America News Agency

On a day when the world marks 10 December as International Human Rights Day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that the European Union is also not exempt from the erosion of fundamental human rights.

To support his remarks, the Austrian official referred to the latest European rule of law report, which noted that “civic space has shrunk in around half of EU Member States.”

“Civic space is what allows us to thrive,” Türk said, “because we need an open and free civic space. We must be able to express our ideas. If we feel we should be able to protest, then we must be able to protest; we must be able to come together. And I have seen many trends, and even political debates, that seek to restrict civic space on issues such as the environment, climate and migration.”

“Europe is also a leading example in regulating labour and human rights,” he continued. “But today we once again see a debate about this comprehensive process, and there may be calls to weaken it. In fact, many companies are telling us: make sure that we maintain standards of due diligence on human rights in the workplace.”

On migration, which he said also worries him, Türk added: “When I look at today’s global debate on migration, especially at the political level, I must say that migrants and refugees are frequently dehumanized. And again, we must never start to dehumanize any group, because in the end we begin to look at other parts of society in the same way – and that is a very dangerous situation.”

For this reason, the High Commissioner wants to see a fact-based debate, in order to find lasting solutions and move away from an increasingly polarized discussion.

The theme of International Human Rights Day 2025 is “Our Daily Essential Needs”. Türk explains that this idea stems from the observation that human rights can sometimes seem abstract. However, “they are directly linked to our daily lives – to food, water, hygiene, affordable living, the right to housing; all of these are human rights. So too are the right to healthcare and to education.” The High Commissioner hopes to remind everyone of the concrete reality of human rights.

“This is why it is important to return to the foundations of human rights and to make use of them, while also standing up for the rights of others, in Europe and elsewhere,” he said.