EU-AU Summit: A Call for Prioritizing human Rights adn International Law
as the European Union and African Union prepare for their summit in Luanda, Human Rights Watch is urging both blocs to prioritize human rights and adherence to international law in their collaborative agenda.The organizations highlight several key areas where concrete action is needed to translate existing commitments into tangible results.
A central focus should be supporting the ongoing negotiations for a treaty addressing crimes against humanity. This treaty, outlined in a UN General Assembly roadmap with a resolution adopted in December 2024, aims to establish accountability for systematic attacks - those meticulously planned by perpetrators – constituting crimes against humanity. The EU and AU are encouraged to facilitate broad participation in these negotiations,specifically including legal experts,civil society groups,and associations representing victims,even those currently lacking UN accreditation.
Beyond this, the EU and AU should actively support the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, launched in 2022. This initiative seeks to establish more equitable global tax rules, addressing human rights challenges within both EU and AU member states and fostering human rights economies.Furthermore, both unions should publicly affirm and implement the recent advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which establishes tackling the climate crisis as an international legal obligation.
The text also emphasizes the growing momentum around reparatory justice for the lasting impacts of colonialism. Following a commitment made by African leaders in July to dedicate the next decade to this pursuit, European governments are urged to engage in human rights-based reparation processes. The AU is encouraged to collaborate with civil society organizations in developing reparations frameworks that prioritize and empower affected communities, aligning with the widely recognized right to reparation for colonial atrocities as outlined by the UN.
“The Luanda Summit is an prospect to translate both blocs’ commitments to human rights and international law into concrete actions,” stated Philippe Dam, EU director at Human Rights Watch. “As civilians increasingly suffer the consequences of conflict and multilateral institutions are challenged by states undermining rights and international law, strong leadership from the AU and the EU is critically needed.”
