15/09/2016 – On paper, all 193 UN Member States have reached consensus on cooperation going forward from the unprecedented 19 September UN General Assembly Summit for Refugees and Migrants. However, civil society laments uneven commitments and lack of urgency to deliver a new deal

27/07/2016 – Amnesty International is writing to follow up on the recent presentation of the European Union (EU) Global Strategy (EUGS) “Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe. A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy,” June 2016 to the European Council.

19/07/2016 – Joint Statement by Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists, Open Society European Policy Institute and Open Society Justice Initiative

The continued failure of the EU to seriously address the silencing of dissent by members of the GCC suggests an alarming willingness to sacrifice human rights in favour of military and trade alliances.

Displaced children carrying water. This IDP camp in Khamir is hosting people who fled their homes after start of the Saudi-led coalition’s aerial bombardments in 2015. © Amnesty International

06/07/2016 – Ahead of the 18th EU-China Summit in Beijing on 12 and 13 July 2016, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), Human Rights in China (HRIC) and Amnesty International (AI) urge President Tusk to ensure that human rights remain at the centre of EU-China relations.

05/07/2016 – At this week’s meeting of leaders of the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA), Amnesty International calls on both sides to put human rights at the center of their dialogue and action at this crucial moment. Against the backdrop of ongoing and emerging global political and security challenges, this meeting represents a key opportunity for the USA and the EU to explicitly affirm their joint commitment to human rights and to address urgent issues in relation to their human rights policies, practices and cooperation.

01/07/2016 – Amnesty International welcomes the Council Conclusions on Business and Human Rights adopted by the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 20 June 2016. In particular, the organisation welcomes the emphasis placed on the need to ensure corporate respect for human rights and human rights due diligence, access to remedy, business transparency and support to human rights defenders. To be meaningful, the Council’s calls and recommendations must now be translated into immediate and concrete action that seeks to address gaps in corporate accountability for human rights abuses and access to remedy.

27/06/2016 – On 7 June 2016, the European Commission published a Communication, calling for the establishment of migration “compacts” between the EU and a range of countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The document is a striking example of precisely what has precipitated the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Refugees and migrants massed onto an inflatable boat reach Mytilene, northern island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on February 17, 2016. © ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

24/06/2016 – At the upcoming European Council, European Union (EU) leaders will discuss the European Commission’s Communication on a new Partnership Framework with third countries. The Communication proposes an approach which aims to leverage existing EU and Member States’ external cooperation instruments and tools in order to stem migration to Europe. The undersigned organisations express their grave concern about the direction the EU is taking by making deterrence and return the main objective of the Union’s relationship with third countries.

20/06/2016 – Twenty-nine European and Mexican civil society organisations have issued a joint statement to the 4th EU-Mexico Civil Society (CSO) Seminar taking place on Monday 20 June, prior to the 6th high level Human Rights Dialogue between the European Union and Mexico.