Eight NGOs call on the EU to address misleading conduct in EU-Cuba Human Rights Dialogue

CSW has joined seven other NGOs in sending a letter today to the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, about misleading conduct in the EU-Cuba Human Rights Dialogue.

The NGOs express deep concern regarding the exclusion of independent Cuban civil society from the process and highlight misrepresentations in EU communications about the bloc’s most recent Human Rights Dialogue with Cuba about the extent of civil society engagement.

The EU-Cuba Human Rights Dialogue was created as a result of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) the EU signed with Cuba in December 2016. One of the main components of the PDCA is the establishment of a “dialogue and cooperation involving stakeholders, including, as appropriate, regional and local governments, civil society and the private sector…”. In spite of this, since then independent civil society has been consistently excluded from dialogue and cooperation.

On 25 February, during the most recent EU-Cuba Human Rights Civil Society Seminar, an ancillary aspect of the Human Rights Dialogue, assurances were made that Cuban civil society would be included. It quickly became clear, however, that only Cuban government-approved organisations attended and no members of independent civil society on the island were allowed to participate.

In the letter the NGOs state: “It is disappointing and worrying to see a discrepancy between the EU’s standards, the political obfuscation they incur, and the EEAS reluctance to acknowledge this. Such an approach only allows violations of human rights in Cuba to continue unabated and, most unfortunately, it strengthens the repression the Cuban government exercises on individuals and organisations which are part of ‘independent civil society’.”

The NGOs call on the High Representative for Foreign and Security Affairs and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to take steps to either reform the structure of the Human Rights Dialogue, or to ensure the inclusion of independent civil society in Cuba.

CSW’s European Liaison Officer Alessandro Pecorari said: “CSW is disappointed by the failure of the EU to insist on genuine civil society engagement with the EU-Cuba Human Rights Dialogue and Civil Society Seminar. This is not in the spirit of the PDCA or the EU’s commitments to work with global civil society in the promotion of human rights and democracy. Without robust and independent civil society engagement this aspect of EU-Cuba relations will amount to little more than a box-ticking exercise and more importantly, a betrayal of the brave individuals who risk their freedom daily defending human rights including freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief in Cuba.”

Notes to editors:

1.Click here to read the letter.

2.Click here to download a copy of the letter in Spanish.