Espacios para la socialización

WITHIN THE EU

In order to promote greater coherence in the Commission approach’s to human rights and democracy at country and regional levels, human rights and democracy concerns have been systematically covered at inter-service strategy meetings and in Country Strategy Papers. Particular emphasis has been accorded to the EIDHR focus countries set out in the 2002-2004 programming document. Human rights country profiles have also been prepared for use within the Commission and advice has been given on the policy implications of particular human rights cases in non-member countries.

Commission officials regularly participate in meetings of the Parliament on human rights issues, including the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and Common Security and Defence Policy, and a liaison link has been created with the Parliament election unit. A number of MEPs have headed missions in Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Ecuador and Kenya.

The Commission has regularly contributed to geographical Council Working Groups to promote the coherence of human rights policy, including the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM) and the Working Groups for Asia, Latin America, the Mediterranean Region and Africa. A survey of Member State activities in the field of human rights and democracy training for civil servants was carried out in 2002. On the basis of this information and its own research, the Commission has designed programmes of basic, advanced and specialised training which will be launched in 2003. Member States were also consulted in the possibility of renewing the ‘Human Rights Regulations’ which provide the legal basis for financing operations under EIDHR.

5.1.1. Improved programming

As required by the 2001 Commission Communication on human rights and democratisation in third countries, the 2002-2004 EIDHR Programming Document was updated in 2002, following 22 EIDHR programming identification missions. The numerous missions provided an important opportunity to seek to complement activities identified in the CSPs and mainstream the protection of human rights in National Indicative Programmes.

The Human Rights and Democracy Committee, the European Parliament, Commission Delegations and Geographical desk officers, and human rights NGOs were all consulted on the EIDHR Programming update.82

5.1.2. Enhanced dialogue with partners on human rights and democracy issues

A human rights dialogue was ongoing with China and started with Iran in 2002. Human rights NGOs were consulted in regular meetings of the NGO network in Brussels and through the EU Human Rights Discussion Forum under the Danish Presidency in December 2002. Regional meetings were held in Jordan and Morocco to communicate the human rights and democracy work to civil society organisations in non-member countries. The dialogue with partner countries was enhanced by the EIDHR programming identification missions in 2002.

5.1.3 Action in international forums

The Commission participated in and contributed to EU positions in the UN Commission on Human Rights in March-April and on the UN General Assembly Third Committee in October-November 2002. In both forums the Commission drafted and delivered statements on behalf of the European Union. The Commission also contributed to EU positions concerning human rights and democracy in the OSCE and Council of Europe, and participated in and contributed to the annual OSCE human dimension review.

5.1.4. Promotion of human rights education

Human rights education and training are a major focus of EU human rights policy. The Commission in 2002 provided support to the European Masters in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA), which is coordinated by the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC), an association of EU universities in all 15 Member States with its seat in Venice, Italy. After an intensive six-month training by leading experts at the seat of the EIUC, 90 students from the EU and the candidate countries were allocated to a university in another Member State to continue specialised research. The EIUC also provides internships in international organisations, including the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and EU Delegations around the world, ensuring that the human rights skills of EMA graduates can be put to immediate use. Commission and EU experts participated in the teaching programme of the EMA.

The Commission also participated in regular training programmes for EU election observers and core staff, organised by the ‘Needs’ project.

5.1.5. Training for ethical reviews

More and more clinical trials are conducted by pharmaceutical industries in developing countries and as part of publicly funded research projects such those of the EDCTP to fight poverty-related diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. It is important that the clinical trials undertaken in this context comply with normal European ethical standards. Therefore Action 33 of the Science and Society action plan provides for the development of an international dialogue on ethical principles through a series of conferences and workshops. An important aim is to build capacity for ethical reviews of clinical studies in developing countries. A number of workshops have already been held, mainly in collaboration with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).