Amnesty International letter and Memorandum to EU Officials on the eve of the Euro-Mediterranean Meeting in Valencia 22-23 April 2002.

The Director of Amnesty International’s EU Office has warned an EU Conference in Brussels today on association negotiations with the Mercosur countries and Chile, that human rights are still being left off the agenda.

Amnesty International statement

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EU OFFICE

As the European Commission and the President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika prepare to initial an EU-Algeria Association Agreement in Brussels tomorrow (Wednesday 19 December), Amnesty International says the fact this event is going ahead shows the EU’s human rights clause is now clearly not worth the paper it is written on.

As Justice and Home Affairs Ministers begin their last Council meeting tomorrow before the Laeken EU summit, Amnesty International has issued a final plea to ensure that security is not achieved at the expense of the human rights the EU seeks to safeguard.

Letter to Mr Louis Michel, President of the Council of the European Union and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

On the eve of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, in Brussels for talks with EU policy-makers, issued a strong appeal for the European Union to take a global lead in efforts to protect human rights in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks.

Security and refugee protection: the human rights agenda for the Laeken Summit and Appeal by Amnesty International

Click here to link to the Amnesty International report: “Appeal to the European Union and Commonwealth” (AI Index AFR 46/010/2001).

Amnesty International is issuing an urgent appeal to European Union leaders to exert their influence through the Cotonou Agreement, following the arrest yesterday of the head of Amnesty International in Gambia, Mr Lamine Sillah, and 13 others including a leading member of Gambia’s opposition Dr Moudou Manneh.

The continued deterioriation of the human rights situation in Tunisia – Joint letter by human rights organizations to Louis Michel, President-in-office of the Council and Belgian Foreign Minister.