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Key Text The European Union’s Role in Promoting Human Rights and Democratisation in Third Countries

Author: European Commission
Date: 2001
Size: 28 pages (106 KB)

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Summary

How does the European Commission (EC) incorporate human rights and democratisation into its relations with countries outside the European Union (EU), and how does this relate to the justice sector? This EC communication to the European Council and Parliament outlines the Commission’s 2001 plans to refocus its human rights and democracy strategies in response to changing external circumstances and internal reforms.

EC agreements with non-member countries define respect for human rights and democracy as key elements of their relationship with the EU. The EC’s development policy is based on the principle of sustainable, equitable and participatory human and social development, in which human rights, democracy and the rule of law play an integral part. An independent and well-functioning legal system is essential to allow civil society to hold governments accountable and denounce human rights abuses. The communication identifies three areas in which the EC can play a more effective role in promoting human rights and democratisation. They are: more coherent and consistent EU policies, greater priority for these issues in external relations and a more strategic approach for the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

Emphasis is given to the importance of dialogue and consultation with civil society in pursuing the above agenda, and the EC aims to strengthen its efforts in this area. Points for action on human rights and democratisation include to:

Promote greater coherence and consistency in policy across all EU bodies and states, especially with regard to external assistance.
Develop a methodology to help ensure that policy formulation avoids negative effects, and to maximise the positive impact. The justice sector is likely to be one area of focus.
Mainstream the two issues through dialogue with partner countries and civil society organisations and evaluate the results.
Integrate the concerns more effectively into assistance programmes and consider how EC instruments can promote them.
Adopt a strategic approach for the EIDHR that focuses on four themes, including support for death penalty abolition and the fight against torture and impunity, as well as strengthening international tribunals and the rule of law.
Propose initiatives in areas such as trade and the environment that support both issues, including Corporate Social Responsibility.

The communication also recommends actions to enhance the positive impact of the EC’s assistance programmes for developing countries on respect for human rights, democratisation and the rule of law. These are to:

Include the issues in dialogues to draw up Country Strategies for assistance, and examine how governments can pursue particular goals, including ratification of international agreements.
Use Country Strategies and other instruments to focus on sectors and cross-cutting interventions that improve the governance situation.
Support the participation of civil society in the EC’s development co-operation and build capacity.
Use participatory approaches in designing programmes, and evaluate and enhance their impact on human rights.
Consider performance in the areas of human rights, democracy and the rule of law when deciding country allocations.
Train staff and increase awareness of human rights and democratisation issues.

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Source: European Commission, 2001, 'The European Union’s Role in Promoting Human Rights and Democratisation in Third Countries', Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament
Author: The European Commission, http://europa.eu.int/comm/