Philippines-EU: Joint Press Release on the 3rd Sub-Committee Meeting on Good Governance, Rule of Law, and Human Rights
BRUSSELS 04 November 2023 – The Philippines and the EU met for the Third Sub-Committee Meeting on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the Philippines - European Union Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in Brussels on 26 October.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the protection, respect, fulfillment and promotion of human rights, in line with the PCA and recognized the value of continuing dialogue and further action in this respect. Moreover, they agreed on the primacy of human rights underpinning their relationship and reiterated their opposition to the death penalty.
The Philippines underscored that it is undertaking major reforms of its criminal justice system including with support from ongoing programmes such as the EU’s GOJUST II. Such reforms will, inter alia, address any possible misuse of laws and reduce prison congestion.
The Philippines and the EU exchanged views on evidence and human rights-based approaches to combating illegal drugs use, with a focus on rehabilitation, and the Philippines presented actions undertaken to align policies and practices, including of law enforcement agencies. In this context, the EU took note of the Philippines’ commitments and measures to address alleged extra-judicial killings, provide remedies for victims, fight impunity and hold perpetrators accountable and improve access to justice for victims of human rights abuses, including alleged labor rights violations.
The Philippines underscored its opposition to and condemnation of “red tagging” and extra judicial killings, presented actions guided by jurisprudence promulgated by its Supreme Court, as well as the rules proposed by the Supreme Court aimed at fully ensuring human rights protection when designating individuals as terrorists. Moreover, the Philippines provided a state of play regarding the legislative process concerning the protection in law of human rights defenders and the EU took note of the challenges in passing the bill. The EU noted updates provided by the Philippines on the cases of former Senator Leila de Lima, Maria Ressa, Diego Bello, and Percy Lapid.
The Philippines and the EU acknowledged their common efforts to fight corruption including legislation on lobbying, rules on integrity in public administration and money laundering. The Philippines outlined the benefits of its membership in the Open Government Partnership.
They recognized the importance of continued progress on human and labor rights concerns, including within the framework of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). They committed to strengthen their work to promote and protect in their societies the freedoms of association and assembly, and the work of human rights defenders and trade unionists, including through ongoing programs such as the EU’s GOJUST II. They will continue to exchange best practices and experiences at technical level.
Digital human rights, including online surveillance and harassment of human rights defenders, were discussed. The application of the cyber libel law was also addressed. The Philippines and the EU underlined the importance of a strong independent media environment, both online and offline, including by further strengthening prosecution of crimes against journalists.
The EU expressed its readiness to share best practices concerning the prevention of torture with the Philippines. Moreover, the EU noted that several bills are pending in the Philippine Congress that seek to establish a national preventive mechanism on torture complying with the obligation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.
The Philippines and the EU acknowledged that migration is a global phenomenon that requires close cooperation among countries of origin, transit, and destination in upholding the rights and ensuring the welfare of migrants. The Philippines highlighted its success in combating human trafficking. The Philippines and the EU agreed to share experiences and best practices on the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants.
The rights of women, children and youth, as well as minorities, including LGBTIQ+, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities were discussed at length. The EU acknowledged that there are pending bills in the Philippine Congress on anti-discrimination.
The right to development was raised in relation to discussions within the Human Rights Council. The Philippines and the EU focused on the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, emphasizing the importance of academic freedom. In addition, they agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against climate change, noting its impact on human rights.
The Philippines and the EU emphasized the importance of continued engagement with the UN bodies, including UN special procedures and the Universal Periodic Review, as well as the UN Joint Programme on Human Rights until its completion in 2024. The EU expressed its support for the continuation of progress in the Joint Programme, encouraged the Philippines to implement all 215 supported recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review concluded in 2022 and to extend invitations to special procedure mandate holders.
The Philippines and the EU will continue constructive engagement and strengthen cooperation with civil society organizations on human rights issues. They welcomed the increased engagement of ASEAN, including the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in both the promotion and protection of human rights and agreed to take additional steps to further enhance mutual cooperation in both regions.
The next Subcommittee meeting will take place in Manila in 2024.
The Philippine delegation was headed by Ms. Maria Elena P. Algabre, Assistant Secretary for European Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the EU Delegation by Mr. Mark Gallagher, Acting Head of Division for South-East Asia at the EEAS. They were also joined by representatives from Philippine government agencies, the European Commission, and EU Member States. END
