HRDN – Human Rights and Democracy Network Human Rights and Democracy Network
If the new EU Global Strategy is to be successful in achieving its stated objectives of improving security, prosperity, resilience and governance in the world, it will be critical to recognise that key to this is the full respect, protection and realisation of all people’s human rights – be they civil and political rights or economic, social and cultural rights –at all times and in all settings. Human rights, good governance and democracy should not be seen as an add-on or contrary to security and stability. The EU and its Member States must defend the universality and indivisibility of human rights at home and globally. As former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated, ‘We will not enjoy security without development, we will not enjoy development without security, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights’. We expect the new EU global strategy to embrace this essential truth and place human rights at the centre of EU foreign policy.
Full version: HRDN Statement – Human rights should underpin the new EU Global Strategy