EUdebates the situation in the Philippines. Human Rights violations and persistent impunity скачать в хорошем качестве

EUdebates the situation in the Philippines. Human Rights violations and persistent impunity

The European Union has expressed its concerns about various human rights issues in the Philippines on numerous occasions: recently through the EU27 statement at the Human Rights Council; https://www.eudebates.tv/ #eudebates #Philippines #HumanRights Also through the February 2020 biennial Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) report discussed in the European Parliament; as well as directly to the authorities, such as during the first Joint Committee of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in January 2020. https://www.eudebates.tv/ #eudebates More specifically on Maria Ressa’s case, the EEAS Spokesperson issued a statement on 16 June 2020 underlining that her conviction “raised serious doubts over the respect for freedom of expression as well as for the rule of law in the Philippines[…] We expect the Philippines, like all countries, to uphold its international human rights obligations and protect and promote fundamental freedoms.”. With regard to the monitoring of the Philippines’ commitments under GSP+, the Trade Commissioner had clearly communicated our concerns to his counterpart in Manila and the Philippines’ reply will be taken into account in assessing the compliance to the GSP+ conditionalities during our bilateral dialogue with the government. https://www.eudebates.tv/ #eudebates The EU remains convinced that both the Philippines and the EU have most to gain from constructive engagement. During our January Joint Committee, we agreed on the establishment of a Subcommittee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights. This Subcommittee, expected to meet regularly, will be an important forum for directly addressing all human rights issues. The European External Action Service (EEAS) has proposed to hold a first meeting already this autumn, by the end of this year, even under a virtual format. The European Commission and the EEAS will continue raising these matters with the Philippine government in a clear and constructive way. https://www.eudebates.tv/ #eudebates A heavy-handed focus on countering national security threats and illegal drugs has resulted in serious human rights violations in the Philippines, including killings and arbitrary detentions, as well as the vilification of dissent, a new report by the UN Human Rights Office said Thursday. Persistent impunity and formidable barriers to accessing justice need to be urgently addressed, the report said. The report, which was mandated by a UN Human Rights Council resolution, noted that many of the human rights concerns it has documented are long-standing, but have become more acute in recent years. This has been manifested particularly starkly in the widespread and systematic killing of thousands of alleged drug suspects. Numerous human rights defenders have also been killed over the past five years. https://www.eudebates.tv/ “While there have been important human rights gains in recent years, particularly in economic and social rights, the underpinning focus on national security threats – real and inflated – has led to serious human rights violations, reinforced by harmful rhetoric from high-level officials,” the report stated. “This focus has permeated the implementation of existing laws and policies and the adoption of new measures – often at the expense of human rights, due process rights, the rule of law, and accountability.” Since the Government launched its campaign against illegal drugs in 2016, official figures indicate that at least 8,663 people have been killed, with some estimates putting the real toll at more than triple that number. The UN Human Rights Office has also documented that, between 2015 and 2019, at least 248 human rights defenders, legal professionals, journalists and trade unionists have been killed in relation to their work. https://www.eudebates.tv/ There has been near impunity for these killings, with only one conviction for the killing of a drug suspect in a police operation since mid-2016, the report stated. Witnesses, family members, journalists and lawyers interviewed by the UN Human Rights Office expressed fears over their safety and a sense of powerlessness in the search for justice, resulting in a situation where “the practical obstacles to accessing justice within the country are almost insurmountable.” Given the failure of domestic mechanisms to ensure accountability thus far, the report stressed the need for independent, impartial, credible investigations into all allegations of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The High Commissioner stands ready to assist credible efforts towards accountability at the national and international level. The UN Human Rights Office examined the key policy documents relating to the campaign against illegal drugs and found a troubling lack of due process protections, and the use of language calling for “negation” and “neutralization” of drug suspects. https://www.eudebates.tv/ #eudebates