Letter
Published on December 5, 2018
December 05, 2018
OPEN LETTER FROM NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN SUPPORT OF A TARGETED, GLOBAL EU HUMAN RIGHTS SANCTIONS REGIME
Dear Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
We, the 90 undersigned organizations dedicated to the promotion of universal human rights and/or the fight against corruption, write to voice our strong support for the Foreign Affairs Council to initiate a process aimed at establishing an EU-wide program for the imposition of targeted sanctions on individuals and entities deemed responsible for serious human rights violations. Noting that the Foreign Affairs Council will take up this matter on December 10, 2018—the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—we urge all state representatives to honor the Declaration by supporting action on such a sanctions regime, and, in so doing, beginning the process of providing the EU with an additional, critical tool to combat impunity and defend human rights worldwide.
Today more than ever, we recognize that the promotion and protection of equal and inalienable rights form the basis of justice, peace, and security. Where human rights are violated and corruption is allowed to flourish, individuals are less safe and communities are less stable and secure. With universal human rights and the rule of law under significant challenge globally, now is thus an opportune moment to take an unmistakable step forward in defense of our common values.
As we have seen in countries that have enacted and utilized “Global Magnitsky” sanctions laws to date, a global human rights and anti-corruption sanctions program can serve as a vital addition to the diplomatic and legal toolkit essential to upholding human rights and the rule of law. In a relatively short period of time, governments such as those in the United States and Canada have used their human rights and anti-corruption sanctions laws to fight impunity for some of the world’s most heinous crimes in countries from Myanmar to Saudi Arabia. A similar tool will provide the EU with the ability to shine a spotlight on and compel changes of behavior in some of the world’s worst human rights violators. Robust implementation also has the potential to deter would-be kleptocrats and those that would use violence to silence dissent and maintain their grip on power.
We applaud the Dutch government for its demonstrated commitment toward achieving a global human rights sanctions program. We also commend those other EU governments that have voiced their support for this effort and encourage in the strongest terms all other EU member states to likewise support the initiative on December 10.
Sincerely,
Aditus Foundation
Institute of Public Policies
American Jewish World Service
India Committee of the Netherlands
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain
Institute for Development and Social Initiatives
Article 19
Institute for European Policies and Reforms
Association UMDPL Ukraine
International Campaign for Tibet
Boat People SOS
International Partnership for Human Rights
Center for Civil Liberties
Joint Baltic American National Committee
Center for Justice & Accountability
Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law
Center for Policies and Reforms (Moldova)
Lawyers for Lawyers
China Against the Death Penalty
Legal Resources Centre from Moldova
China Change
Legal Transformation Center (Belarus)
China Human Rights Accountability Center
Magnitsky Act Initiative
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
The McCain Institute
Citizen Power Initiatives for China
Media Initiative for Human Rights (Ukraine)
Citizens’ Watch
Mexicanos vs Corrupción e Impunidad
Clean Clothes Campaign International Office
National Endowment for Democracy
Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam
Netherlands Helsinki Committee
Community WatchDog.md
The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders
Council for Global Equality
Norwegian Helsinki Committee
CrimeaSOS
Open Dialogue Foundation
Crude Accountability
Pax
DRA (Berlin)
PEN America
EarthRights International
Physicians for Human Rights
The Enough Project
Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta
Estonian American National Council
Project Expedite Justice
Fair Trials
Promo LEX Moldova
Freedom House
Protection of Rights Without Borders (Armenia)
Freedom Now
Public Association “Dignity”
Free Press Unlimited
Religious Liberty Commission, World Evangelical Alliance
Heartland Initiative
Reporters Without Borders
Helsinki Association Armenia
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vsnadzor
The Sentry
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland)
Sova Center
Hivos
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International
HRM Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan
Transparencia Venezuela
Humanitarian China
Transparency International
Human Rights Center “Memorial”
Transparency International Moldova
Human Rights Club (Azerbaijan)
Truth Hounds
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
Human Rights First
VETO! Human Rights Defenders Network
Human Rights Foundation
Vietnam Coalition Against Torture
Human Rights House Zagreb
Vietnamese Women for Human Rights
Human Rights Matter
VOICE
Human Rights Monitoring Institute
World Organisation Against Torture
Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit
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