“Our values are enshrined in our treaties, first and foremost,” head of political, press, information of the European Union delegation, Margus Solnson, said during a virtual public discussion held to commemorate international human rights day, which was accessed from Jakarta on Thursday.
According to Solnson, the recently adopted Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy reaffirms the EU’s commitment to promoting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights worldwide, and to ensuring that high standards of victims’ rights are met in all contexts, including in international instances.
“Within our borders, the European Commission adopted its first-ever EU Strategy on Victim’s Rights in June 2020, to guarantee that all victims of all crime, no matter where in the EU or in what circumstances the crime took place, can fully rely on their rights,” he said.
The strategy sets out actions until 2025 and focuses on five key priorities: effective communication with victims in a safe environment for victims to report a crime; improving support and protection of the most vulnerable victims; facilitating victims’ access to compensation; strengthening cooperation and coordination among all relevant actors, including member states; and strengthening the international dimension of victims’ rights, he informed.
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A Commission Coordinator for Victims’ Rights was also set up in September 2020 in the context of the strategy, he said. A new EU-wide Victims’ Rights Platform was also launched the same month, as a forum for discussions on the topic with all relevant actors, Solnson added.
"Because the rights of victims do not end at our borders, the EU has also focused on the international dimension, in particular, to address serious human rights violations," he said.
“While States have primary responsibility to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, the reality is that even today, we still continue to witness human rights violations and abuses in several parts of the world – frequently without any consequences for the perpetrators,” he added.
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Reporter: Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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