December 05, 2018
Dear EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
We, the 90 undersigned organizations dedicated to the promotion of universal human rights and/or the fight against corruption, write to voice our strong support for the Foreign Affairs Council to initiate a process aimed at establishing an EU-wide program for the imposition of targeted sanctions on individuals and entities deemed responsible for serious human rights violations. Noting that the Foreign Affairs Council will take up this matter on December 10, 2018 — the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights— we urge all state representatives to honor the Declaration by supporting action on such a sanctions regime, and, in so doing, beginning the process of providing the EU with an additional, critical tool to combat impunity and defend human rights worldwide.
Today more than ever, we recognize that the promotion and protection of equal and inalienable rights form the basis of justice, peace, and security. Where human rights are violated and corruption is allowed to flourish, individuals are less safe and communities are less stable and secure. With universal human rights and the rule of law under significant challenge globally, now is thus an opportune moment to take an unmistakable step forward in defense of our common values.
As we have seen in countries that have enacted and utilized “Global Magnitsky” sanctions laws to date, a global human rights and anti-corruption sanctions program can serve as a vital addition to the diplomatic and legal toolkit essential to upholding human rights and the rule of law. In a relatively short period of time, governments such as those in the United States and Canada have used their human rights and anti-corruption sanctions laws to fight impunity for some of
the world’s most heinous crimes in countries from Myanmar to Saudi Arabia. A similar tool will provide the EU with the ability to shine a spotlight on and compel changes of behavior in some of the world’s worst human rights violators. Robust implementation also has the potential to deter would-be kleptocrats and those that would use violence to silence dissent and maintain their grip on power.
We applaud the Dutch government for its demonstrated commitment toward achieving a global human rights sanctions program. We also commend those other EU governments that have voiced their support for this effort and encourage in the strongest terms all other EU member states to likewise support the initiative on December 10.
Sincerely,
1. Aditus Foundation
2. American Jewish World Service
3. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain
4. Article 19
5. Association UMDPL Ukraine
6. Boat People SOS
7. Center for Civil Liberties
8. Center for Justice & Accountability
9. Center for Policies and Reforms (Moldova)
10. China Against the Death Penalty
11. China Change
12. China Human Rights Accountability Center
13. Christian Solidarity Worldwide
14. Citizen Power Initiatives for China
15. Citizens’ Watch
16. Clean Clothes Campaign International Office
17. Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam
18. Community WatchDog.md
19. Council for Global Equality
20. CrimeaSOS
21. Crude Accountability
22. EarthRights International
23. Estonian American National Council
24. Fair Trials
25. Free Press Unlimited
26. Freedom House
27. Freedom Now
28. Heartland Initiative
29. Helsinki Association Armenia
30. Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vsnadzor
31. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland)
32. Hivos
33. HRM Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan
34. Human Rights Center “Memorial”
35. Human Rights Club (Azerbaijan)
36. Human Rights Concern - Eritrea
37. Human Rights First
38. Human Rights Foundation
39. Human Rights House Zagreb
40. Human Rights Matter
41. Human Rights Monitoring Institute
42. Humanitarian China
43. Hungarian Helsinki Committee
44. India Committee of the Netherlands
45. Institute for Development and Social Initiatives
46. Institute for European Policies and Reforms
47. Institute of Public Policies
48. International Campaign for Tibet
49. International Partnership for Human Rights
50. Joint Baltic American National Committee
51. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law
52. Lawyers for Lawyers
53. Legal Resources Centre from Moldova
54. Legal Transformation Center (Belarus)
55. Magnitsky Act Initiative
56. Media Initiative for Human Rights (Ukraine)
57. Mexicanos vs Corrupción e Impunidad
58. Moldova
59. National Endowment for Democracy
60. Netherlands Helsinki Committee
61. Norwegian Helsinki Committee
62. OMCT - World Organisation Against Torture
63. Open Dialogue Foundation
64. Pax DRA (Berlin)
65. PEN America
66. Physicians for Human Rights
67. Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta
68. Project Expedite Justice
69. Promo LEX
70. Protection of Rights Without Borders (Armenia)
71. Public Association “Dignity”
72. Religious Liberty Commission, World Evangelical Alliance
73. Reporters Without Borders
74. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
75. Sova Center
76. The Enough Project
77. The McCain Institute
78. The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders
79. The Sentry
80. Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International
81. Transparencia Venezuela
82. Transparency International
83. Transparency International Moldova
84. Truth Hounds
85. Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
86. VETO! Human Rights Defenders Network
87. Vietnam Coalition Against Torture
88. Vietnamese Women for Human Rights
89. VOICE
90. Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit
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