Changes from plenary report to adopted text

– having regard to the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2022,

– having regard to the Joint Roadmap of 7 September 2022 of the European Parliament and Rotating Presidencies of the Council on the organisation, coordination, and implementation of the timeline for the negotiations between the co-legislators on the CEAS and the New European Pact on migration and asylum,

– having regard to its Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and its laureates, awarded in 2023 to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life and Freedom Movement of Iran,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2019 on EU Guidelines and the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU,

– having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2021 on human rights protection and the EU external migration policy,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2021 on the effects of climate change on human rights and the role of environmental defenders on this matter,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2021 on the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act),

– having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2021 with recommendations to the Commission on identifying gender-based violence as a new area of crime listed in Article 83(1) TFEU,

– having regard to its resolution of 16 March 2023 on the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders,

– having regard to its recommendation of 17 February 2022 to the Council and the VicePresident of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning corruption and human rights,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2023 on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2022, and to its previous resolutions on earlier annual reports,

– having regard to its resolutions on breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (known as urgency resolutions), adopted in accordance with Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure since 2019, in particular those adopted in 2022 and 2023,

– having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the letter from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9-0424/2023),

A. whereas 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC);

C. whereas the Union, within its external action, must define and pursue common policies and actions to consolidate and support democracy and human rights, according to Article 21(2) TEU; whereas this can be only achieved by successfully placing democracy and human rights at the core of all of the EU’s policies and tools, including trade, development, security and defence, and enlargement, among others;

D. whereas consistency and coherence between the EU’s internal and external policies based on the Union’s founding principles and values are key for achieving effective and credible EU human rights and democracy support policies;

E. whereas democratic countries must guarantee every person’s ability to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms; whereas the EU remains fully committed to the defence of multilateralism and universal values, principles and norms that guide UN member states; whereas the EU and partners should uphold the defence of the universality of human rights as a priority;

F. whereas the rules-based international order is being increasingly challenged by different actors who, working alone or through concerted action, are attempting to undermine multilateral organisations and subvert, circumvent or thwart the implementation of international humanitarian law and human rights law; whereas information manipulation and interference have become part of the arsenal that autocratic actors use to exert pressure on democratic values and norms, eroding checks on the abuse of power, increasing the incidence and severity of human rights violations and constricting spaces for civil society, independent media and democratic opposition movements;

G. whereas the number of autocracies has increased, with 70 % of the world’s population now living under authoritarian rule according to the University of Gothenburg; whereas democratic backsliding has become a defining global trend in politics and includes established democracies, which still face problems of political polarisation, institutional dysfunction and threats to civil liberties; whereas this rise in authoritarianism, illiberalism and reactionary trends worldwide, including in the European Union, threatens the global rules-based order, the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy in the world, as well as the values and principles on which the European Union is founded;

H. whereas this year’s mid-term review of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024 has shown that, despite the progress achieved so far, the EU, together with like-minded partners, cannot remain complacent, especially in the context of the unprecedented challenges to human rights, freedom and democracy around the world;

I. whereas violations of the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion continue around the world and are giving rise to oppression, conflict and war, and breaches of international law;

J. whereas in the 2010 report to the Human Rights Council, the independent expert in the field of cultural rights identified cultural rights as rights relating to a broad range of human rights-related issues and values, such as the right to participate in cultural life and education, among others, as well as the presence of cultural rights in different international human rights instruments;

K. whereas gender equality is a core value of the EU; whereas the human rights of women and girls, including their sexual and reproductive rights, continue to be violated across the world; whereas women human rights defenders and civil society organisations working on gender equality, women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights continue to experience shrinking space for their critical work, as well as threats of violence, harassment and intimidation; whereas gender mainstreaming and an intersectional approach should therefore be implemented and integrated as a horizontal principle in all EU activities and policies;

L. whereas the energy crisis, coupled with the food production crisis, increases poverty and vulnerability in the world, with a detrimental impact on human rights;

M. whereas responsible business conduct by EU-based companies plays a crucial role in ensuring that EU policies on human rights are effectively implemented both within and outside of the EU, including with regard to labour; whereas the EU is committed to promoting the implementation of responsible business conduct across all sectors of production and on all levels of the value chain, and to the protection of victims of business-related human rights violations and abuses;

N. whereas environmental emergencies, including those resulting from climate change, deforestation and extractive business operations, can lead to human rights violations and affect not only individuals and communities in their immediate vicinity, but also humanity as a whole; whereas in recent years there has been an increase in the number of murders, assaults and in other forms of violence against people who defend environmental rights, including among indigenous populations; whereas climate change and environmental degradation are two urgent and interlinked challenges undermining both sustainable development and the enjoyment of human rights globally; whereas harm against the environment and the effects of climate change are exacerbating precariousness, marginalisation and inequality, increasingly forcing people to leave their homes or trapping them in unsafe settings, where their vulnerability is increased;

O. whereas human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) are essential allies in the EU’s efforts to protect and promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law and prevent conflicts worldwide; whereas it is therefore in the core interests of the EU and its Member States to support their work and protect them as well as the space in which they operate; whereas governments across the world are increasingly adopting new kinds of tactics and restrictive measures against HRDs in order to censor their work and silence and harass them; whereas such measures include strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), restrictive government policies, defamation campaigns, discrimination and intimidation or violence, including extrajudicial killings, abductions and arbitrary arrest and detention; whereas attacks against HRDs are increasingly also targeting their families and communities; whereas the space for civil society is shrinking, including as a result of the adoption by states around the world of increasingly strict licensing procedures for CSOs, bans or caps on the financing that CSOs can receive from donors, and through attaching a ‘foreign agent’ stigma to CSOs; whereas a climate of impunity for violations committed against HRDs prevails in numerous countries around the world;

P. whereas terrorism continues to be one of the biggest threats to international peace and security, and is a clear breach of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Addressing global trends and major challenges

1. Reasserts the universality, interdependence, interrelatedness and indivisibility of human rights and the inherent dignity of every human being; reaffirms the duty of the EU and its Member States to promote and protect democracy, the rule of law and the universality and inalienability of human rights around the world in a resolute, coherent and consistent manner; calls for the EU and its Member States to promote the joining of forces between democracies and the relevant international and regional organisations in order to address threats and promote human rights worldwide, including through robust and public stance reaffirming our commitment to defend the universality of human rights and the rule of law;

2. Deplores totalitarian and authoritarian regimes for their abuse of multilateral institutions, in particular of the United Nations Human Rights Council, seeking to neutralise human rights mechanisms, their ability to hold states accountable for human rights violations, as well as to undermine and/or rewrite international norms to suit their authoritarian agenda; calls on the Council and the Member States to work with like-minded democratic allies to support a reform of the multilateral institutions so that they become more resilient in the face of the malign influence of authoritarian regimes;

3. Stresses that the EU must be fully prepared to counter the rise and malign influence of authoritarianism, illiberalism and extremism, as well as the threats to human rights protection and the increasing attacks on the universality of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and international humanitarian law;

4. Underscores that the ambitious commitment and rhetoric of the EU’s external human rights policy requires it to be consistent and exemplary on the commitment to universal human rights and democracy; deplores the deterioration of the human rights and rule of law situation worldwide, including in the EU, which undermines its credibility when opposing the global democratic decline and human rights regression; calls for the EU and its Member States to lead by example and strictly uphold human rights, ensure an enabling environment for their civil society and to address any negative trends in this field;

5. Condemns the increasing trend of violations of human rights and democratic principles and values across the world, such as deepening levels of social, economic and political inequality, the reversal of rights, notably for women, the persistent and systematic exclusion of and discrimination against entire social groups, executions, extrajudicial killings, torture, gender-based violence, discrimination and gender apartheid, arbitrary arrests and detentions, systematic and structural discrimination and inequality, clampdowns on marginalised and vulnerable individual and groups, civil society, political opponents and ethnic and religious minorities, slavery and forced labour, forced deportations, excessive use of violence by public authorities, censorship and threats to independent media and journalists, as well as threats in the digital sphere such as online surveillance and internet shutdowns, among others; condemns practices of transnational repression by autocratic regimes; deplores the weakening of the protection of democratic institutions and the shrinking space for civil societies around the world, which creates impunity for human rights violations; notes that the number of democracies has continued to decline, while the number of authoritarian regimes has grown;

6. Denounces the tailor-made narratives that authoritarian and illiberal regimes are developing to attack the universality of human rights and the rule of law; warns that the above-mentioned narratives are being spread by these regimes in international forums such as the United Nations Human Rights Council; calls for the EU and its Member States to counter these hostile narratives, often based on claims of cultural relativism to hide abuses of power, among others, as well as disinformation and foreign interference towards the EU; calls for the EU and the Member States to use all tools at their disposal, including through fully exploiting the potential of EU international cultural relations;

7. Is concerned about the fact that international conferences and highly mediatised events are organised in authoritarian and illiberal countries where HRDs are persecuted or harassed, and that these countries use such events as windows of publicity and to distort their image on the global scene concerning their human rights records;

8. Points to the increased toolkit used by authoritarian, totalitarian and illiberal regimes that builds a framework to erode human rights via legislative and non-legislative provisions which are used to rig elections, silence and threaten civil society, marginalised and vulnerable individuals and groups, minorities, political opponents, independent media and critical voices, control the judiciary and persecute HRDs, journalists, lawyers, artists and activists among others, who are critical of the practices of these regimes;

9. Condemns the increasing disregard for international human rights law by authoritarian and illiberal regimes, particularly those which create and expand existing internal and international conflicts, and cause new ones, with devastating consequences for human rights; notes that these regimes try to undermine the legitimacy of international human rights law in order to avoid its application, to which they are bound;

10. Calls for an assessment of the effectiveness of the ‘quiet’ or ‘silent diplomacy’ strategy and calls for the EU to be more vocal when defending human rights;

11. Strongly condemns and is deeply concerned by the atrocities, war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, gender-based violence, the deportation of children and the torture and killing of civilians and prisoners of war, committed by the Russian armed forces and their proxies in Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine; recalls that supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia is of key importance to safeguard a rules-based international order; urges that all necessary measures be taken to make sure that those who have committed war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine are identified and held accountable; calls for the EU and its Member States to continue to offer their full support to the relevant stakeholders, measures and mechanisms in this field, including Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators and the judiciary, the ICC, the Commission of Inquiry of the UN Human Rights Council and national investigations under the principle of universal jurisdiction; stresses the importance of swiftly gathering and preserving evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and welcomes the efforts of civil society to this end;

Responding to universal human rights and democracy challenges

Upholding international human rights and humanitarian law

16. Stresses the link between human rights violations and widespread impunity and the lack of accountability in regions and countries affected by conflicts; underlines the need to uphold international human rights and humanitarian law with particular regard to the Geneva Conventions; strongly condemns the violations of international humanitarian law and the human rights abuses by government forces and armed groups around the world, which in some cases amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity; calls to effectively guarantee the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid during armed conflicts and natural disasters, and for the systematic creation of humanitarian corridors when and where needed in situations of armed conflicts and war; condemns attempts by authoritarian governments to interfere with and restrict the activities of humanitarian aid organisations; recalls, in this context, the importance of coordination between civilian and military actors; condemns the disastrous humanitarian consequences and human rights violations caused by modern warfare and conflicts worldwide, including the bombing of civilian targets, rape and torture, forced displacements and unlawful deportations among others; points to the gendered impacts of armed conflict, including the use of sexual violence against women and girls as a war tactic, the impact on children and minorities as well as its environmental consequences;

17. Calls for the EU and its Member States to step up their efforts to promote respect for international humanitarian law and provide assistance to the victims to access international justice and obtain remedy and reparation; highlights that attacks targeting civilians and objects indispensable to the survival of civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law; calls for the EU and its international partners to make full use of all relevant instruments to fight against international crimes, including the application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, special tribunals at national and international level, including for the crime of aggression, as well as for the establishment of flexible cooperation and funding mechanisms to swiftly collect and analyse evidence of crimes; calls on the Commission to ensure that these instruments are applied in a coordinated and complementary manner with other relevant EU and Member State instruments;

19. Reiterates its call on the Member States to help contain armed conflicts and serious violations of human rights or international humanitarian law by strictly abiding by the provisions of Article 7 of the UN Arms Trade Treaty on Export and Export Assessment and Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP on Arms Exports and the EU Dual Use Regulation; urges the EU to assess the malicious use of spyware until robust regulations are implemented to guarantee its use in line with international human rights standards; expresses its continued concern over the use of armed drones outside the international legal framework, and calls for human rights impact assessments concerning armed drones development projects; calls for the EU to take an initiative towards creating a legally binding instrument that would prohibit lethal autonomous weapons without meaningful human control;

20. Insists on the importance of ensuring the coherence of EU policy in relation to situations of occupation or annexation of territory, which should be guided by international humanitarian law to prevent grave human rights abuses on the ground; highlights the responsibility of EU-based corporations to apply the most stringent due diligence policy towards any economic or financial activity in or with these territories, and to ensure strict compliance with international law as well as with EU sanctions policy where applicable to these situations; in this context, calls on the Commission to clarify the applicable rules in relation to EU trade with such territories;

Right to life: progress towards the universal abolition of the death penalty

21. Reiterates its principled opposition to the death penalty, which is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and is irreversible; regrets the fact that despite the trend in some non-EU countries to take steps towards abolishing the death penalty, significant challenges in this regard still exist; deplores the fact that in other non-EU countries its use is increasing and the number of death sentences that have been carried out has reached its highest level in the last five years; reiterates its call for all countries to completely abolish the death penalty or establish an immediate moratorium as a first step towards its abolition; encourages the EU and the Member States to use all tools at their disposal, including trade and association agreements with non-EU countries, to work towards a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to its abolition;

22. Stresses that the EU must be relentless in its pursuit of the universal abolition of the death penalty as a major objective of its human rights foreign policy; calls for the EU and its Member States to defend abolition in the relevant international forums and advocate for the widest possible support for this position; encourages the continuing efforts of the UN bodies on the universal abolition of the death penalty, in line with the resolutions of the UN General Assembly; calls, additionally, on the countries concerned to reduce the list of crimes or offences punishable by death as a first step; calls for transparency around death sentences and executions in countries that do not disclose these statistics; supports the process of adoption by the African Union of the draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the abolition of the death penalty in Africa; encourages other third countries and regional organisations to begin similar processes, including through the meaningful inclusion of CSOs; stresses the importance of supporting local and regional abolitionist efforts;