As the world marks International Human Rights Day, the European Union (EU) has finally set in motion preparatory work for a global sanctions regime to address serious human rights violations, which will be the EU equivalent of the so-called Magnitsky Act of the United States.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports EU Ministers on Monday, at the first Foreign Affairs Council to be chaired by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, agreed to draft Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, making it easier to impose targeted punitive sanctions against persons and entities responsible for serious rights abuses.
Speaking at a press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council, Josep Borrell said human rights is an issue that remains a clear priority for Europeans and that it will remain so during his mandate.
“The important thing is that, under the request of several Member States, we have agreed to launch the preparatory work for a global sanctions regime to address serious human rights violations, which will be the EU equivalent of the so-called Magnitsky Act of the United States.
“I was asked on this issue in my presentation at the Parliament last week and today we have decided, with strong consensus, to launch the preparatory work – and the European External Action Service will prepare the documentation for this – in order to prepare the equivalent of this act. This will be a tangible step reaffirming the European Union’s global lead on human rights.
“[EU] Member States have also been informed about – and they have showed broad support for it – a new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy that will be prepared by my services for the next five years.
“We will present the proposal early next year. As you know, this is a reference document on human rights in the world. It is a document of reference and the new one will continue to be something unique, one of its kind worldwide,” Josep Borrell said.
Speaking further about the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, Josep Borrell said, “We will prepare all the papers and we will launch the process. I think that to have a tool like this that gives across the board a method of reacting with an approval by the Council in general terms, gives us much more strength and much more capacity to react in front of serious human rights violations.
“We are talking about serious human rights violations. And many Parliamentarians where asking for that. And I put the question on the table of the Council of Ministers and there was enough consensus to go ahead”.