EU firmly committed to respecting human rights

On the occasion of December 10th, Human Rights Day, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini said that this day reminds us of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly 66 years ago, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

- The theme of this year's International Human Rights Day, under the slogan “Human Rights 365 days a year“, reflects the aspiration that each of us, anywhere and at any time, enjoys all human rights. The EU is committed to respecting these rights. Two years ago, we adopted the Strategic Framework for Human Rights and Democracy, along with the accompanying Action Plan, and appointed a Special Representative of the EU for Human Rights. Since then, with the support of EU member states, we have advocated for human rights in more than 40 human rights dialogues with third countries, and we act jointly with regional and multilateral organizations, including the UN - Mogherini said.

The EU Special Representative Stavros Lambrinidis maintains close and proactive cooperation with key partners and supports the role of civil society organizations around the world. EU delegations monitor, report on, and act on human rights issues, sometimes in very difficult circumstances.

- We have achieved a lot, but there is still much work to be done. One of these areas is torture. The UN adopted the Convention against Torture 30 years ago, but torture is still present worldwide. This requires our urgent attention. The revised Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy for 2015 will be an opportunity to renew our commitment and address new challenges in the universality and indivisibility of human rights.