EU-LAT Network urges Eurolat to promote a way out of the crisis that puts human rights at its centre

The EU-LAT Network participated in the Eurolat meeting with civil society, within the framework of the conferences of the permanent parliamentary committees. On behalf of the Network, Rosa Llobregat, Policy Officer, presented the main concerns faced by European civil society: the exacerbation of economic, gender and racial inequalities; and fair and equitable access to vaccines against COVID-19 in Latin America.

The EU-LAT Network recalled the importance of the current European legislative process for a law on due diligence on human rights and the environment and called on the inter parliamentary assembly to open spaces for dialogue with Latin American actors to exchange experiences and ‘good practices’, as well as issuing a statement sending a clear message to the European Union so that the new law is strong and ambitious enough to prevent human rights violations and to provide redress to victims.

The presentation highlighted the work of defenders in a region with the highest rates of violence against them and asked the European Union to urge the ratification of the Escazú Agreement and support its implementation. On the other hand, the importance of denouncing corruption and impunity, especially the capture of the State by political and economic elites, was also highlighted.