UN Human Rights Office calls on the EU to adopt more effective #HumanRights financial frameworks for the budget post-2020

The UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR) launched a position paper on Wednesday (28 February) to propose measures that could help align the EU funding with its commitment to human rights in the EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework post-2020 (MFF post-2020), writes Letitia Lin.

"The EU and its members have expressed strong commitment to human rights. However, we noted that in the current financial term, there is no link between the strong commitment on the one hand, and the EU funding streams on the other," said OHCHR Regional Representative Brigit Van Hout.

The position paper also points out a lack of monitoring mechanism in the Union for human rights compliance of the related EU funding. " While there are strong mechanisms to monitor corruption and malfeasances, there is no equivalent at regional nor at national levels to monitor to what extent the projects and the programs that are funded by the EU respect human rights obligations of the EU member states," said Van Hout.

The paper is expected to contribute to the strengthening of the human rights funding frameworks in the EU's next MFF (2020-2027), which is now under discussion. The publication of the proposal for the new long-term budget by the European Commission was delayed to May 2018 due to Brexit.

Eleven recommendations were listed in the position paper, including an explicit recognition of human rights imperatives in the new MFF, prohibition of funding for practices that violate human rights, and more direct EU funding without intervention of member states.

Van Hout emphasized that the purpose of the paper is not to pitch for money, but to suggest more effective solutions for human rights issues, in order to have "a more economical, cheaper outcome for the taxpayers".

"We try to offer a vision on how the current financial framework can be expanded and enriched, so that when the EU spends money in the EU member states, it is towards parts of having positive human rights outcomes," said Claude Cahn, Human Rights Officer at the OHCHR.

As a result of the financial hole left by Brexit, it is estimated that funds for some sectors will be reduced. However, no signs has shown that the human rights budget would be influenced.

On Monday (26 February), the European Council adopted conclusions on EU priorities at United Nations human rights fora in 2018, the year marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights.

The OHCHR acknowledged the EU's engagement in promoting human rights, but also warned the human right risks in the Union, particularly the high dependency of human rights organizations on the EU funding that in some member states strictly controlled by the government.

"You can see immediately where the problems can rise," said Van Hout. She urged the EU to come up with alternative ways to fund human rights organizations.

Worsening human rights conditions have been observed in some Eastern European countries in recent years. During the opening statement at the UN Human Rights Council that started the latest session this week, Zeid Ra'ad Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, criticized with unusual harsh words the rise of xenophobia and racism led by the government in Hungary and Poland.

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