On the shrinking space for civil society in Cambodia, in particular the case of the labour rights organisation CENTRAL

B100187/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the shrinking space for civil society in Cambodia, in particular the case of the labour rights organisation CENTRAL

(2024/2952(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas civic space in Cambodia has been shrinking since 2017; whereas Cambodian authorities are targeting union leaders, political opposition leaders, activists and journalists; whereas there is almost no guarantees of rights for workers and trade union leaders face persecution and harassment;

whereas CENTRAL, a labour rights organisation, published a report evaluating the ILO’s Better Factories Cambodia program; whereas the report identified failure to adequately monitor freedom of association violations in garment factories; whereas following the publication, CENTRAL and their members are facing legal threats and harassment;

whereas almost one million people, over 90% of whom are women, work in Cambodia's garment industry, where the situation of workers is particularly precarious; whereas European brands such as H&M and Inditex, source from Cambodia;

whereas despite the partial suspension of Everything But Arms (EBA) preferences in 2020, the EU was the second largest market for Cambodian exports in 2022 and Cambodia remained the second largest user of EBA preferences;

Condemns the shrinking of civic space in Cambodia and the attacks against human rights defenders and other dissenting voices;

Calls on the authorities to respect civil society’s role in promoting labour rights and to end the use of criminalisation and prosecution of civil society as a strategy to silence them; in particular asks to drop all politically motivated charges against CENTRAL and its staff, and to cease the smearing and harassment through politically motivated audits;

Urges the Cambodian authorities to bring the Trade Union Law and the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations (LANGO) in line with Article 21 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

Condemns that employers take advantage of this hostile national environment for trade unions to exploit their workers, particularly women and children; demands European brands to ensure that workers´ rights and in particular freedoms of association, expression and assembly, are protected in their supply chains;

Urges the Commission and Member States to take action against companies operating in the EU that fail to meet their obligations regarding prevention, cessation, remedy and liability for human rights violations and environmental damage occurring in their supply chains, or that fail to adequately compensate victims;

Calls for the need to shift the current logics of international trade to one that serves the objective of achieving mutual advantageous cooperation agreements that do not compromise labour, social and human rights, the environment, nor the right of sovereign development of the countries;

Regrets that Cambodian authorities have not taken meaningful steps or given any indication that they will ensure rights of civil society organisations will be better protected since the EBA withdrawal and the statements;

Urges the European Union and its Member States to further engage and commit to the adoption of an ambitious international Binding Treaty on business and human rights;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Cambodian authorities.