United Nations Human Rights Council

54^th  Session

Item 2

Geneva, 12 September 2023

HRC54 Item 2 General Debate on HC oral update

EU Statement

Mister President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The candidate countries North Macedonia and Montenegro* and the EFTA country Liechtenstein align themselves with this statement.

Regarding the situations in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and Sudan we would like to refer to our statements during the respective interactive dialogues.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. We demand Russia to fully abide by its obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and the fundamental rules and principles of the UN Charter. We demand Russia to cease its aggression and to withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine immediately, completely and unconditionally, and to fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders. The EU condemns in strongest possible terms the atrocities committed by Russia, including unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children and other civilians, sexual and gender-based violence and other most serious crimes. The EU is firmly committed to ensuring full accountability for all crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

On Venezuela, the EU supports the work of the High Commissioner and his Office in Caracas in monitoring and promoting the human rights in the country, as well as that of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, and calls on Venezuela to cooperate fully with all relevant international human rights mechanisms, including by granting them access. The EU remains very concerned with continued violations and abuses of human rights in Venezuela, including ongoing severe repression against a range of actors and decisions preventing political actors from exercising their political rights. In this regard, the EU renews its call for the full respect and protection of human rights of all political and civil actors, including the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, the respect for the safety of all political opponents, human right defenders and the media. As the country prepares for upcoming presidential and legislative elections, we emphasise the recommendations of the 2021 EU Electoral Observation Mission to Venezuela aiming at improving future electoral processes. In a context of electoral campaigning and expected social mobilisation, we deem important to keep this Council duly informed of the human rights situation. The EU reiterates its support to inclusive Venezuelan-led political negotiations and salutes efforts by countries in the region to encourage progress at the Mexico negotiation table. We continue to urge all parties to return to the negotiating table in Mexico with a view to finding a peaceful and democratic solution to the multidimensional crisis in Venezuela, including through free and fair elections in 2024."

The EU is concerned about the serious deterioration of the rule of law and judicial independence in Guatemala. This is demonstrated by the increasing instrumentalisation of the Guatemalan judicial and prosecutorial institutions to criminalise independent judicial actors and institutions, including those working against corruption. These concerning trends have also been evidenced in the electoral process and attempts to undermine the election results through selective and arbitrary legal and procedural actions. The EU as a long-standing partner of Guatemala remains fully committed to supporting democracy and the rule of law in the country, and calls on all actors to respect the will of the Guatemalan people, the integrity of the electoral process, and judicial independence. 

In Lebanon, more than three years after the blast of the port of Beirut that killed 200 and injured 7000 people, a swift, independent, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation into the explosion must be carried out in order to uphold the right of the victims to effective remedy and to adequate, effective and prompt reparation for harm suffered.

Concerning Egypt, the EU welcomes the work done by the National Dialogue and encourages it to continue discussions on pending issues, including pre-trial detention and the operation of professional syndicates. The EU also strongly encourages the prompt and effective implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy two years after its launch, together with civil society. The EU notes positively the releases of some human rights defenders facilitated by the Presidential Pardon Committee, including Patrick George Zaki. However, the EU remains concerned about reported cases of new arbitrary arrests, reprisals, and the extensive use of pre-trial detention. The EU is also concerned about former detainees’ reintegration to society. The EU reiterates its call to improve inmates’ treatment, release of all imprisoned human rights defenders and journalists and ensure a safe and enabling space for civil society. The EU recalls the importance of upholding freedom of expression, both online and offline, media freedom, and rights to peaceful assembly and association in Egypt. The EU reiterates its 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 reiterates its call on Egypt to suspend executions as a first step, and to establish a moratorium with a view to the abolition of the death penalty.

On Yemen, the EU is very concerned by a continued stalemate in the political situation. The EU strongly supports the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to bring about a sustainable peace agreement for the people of Yemen and encourages all parties to renew the truce. A negotiated, inclusive, Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, under UN auspices, is the only way to end this conflict and address the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. It is crucial that there be women’s participation in truce negotiations and peace talks. The EU supports regional initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue and reaffirms its commitment to unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen; with full support to President Al Alimi and unity of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), as well as to UN peace efforts and UNSE Grundberg. The EU remains extremely concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen, especially in view of the global food crisis, precipitated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. These challenges are further compounded by the WFP's financial constraints and related adjustments to food assistance distribution within the country. Women and children fall disproportionately victims of unexploded ordnance and remnants of war. The EU calls on the parties, especially the Houthis, to ensure full, safe and unhindered access of humanitarian supplies and personnel, including in particular female humanitarian workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law and principles. The EU is concerned about continued reports of serious human rights violations and abuses throughout the country, especially in Houthi areas, regarding the rights to freedom of expression, and to freedom of religion or belief, as well as gender equality, the situation of migrants (particularly at the border with Saudi Arabia), and restrictions to the work of humanitarian and development workers. The EU emphasises the need for continued independent and impartial human rights monitoring and documentation of serious violations of human rights and the full integration of accountability and transitional justice in the peace process, recalling the crucial role of women. It calls on the Yemeni parties, countries in the region and the wider international community to keep this issue on the agenda and continue exploring options to establish an independent mechanism to prevent and address impunity for human rights violations and abuses to avoid further suffering of the Yemeni people.

While welcoming recent improvements of the human rights situation in Bahrain, including on women’s rights, the EU encourages Bahrain to continue along this path and to maintain its wider human rights obligations, especially as regards human rights defenders.

The European Union is extremely concerned by the rise in religiously based violence against minorities in Pakistan. In August, homes, churches, and cemeteries of Christians were assaulted and vandalised. Over the last years, numerous attacks on mosques and cemeteries of the Ahmadi Muslim community have been reported. In the last weeks, sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan has erupted. The EU reiterates its strong condemnation of all acts of violence based on any religion or belief. While welcoming some positive signals given by the Pakistani authorities in this regard, we call on the Pakistani authorities to bring the perpetrators of such acts to justice as well as to reform the blasphemy laws and take all necessary steps to stop their abuse and guarantee the protection of all minorities, including Christian communities.

The EU is seriously concerned about recent reports of ongoing human rights violations and abuses committed throughout Ethiopia and in particular in the Amhara Regional State. Large-scale detentions are being reported, notably since the proclamation of a State of Emergency. The EU joins the African Union, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission in calling for the protection of civilians, for an end of violence and for a dialogue between the parties. The EU is also ready to support any process leading to dialogue, reconciliation and peace through a political settlement. We urge all Ethiopians to take the path of dialogue, in particular in the framework of the on-going National Dialogue process. The EU furthermore encourages the Government of Ethiopia to continue implementing the Pretoria and Nairobi Agreements of November 2022, the DDR process, as well as advancing accountability and transitional justice for crimes committed during the conflict in northern Ethiopia, in accordance with international norms and standards and supported by an international component such as the OHCHR, and in ensuring the safeguarding of evidence for future prosecution. Independent, transparent and impartial investigations are both urgent and essential elements to ensure lasting peace and reconciliation. We are particularly concerned about the appalling level of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence and urge the Ethiopian government to ensure that medical, psychosocial and legal support is available to survivors and that perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence are held accountable.

The EU remains deeply concerned over the continued limitations to the right to freedom of expression, including the shrinking space for civil society in Vietnam. The EU calls on the authorities to ensure space for civil society to participate freely in all aspects of development, to release all those imprisoned for having peacefully expressed their views and to guarantee the right to a fair trial for all. In that context the EU is increasingly concerned about the imprisonment of a number of environmental and climate change activists.  We regard these steps as contrary to Vietnam’s stated commitments to include civil society in efforts for environmental protection and green transition. Regarding capital punishment, the EU reiterates its call on Vietnam to suspend executions as a first step, and to establish a moratorium with a view to its abolition. The EU welcomes Vietnam’s ratification of ILO Conventions and urges the country to ratify the remaining Convention No 87 on The Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise.

The European Union is following with great concern the serious humanitarian situation affecting the  local population in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, due to continued restrictions on free movement along the Lachin corridor, as well as the cessation of electricity and gas supplies. Movement through the Lachin corridor has been obstructed for almost 10 months, contravening Orders by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to reopen it, and since 15 June the corridor has been almost completely blocked, including for medical supplies and essential goods.  The EU deplores that ICRC activities in the region have been heavily impacted and calls for their full and swift resumption, including the provision of humanitarian supplies. Humanitarian access must not be politicised by any actors. Movement through the Lachin corridor must be reopened immediately. The EU has taken note of the readiness voiced by the Azerbaijani authorities to supply goods via the city of Aghdam. This should however not be seen as an alternative to the reopening of the Lachin corridor.  The EU calls on the Azerbaijani authorities and all responsible to guarantee freedom and security of movement along the corridor. Both the November 2020 trilateral statement and the February 2023 ICJ order, which was reaffirmed by the court on 6 July 2023, are unequivocal that the Azerbaijani authorities must guarantee safety and freedom of movement along the Lachin corridor and ensure that the crisis does not escalate further. The EU reiterates its call for direct dialogue between Baku and Karabakh Armenians. The EU remains fully committed to facilitating dialogue to ensure a long lasting peace for the benefit of all those in the region. The EU fully supports the mediation efforts of European Council President Michel to facilitate a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the conflict.

* North Macedonia and Montenegro continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.