The Council of the European Union today approved conclusions on the priorities of the European Union in United Nations Human Rights fora in 2024. In its Conclusions, the Council reaffirms the EU’s commitment to human rights, multilateralism and the international criminal justice system in the current “fraught international environment marked by armed conflict, authoritarianism, disinformation and a pushback against gender equality”.

The Council said the EU is ready to continue monitoring the human rights situation globally and denouncing human rights violations and abuses “wherever they occur, and to take up a number of initiatives in international fora”. 

“The EU will support independent investigations into violations and abuses of human rights, in order to hold perpetrators accountable,” says a press release by the Council of the EU.

The EU will continue to call for all countries to abolish the death penalty, continue to promote the Global Alliance for Torture-Free-Trade and consider further steps to ban trade in goods used for capital punishment and torture.

Furthermore, the EU calls on all countries to ensure proper functioning of democratic institutions, fight corruption and uphold freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression and opinion.

The Council also said the EU would continue to cooperate with all regions of the world, organisations and relevant stakeholders in order to fulfil its goals in the field.

Council conclusions on EU priorities at UN human rights fora are approved on a yearly basis.