Luxembourg targets human rights

Date: 10/07/1997

By Rory Watson

THE Luxembourg government is making a clear Union stand on human rights one of the leading priorities of its six-month EU presidency.

The attempt to project an unambiguous message towards the outside world follows embarrassing high-profile disagreements with Australia and Mexico and a split within the EU's own ranks over moves to condemn China's human rights record.

“We must have a more coherent position. We need to avoid differences in future and we must have a more cohesive vision within the Union. This is especially important as next year is the 50th anniversary of the declaration of human rights,” explained a Luxembourg diplomat.

The Union is still digesting its failure earlier this year to put pressure on China to improve its respect for human rights after France, with one eye on lucrative commercial opportunities, refused to sign up to a critical EU resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

The inclusion of a human rights clause in agreements with Australia and Mexico led to major hiccups in both sets of negotiations. The latter accused the Union of interfering in its internal affairs, while the former, wary of the possible juridical consequences involved, eschewed a legally binding agreement for a looser political declaration.

“We have a big problem on human rights. The China affair where the Union was divided was a sort of revelation for Europe. We have also had difficulties with Australia and with Mexico. We therefore need to rethink even the minimum level of our approach towards human rights,” said Luxembourg's EU ambassador Jean-Jacques Kasel.

Kasel's government is still considering how to involve its partners in the wide-ranging human rights debate. One possibility is that this might surface at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Mondorf-les-Bains at the end of October.

The initiative is certain to be supported by the British government, which takes over the EU presidency on 1 January 1998 and has already declared its intention to make respect for human rights a priority in the conduct of the UK's external relations.

While welcoming the emphasis on ensuring a coherent Union approach to human rights, organisations in the field are waiting to see what practical measures emerge before passing judgement. “Any initiative to enhance the Union's application of legally binding commitments to human rights is more than welcome. But so far we have not seen any convincing thoughts emerge,” said Lotte Leicht, director of Human Rights Watch's Brussels office.