We, the participants in the Regional Civil Society Seminar held in Istanbul, Turkey on 2–3 February 2025, in light of wars and the tightening restrictions on public freedoms in our countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean, were compelled to hold our meeting in Turkey to examine the widening gap between politics and justice, and its reflection on the destabilization of the international order and its impact on the societies of our region.
Believing that relations with the European Union should be built on the common adherence to human rights principles and participation in determining the future of the Mediterranean region based on equality, justice, and mutual respect, we see that the recent policies and practices adopted by the European Union and some of its Member States contradict these principles. This is notably manifested through resorting to bargaining in partnership agreements and financial contributions allocated to human rights and development, and the double standards in dealing with the issues that concern us, foremost among them the just Palestinian cause in the face of the genocide carried out by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinians with military support from EU and American countries. This approach empties the dialogue between us and EU institutions of its substance and undermines the foundations of real partnership.
In this context:
- We record our rejection of the escalation of restrictions on freedom of expression on both shores of the Mediterranean, including the prosecution and detention of human rights defenders for objecting to the practices of the Israeli occupation and authoritarian regimes and environmental crimes, and the increase in the number of political prisoners, especially in Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia, as well as attempts to impose a definition of anti-Semitism in a way that prevents any criticism of the Israeli occupation.
- We condemn the failure of EU institutions, especially its human rights bodies, to ensure the implementation of international law and the resolutions issued by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court with regard to the Palestinian issue.
- We note with objection the lack of clarity and transparency in drafting the new EU strategy on the Mediterranean region and the non-involvement of civil society organizations in the drafting process, which indicates the absence of serious dialogue in this context.
- We record our reservation concerning the focus of this strategy on security, migration, investment, energy, and transport issues, without any reference to human rights values, which we should uphold today and which should form the core of the relationship between the EU and the region’s countries.
- We express our deep concern regarding the EU migration policies’ focus on security and deterrence, amid the rise of racist rhetoric and restrictions on refugees’ and migrants’ rights, including the right to asylum and safe movement. We reaffirm the need to adopt a fair and inclusive humanitarian approach that takes human dignity into account, respects international law obligations, and involves civil society communities on both shores of the Mediterranean in shaping these policies.
- We emphasize the importance of involving civil society organizations in formulating and reviewing free trade agreements, especially those concluded with southern countries such as Morocco and Tunisia, in light of the escalating trade war between the United States and the rest of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean region.
- We record our reservation regarding how the European strategy addresses environmental and climate issues, focusing on technical and economic aspects without sufficient consideration for environmental justice and the rights of local communities, which should be at the core of any fair environmental policy and should form the essence of the relationship between the EU and the region’s countries.
- We record our condemnation of the policy of repression and intimidation imposed on freedom of expression in EU countries concerning the stance on the Palestinian cause and the genocidal war in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, especially since restrictions on freedoms against migrants and refugees in EU countries are being used to oppress them as deprived of rights.
- We appeal to the regional and international public opinion, and to decision-makers in the EU, to reaffirm the necessity of reviewing the relationship between both shores of the Mediterranean, so that it is based on the principles of accountability, participation, and transparency and not on double standards, nor on a unilateral equation in which we are viewed as mere recipients. The deep crises that our societies on both shores of the Mediterranean are experiencing require rethinking the foundations of this relationship, ensuring a more balanced and just partnership.
- We stress the necessity of joining efforts to support the Syrian people in the transitional justice process after the fall of the authoritarian regime and to support the Palestinian people by all possible means to enable them to exercise their right to self-determination and prevent any plan to forcibly displace them from their land.
Istanbul, Turkey , February 3rd, 2025.
List of signatories :
- Al-Haq Organization
- Association Tunisienne des femmes démocrates (ATFD)
- Alternatives Forum – Palestine
- Association of Tunisian Judges (AMT)
- Collectif Associatif pour l’Observation des Elections
- CS.LADDH
-
Egyptian Human Rights Forum ( EHRF )
- Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
- Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
- Fondation pour la promotion des droits (Algérie)
- Grana nostra
- Istiqlal – The Civil Commission for the Independence of the Judiciary and Rule of Law
- Jibal NGO for Environmental and Social Justice
- Tharwa N’Fadhma N’Soumeur (Algérie)
- Libya Crimes Watch (LCW)
- Moroccan Association for Environment Protection & Climate Justice Protection
- MUSAWA – The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession
- Observatoire Marocain de la Protection Sociale
- Observatoire Marocain pour les Libertés Publiques
- REF – Réseau Euromed France
- Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
- Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights
- Tharwa N’Fadhma N’Soumer
- Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH)
- Union of Administrative Judges (Tunisia)
- Youth for Climate Morocco
- Messaoud Romdhani – Tunisian activist and human rights defender
- Sophie Bessis – Historian and feminist journalist
- Youssef Habash – Head of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate in Europe