11/09/2012 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 11.09.2012 - “The right balance has to be struck between national interests and respect for human rights in Council of Europe member States’ foreign policies”, PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy said today during its meeting in Helsinki. When foreign policy “neglects human rights for too long” and focuses solely on strategic economic and geo-political interests – it added - “human rights crises may erupt and “humanitarian interventions” become urgent and moral necessities”.
Adopting a draft resolution based on a report by Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC) on “Human Rights and Foreign Policies”, the Committee said that Foreign Affairs ministries of the Organisation’s member States can play “a key role” in improving the effectiveness of international efforts to promote and protect human rights worldwide, by launching specific initiatives aimed at developing universal human rights standards and ensuring a joint approach in the Council of Europe area.
The Committee addressed to European Governments and national parliaments, as well as the European Union, a list of measures to be taken in order to promote, develop and consolidate the highest standards in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law inside and outside the Council of Europe area.
The adopted text will be debated during PACE’s next plenary session (Strasbourg, 1-5 October 2012).