EU urges Human Rights Council to defend Vienna Declaration principles
At the UN Human Rights Council's 63rd session, the EU warned that human rights norms are being questioned and called for accountability and civic space protections.
The story in focus
The EU told the UN Human Rights Council's 63rd session that the Vienna Declaration remains a cornerstone of human rights, warning that fundamental freedoms are being restricted and that the Council must address violations, uphold accountability and protect civil society.
- EU ambassador Michele Cervone d'Urso delivered the statement under Item 8 on 30 September 2026.
- Ten states, including the United Kingdom and Ukraine, aligned themselves with the statement.
- The EU said human rights norms and institutions are increasingly questioned, weakened or selectively applied.
What the EU said
Speaking on behalf of the European Union at the Human Rights Council's 63rd session, Ambassador Michele Cervone d'Urso said the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action remains a cornerstone of the international human rights framework. He said its affirmation that rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated is a commitment that must guide states when rights come under pressure.
Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine aligned themselves with the statement, which was delivered in Geneva on 30 September 2026 under Item 8.
Concerns raised
The EU cited restricted fundamental freedoms, shrinking civic space and threats against human rights defenders, journalists and civil society actors. It said discrimination and inequalities persist and that accountability for serious violations remains elusive, while established norms and institutions are increasingly questioned, weakened or selectively applied.
The statement also pointed to technological change including artificial intelligence, climate change, conflict and growing inequalities as transformations requiring rights-based responses. It argued that universality must not become negotiable or human rights subordinated to political expediency, security considerations or assertions of cultural particularity.
Council role and next steps
The EU said the Human Rights Council must be able to address violations wherever they occur, uphold accountability, protect those who engage with it and preserve space for civil society. It described the promise of Vienna as unfinished and called for its principles to be realized in practice rather than merely restated. No new commitments or follow-up measures were announced in the statement.
What did the EU call on the Human Rights Council to do?
The EU said the Council must be able to address violations wherever they occur, uphold accountability, protect those who engage with it and preserve meaningful space for civil society.
Sources & further reading
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