Posts Tagged ‘EU’
January 16, 2014
Index on Censorship is basing a series of articles on its larger report by Mike Harris, Time to Step Up: The EU and freedom of expression.
On 14 January 2014 came the one the ‘southern neighbourhood’ arguing that the credibility of the EU’s swing in focus from economic development towards human rights (after the outbreak of the Arab spring) is low.
The EU’s communication “A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the southern Mediterranean“ (published on 8 May 2011) addresses the EU’s commitment to financially support transition to democracy and civil society and heralds the creation of the Civil Society Facility for the neighbourhood (covering both the southern and eastern neighbourhoods), while the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) deployed a number of operations in the region to protect and promote freedom of expression, often without the consent of the host country. Still, the article argues, european countries are often still seen as former allies of repressive regimes.
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2014/01/eu-freedom-expression-southern-neighbourhood/
The one of 15 January, entitled ‘The EU and free expression: Human rights dialogues’, looks at the situation that the EU runs 30 human rights dialogues across the globe, with the key dialogues taking place in China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Belarus. It also has a dialogues with the African Union. The article is more detailed on China
The article concludes: “With criticism of the effectiveness and openness of the dialogues, the EU should look again at how the dialogues fit into the overall strategy of the Union and its member states in the promotion of human rights with third countries and assess whether the dialogues can be improved.“
The EU and free expression: Human rights dialogues – Index on Censorship | Index on Censorship.
Posted in EU, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Index on Censorship | 1 Comment »
Tags: Arab spring, Asia, Catherine Ashton, censorship, Central Asia, China, Civil society, Democracy, diplomacy, diplomatic action, Egypt, EIDHR, EU, free expression, freedom of expression, funding, human rights, human rights dialogue, Index on Censorship, Mediterranean, Mike Harris, north africa, Tunisia
November 20, 2013
Posted in HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Africa, African Union, asylum seekers, AU, Dialogue on Human Rights, EU, European Union, HRW, Human right, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, Immigration, memorandum
October 29, 2013
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) should esta
blish a mission in Belarus, the delegates to the Third Belarusian Human Rights Forum, which took place in Vilnius on Saturday and Sunday, say in a statement on 27 October. The delegates also urge the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to take measures to encourage Belarusian authorities to respect human rights. It is necessary for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to preserve its Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus and for all OSCE institutions and bodies, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, to step up cooperation with Belarus’ civil society. The delegates condemn violations of human rights by Belarusian authorities and urge them to abide by international commitments and implement recommendations within the framework of the UN Universal Periodic Review. Authorities should invite all UN special rapporteurs to visit Belarus, above all, the UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on Belarus.
At the same meeting, Ales Bialiatski‘s wife called on the West to be consistent in relation to Belarus. Natallia Pinchuk calls not to close the question of rehabilitation, not to reduce pressure on the Belarusian authorities and not to make concessions until all political prisoners are released, Radio Svaboda reports. “Some human rights defenders began to propose in their articles and speeches to lift demands for the full rehabilitation of political prisoners. They say the regime will never agree on it. But I think we must be consistent first of all. If we began to demand the rehabilitation, we must keep to this position. Secondly, people’s rights remain restricted without rehabilitation. They have only half-freedom,” she said. “We, relatives of the political prisoners, expect firmness and applying all instruments from the European Union and the US. It’s very important that the US and Europe have a concerted approach,” she said. Natallia Pinchuk is sure that her husband, who serves his term in a correctional colony shares her opinion.
via Belarusian human rights defenders urge UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish office in Minsk | Belarus: civil society under attack | Freeales.fidh.net and
http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2013/10/28/78577/
Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Ales Bialiatski, Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus, belarusian authorities, Charter97, EU, European Union, FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Minsk, Natallia Pinchuk, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OSCE, Radio Svaboda, Third Belarusian Human Rights Forum, United Nations, UPR, USA, Vilnius, West
September 29, 2013
The Ogaden OnLine reports the following on 29 September:
We, the peoples of Benshangul, Gambella, Ogaden Somali, Oromo, Shakacho and Sidama nations unanimously agree to form Human Rights Advocacy Group [HRAG] in order to advocate for the Human Rights of the member communities and other oppressed peoples by the Ethiopian government. HRAG will tirelessly campaign harnessing the combined resources of the aforementioned communities and other support groups. It will expose the crimes the Ethiopian government is committing against the defenceless communities of these peoples, including land grabbing and displacement, mass executions, extra-judicial killings, rampant rape, mass detentions and use of aid as a weapon to gain compliance to the regime marginalization policies. HRAG will conduct targeted advocacy campaign that includes data gathering, advocacy works directed at countries of the world, Human Rights defenders, the AU and the United Nations, and will encourage more vigorous and joint campaigns by all the communities concerned. HRAG informs that the current situation in Ethiopia is very dire and unless urgent measures are taken, a crisis far worse than any seen so far in Africa will unfold. Therefore, HRAG calls the international community, in particular Donor countries, the AU and the UN and EU to make the Ethiopian government accountable for its flagrant Human Rights violations.Finally, HRAG calls upon all peoples in Ethiopia to stand up together and confront the perpetrators.Justice for all nations and nationalities.
While any new group with a focus on the defense of human rights is welcome – and in view of the means employed by the Ethiopian government also needed – the statement would have gained from a clear position that violent means will not be employed or advocated.
via Ogaden Online: The official homepage of Ogaden on the Internet – Human Rights Advocacy Group HRAG.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: advocacy work, Africa, African Union, announcement, current situation in ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Government, EU, extra judicial killings, Horn, HRAG, human rights, human rights advocacy, Human Rights Advocacy Group, human rights violations, new organisation, NGO, non-violence, Ogaden, ogaden online, Oromo people, UN, United Nations
May 21, 2013
(Konstantin Dolgov -Image from vaseljenska.com)
On 16 May 2013 Russia Today spoke with the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human Rights Konstantin Dolgov, to find out his view on the situation as the hunger strike in Guantanamo hits its’ 100-day landmark. It is good to see Russia express its concern about this and even invoke the views of human rights defenders. Below I give some quotes from the interview. If only Russia would always be so concerned with their views! As to illustrate this the Moscow Times comes today with an article by Jonathan Earle Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Baltic countries, Council of Europe, EU, Foreign agent, Gitmo, Guantanamo, homophobia, Human right, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights organization, illegal detention, jonathan earle, Konstantin Dolgov, minority rights, Moscow Times, politics, Ravil Mingazov, registration, RT (TV network), Russia, Russia Today, terrorism, United States, USA
May 20, 2013
(Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng Photo: AP)
On 19 May 2013
Bruno Waterfield, reports for the Daily Telegraph from Brussels that the blind human rights lawyer,
Chen Guangcheng, the exiled
Chinese dissident has demanded that the European Union (EU) must go public with the results of human rights talks with China’s leaders, and publish its own list of people known to be suffering repression and persecution. Chen Guangcheng wants Western leaders to be more straightforward about their dealings with China so that the public can hold them to account: “
The Chinese authorities try and pretend that they dont care about the highlighting of human right abuses but they do care. It is a responsibility to do this. If it is not pursued more actively the situation will go backwards.“
via Chen Guangcheng pressures the EU on secret human rights talks with China – Telegraph.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Brussels, Chen Guangcheng, China, Daily Telegraph, dialogue, diplomatic pressure, EU, European Union, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyer, List of Chinese dissidents, politics
April 25, 2013
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, awards, EU, European Union, Freedom House, freedom of expression, Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala, Human right, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, IFEX, international award, journalists, Kampala, national award, Uganda
April 11, 2013
Interesting example of how NGO pressure can have effect on the EU: last December, FIDH organised a round of advocacy with its Vice-President and Laureate of the MEA 2006, Arnold Tsunga, to convey to the European Union its concerns around the ongoing risks for human rights defenders in the context of political deadlock and pre-electoral period [“Zimbabwe: Ongoing risks for human rights defenders in the context of political deadlock and pre-electoral period”, report of the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders published in November 2012.] FIDH’s objective was to gear up the EU’s attention to ensure early warning and appropriate reaction in case of human rights violations taking place in the electoral cycle staring with the upcoming referendum on the new Constitution before the holding of Presidential elections in the summer of this year. FIDH’s advocacy was reflected in the European Parliament’s prompt reaction to the arrest of Okay Machisa, National Executive Director of ZimRights, and two other ZimRights members Leo Chamahwinya, Dorcas Shereni through an urgent resolution adopted on 7 February, which also relays the Observatory report recommendations. In addition, the EU Delegation and Heads of Missions in Harare issued a Statement on 22 February to indicate the EU’s particular concern around the pattern of incidents of harassment against civil society organisations and to call on the authorities to demonstrate impartiality in their relation to civil society. 
via Zimbabwe : UE pays particular attention to the situation of … – FIDH.
Posted in FIDH, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA, OMCT | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Arnold Tsunga, civil society organisations, election violence, EU, European Parliament, European Union, FIDH, Harare, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, International Federation for Human Rights, MEA, NGO, Observatory, Observatory for the Protection of HRDs, OMCT, World Organisation Against Torture, Zimbabwe
April 4, 2013
REPUBLICAKATHMANDU reported on 2 April that a high-level delegation of the German parliament [Bundestag] is arriving in Kathmandu on 8 April to get first hand information about latest human rights situation in Nepal. A four-member delegation of German parliamentarians led by Michael Brand, deputy chairman of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, will arrive in Kathmandu for a four-day visit to Nepal. “The objective of the visit is to exchange views on the current human rights situation in Nepal with human rights defenders and members of the Nepali civil society. The delegation wants to receive first hand information about the recent developments in Nepal,” said Tika Prasad Dhakal, political advisor at the German Embassy in Kathmandu. During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet representatives of government, Supreme Court, trade unions, media, human rights community and political parties as well as the German development coöperation partners. The high level visit of German parliamentarians comes amid protest from various quarters over some of the controversial provisions in the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission TRC. The diplomatic community, including European Union EU, have already expressed strong reservation over the proposed TRC, which they say aims to grant general amnesty even to those involved in serious cases of human rights violations.
via German parliamentary team visiting Nepal MYREPUBLICA.com – News in Nepal: Fast, Full & Factual, POLITICAL AFFAIRS, BUSINESS & ECONOMY, SOCIAL AFFAIRS, LIFESTYLE, SPORTS, OPINION, INTERVIEW, INTERNATIONAL, THE WEEK news in English in Nepal.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bundestag, EU, Germany, human rights, Humanitarian Aid, impuntiy, Kathmandu, Michael Brand, Nepal, TRC, Truth and Reconciliation Commission
January 21, 2013
Chris Collier has written a very practical Training Guide for human rights NGOs and activists to help you through the complex maze of EU and its obscure machinery. It is jam-packed with useful tips and brings to you every EU tool available. It helps to spot the most appropriate actors for different types of action. This guide comes with a toolkit that provides you with a compilation of good practices showcasing how other NGOs have achieved the desired impact.
http://www.euromedrights.org/eng/2013/01/15/emhrn-training-guide-and-toolkit-on-eu-advocacy/
Posted in books, human rights | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, Chris Collier, Civil society, EMHRN, EU, European Union, funding, human rights, Non-governmental organization, training
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 