The 20-year anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration and the revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a unique opportunity for the EU to translate its declared fundamental principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law into a meaningful policy towards its troubled southern neighbourhood.
In this ‘White Book’, the EMHRN presents in 20 steps its vision for a revised ENP guided by human rights, contributing to peace and stability in the EU’s southern neighbourhood.
In 2011, the Arab uprisings revealed both the Arab peoples’ aspiration for democracy, justice and human rights, as well as the urgent need for the EU to revise its policy towards the region, a policy that had favoured short-term stability and interests over human rights. Recognising its failures, the EU hastily renewed its ENP emphasising the importance of ‘deep democracy’ and introducing the ‘more-for-more’ principle to condition EU aid on progress made towards functioning democracy, including human rights, civil society and the rule of law.
However, the coherent and consistent application of these applaudable principles remains lacking. The EU should reinforce its instruments and mechanisms relating to human rights and democracy in the region, vital for democracy, stability and conflict resolution and prevention.
Relations between the EU and southern Mediterranean countries have been mostly bilateral, rather than multilateral. The EU must devise a regional human rights strategy, promoting an enabling environment for civil society, the rule of law, gender equality and respect for minorities. In these endeavors, the EU should reach out to and empower civil society and human right organisations as partners for change and development.
The Arab uprisings highlighted both inequality between men and women and women’s calls for their social and political rights as they took to the streets alongside men. The ENP should promote women’s rights and their equal participation in political, economic, social and cultural affairs.
Recent recurrent tragedies in the Mediterranean have brought to the fore the question of migrants and refugees, especially those feeling conflict and persecution. So far, the EU has adopted an ineffective security-based migration policy that has led thousands to perish at sea. To avoid more preventable deaths and live up to its values, the EU should tackle migration from a human rights perspective, applying international standards, particularly the right to seek asylum.
The ENP will only contribute to peace and stability in the southern neighbourhood when it is based on a regional, result-oriented and rights-based policy. Returning to ‘business as usual,’ favouring short-term stability of autocratic states at the expense of peoples’ rights and legitimate aspirations would further erode the credibility of the EU in the region as we as the well-being of its people.
Read EMHRN’s White Book.