic community to attend these trials.

Increasing infringement of the rule of law and pressure on the independence of the judiciary branch in Guatemala are causes of serious concern. In January, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Prosecutor-General have initiated legal action against independent judges, lawyers, and prosecutors, most of them formerly involved in the CICIG activities, resulting in arrests and loss of judicial immunity. We call on the authorities to refrain from every activity, including intimidation and threats, that could weaken the rule of law, to ensure the safety of those detained, and to safeguard their right to due process and to take actions aimed at strengthening the independence of the judiciary.

The EU remains concerned about the recent intensification of hostilities in Yemen and the region, including cross-border attacks and retaliatory airstrikes. The ongoing escalation has led to numerous human rights violations and abuses, and resulted in the indiscriminate killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure. We urge all parties to uphold international human rights law and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian objects. The EU calls on all the parties to urgently engage with the UN Special Envoy to achieve an end to the fighting and a comprehensive, inclusive and durable political agreement. Furthermore, the EU would like to encourage the international community to continue to explore options to prevent, as well as address impunity for, human rights violations and abuses to avoid further suffering by the Yemeni people.

The EU remains concerned about restrictions to civil society space and pressure against human rights defenders in Egypt and recalls the importance of upholding online and offline freedom of expression, media freedom, and rights to peaceful assembly and association. We have welcomed the National Human Rights Strategy and encourage its effective implementation to improve the respect and protection of fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Egyptian Constitution. The full implementation of the 2019 NGO law and its bylaws should allow civil society organizations to operate unhindered. The EU notes positively recent significant releases and reiterates its call to release other detained human rights defenders, address alleged cases of enforced disappearance and torturing, investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuses including incidents of violence by security forces, and cooperate in bringing to justice those involved. We reiterate our call to shed light on the circumstances of the death of Giulio Regeni and Eric Lang and bring about justice. Regarding capital punishment, the EU calls on Egypt, to suspend executions and adopt a moratorium

On Mali, the EU is concerned by the ongoing security crisis and deterioration of the political and human rights situation, including the postponement of the elections and the shrinking civic space. The EU supports the efforts of ECOWAS in view of holding elections as soon as possible and re-establishing the constitutional order. The EU calls for upholding fully the rule of law and human rights. In line with the outcomes of the report of the International Commission of Inquiry, the Malian authorities should strengthen their fight against impunity, especially as to human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by terrorists and other armed groups, the Wagner group, and the Malian Defence and Security Forces (MDSF). Perpetrators must be held accountable for violations of international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The EU remains concerned about the grave human rights violations and abuses committed by both state and non-state actors in Cameroon and calls for accountability for all abusive actions. The EU strongly condemns the attacks on schools, children and teachers. In the Far North regions, the EU strongly condemns the attacks committed by the Boko Haram group and reaffirms its commitment to the fight against terrorism. In the North-West and South-West regions it urges the parties, to implement confidence-building measures, make use of existing mediation formats provided by third parties and engage in an inclusive political dialogue. The EU calls on the government to abide by its international human rights obligations and urges all parties to put an end to all violence and civilian suffering. Civil and political rights continue to be restricted nationally.

Regarding the Philippines, we welcome the Government’s commitment to cooperate with the United Nations on the protection of human rights through the joint programme, encouraging the Government to achieve tangible results, in line with the recommendations of the High Commissioner’s report and the areas outlined in resolution 45/33. We remain deeply concerned by enforced disappearances and death toll associated with the war on drugs, as well as the lack of effective, impartial and transparent investigations, and the shrinking space for civil society, We urge the authorities to: 1). deliver justice for deaths arising from anti-drug operations; 2).  protect civil society and investigate reports of ongoing harassment, red-tagging and killings of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, indigenous peoples, trade unionists and religious leaders; 3). ensure accountability and address impunity at national and international level, including through cooperation with the International Criminal Court. The EU takes note of the publication of the preliminary findings of the interagency panel review on deaths under investigation and recalls it should be made available to relevant stakeholders.

The EU reiterates its concerns over limitations to freedom of expression in Vietnam, both online and offline, as well as the shrinking space for civil society, exemplified by an increase in intimidation, arrest, detention and sentencing of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society activists.  The increase in arbitrary arrests is alarming and the EU calls upon the authorities to release those imprisoned for having peacefully expressed their views, to guarantee the right to a fair trial, and to ensure that measures to counter disinformation are proportionate and in accordance with their human rights obligations.

On Sri Lanka, the EU welcomes the submission by the government of amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) as a very first step in addressing the longstanding shortcomings in the law. At the same time, the EU calls upon Sri Lanka to strengthen its reform efforts and present concrete results on key issues, particularly more substantively reform the PTA in full compliance with international standards; release those detained under the PTA without charges; ensure the conducive environment to civil society to function in all its diversity; address impunity and instances of discrimination against persons belonging to minorities and de-criminalise same sex relations. The EU strongly encourages Sri Lanka to continue cooperation with the UN Human Rights Council and its mechanisms and engage regarding resolution 46/1. We remain committed to supporting Sri Lanka in its process of reconciliation and justice reform.

The EU is concerned by the unprecedented violence which erupted last January following peaceful protests in Kazakhstan, an important partner with which the EU has an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. We remind the authorities about the need to uphold human rights of all, incl. freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. At the same time, the EU welcomes Kazakhstan’s commitment to carry out a full, transparent and independent investigation into the events, which should be in line with international standards. The EU calls on Kazakhstan to share the results openly and transparently with the international community. The EU reiterates the importance of investigating any human rights violations, such as the death and injury of civilians, arbitrary and mass detentions and excessive police force, and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. Torture and ill treatment in detention need to be addressed and investigated urgently. The EU strongly encourages Kazakhstan to avail of the expertise of the OSCE and UN Special Procedures.

The EU is deeply concerned about the systemic obstruction of the investigation into the cause of the explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020. The EU reiterates its calls on the Lebanese authorities to deliver without further delay on their commitment to an impartial, credible, transparent and independent investigation into the cause of the explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020, that has not yet concluded after more than one and half year, in order to bring about the accountability demanded by the Lebanese people. The EU likewise reiterates its call for a quick, transparent, and thorough investigation of the brutal assassination of independent activist Lokman Slim and for perpetrators to be brought swiftly to justice. The EU urges political leaders to unite in firm resolve and action against any actors who would use violence and intimidation to inhibit civil discourse or political participation. Implementing the necessary measures and reforms to address the economic, financial and social crises remains an urgent priority. The EU continues to follow all developments, and reiterates that all human rights, including freedoms of peaceful assembly, opinion and expression, must be upheld. The EU recalls the importance of holding free, fair, and transparent elections as scheduled.

Thank you,

[*] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.