Human Rights

Presidents’ column: Pregnancy termination is still a criminal offence in Germany under section 218 of the Criminal Code, with serious consequences for access to abortion and women’s right to self-determination. There can only be one answer to this.

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, movements, groups and individuals, highlight the urgent need to address serious human rights concerns in Azerbaijan in the lead-up to its hosting this year’s United Nations Climate Conference (COP29).

Although Lebanon receives EU support to provide for Syrian refugees, they are increasingly being criminalized and deported. Less than a week after Commission President Von der Leyen’s visit in May, Lebanon issued new residence regulations that effectively block the pathways to legal residence. These new regulations were followed by deportations to Syria, which the EU does not consider safe for return. Instead of making support conditional on respect for the refugees’ human rights, the EU is turning a blind eye. 

Violence against women is particularly alarming, as one in three women have been subjected to physical or sexual violence. In this article, lawyer Aikaterini Georgiadou provides an unparalleled critical review of the legislative framework for gender-based violence in Greece. She examines the provisions of the Istanbul Convention and the severe concerns reflected in GREVIO's evaluation report about the implementation of the Convention in Greece. Furthermore, she focuses in particular on the newly adopted EU Directive on combating violence against women, which Member States are obliged to transpose into their national law within three years.

On 23 June 2024, Chancellor Scholz will receive Argentinian president Javier Milei with military honours. Not only do Milei’s reform plans accept the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law, they will also deindustrialise Argentina. This does not correspond to Germany's interests.

No one knows whether Labour will repeal some of the draconian anti-protest laws passed in recent years in the UK, writes David Mead. But it is unlikely to be a priority for a party worried about alienating the press and with a failing welfare state to fix.

Over the past fifteen years, the French media landscape has been radically transformed. While demand for information has never been so high, thanks to the digital revolution, the overall supply of information has never been so low, giving rise to growing concern among media professionals represented by journalists' societies, unions, associations and collectives.

While the European Union is poised for alteration, it becomes important more than ever to remember why Türkiye matters for Europe’s migration challenges. The EU needs a stable Türkiye. A country in severe economic and political conditions, lacking sufficient support for refugees and migrants, perfectly illustrates the push factors that drive further migration where the EU is a near destination. A stable Türkiye benefits the EU, the population in Türkiye, and the surrounding region. This cannot be achieved with unfair policies.

The AI Act has finally overcome its latest hurdle in the European Union’s legislative procedure after its adoption by the European Parliament. However, a void in its final version draws attention to the weakening of obligations aimed at reducing AI’s environmental impacts, despite the technology’s severe impacts on local communities, fauna and flora, both within and beyond European borders, particularly in the Majority World. This commentary investigates the opportunities missed by EU bodies to address such impacts during the AI Act debates.