Rights on the Backburner: EU President Von der Leyen's New Commissioner Mandates Raise Concerns

Advocate Mehul Bansal, Jadetimes News

Adv. M. Bansal is an Advocate and a Jadetimes News Reporter covering legal news

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Image Source : European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Newly appointed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been under such fire since launching the new commissioner mandates, a move that many view as sidelining the basics of human rights. Advocates believe that this vices risk undermining the EU's foundational principles about democracy and justice.

During the recent past, many gross violations of human rights have taken place in the EU. Some of these rights are as follows.

1. Right to Non-Discrimination: People suffer from racial and ethnic discrimination and profiling based on gender and sexual orientation. However, most cases are recorded against the most vulnerable groups.

2. Rights of Asylum Seekers: The strict immigration policies of very many countries have led to very major disregard of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. There are reports about push-backs along borders, as well as the conditions in detention centers.

3. Freedom of Expression: Rising fears among journalists and activists over censorship-related issues. Misinformation laws sometimes may be worded to actually choke free speech and critical discourse.

4. Right to Privacy: Surveillance practices and gathering of information have created an issue concerning violations to the right to privacy-mostly since security issues have become more of a global matter.

5. Women's Rights: Violence against women and unfair treatment of women in the work environment prevail, and calls for better protections and proper legislation are continuous demands.

6. Sexual Minority Group Rights: Violent acts and discrimination against them have increased, but a few nations have strengthened policies targeting the harassment of such groups.

7. Minority Rights: A systemic discrimination issue and under-representation of ethnic and cultural minorities in the body politic and civil society exist.

8. Social Rights: Economic inequalities have also been addressed, as well as health and social service provision, especially after the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic affecting some of the most vulnerable groups in society.

Critics argue that the new agenda does not reflect strong commitment to human rights, which is an undesirable signal the EU sends on how committed it is towards its fundamental values. Human rights activists have expressed discontent over the manner in which these concerns should have been a matter of paramount importance in the new mandates.

The EU can make several proactive steps addressing these violations:

- Strengthening Legislation: Strengthen and apply what is already in existence, for instance, the Charter of Fundamental Rights to bestow full protection against discrimination and enhance equality.

- Human Rights in Mandates: Include specific human rights objectives in the mandates of the new commissioners, hence, including them in being accountable to make progress regarding gender equity and treatment of asylum seekers.

- Asylum Policies: Developing asylum processes that are fair and humane, and which respect the rights of refugees, including offering them adequate support and access to proper legal services.

- Strengthening the Overseeing Body Mechanisms: The establishment of an independent body for overseeing and reporting human rights abuses in member states, including the procedure followed in making the violation public.

- Freedom of Expression: Making sure that journalists and activists are not harassed, as well as protected from censorship.

-Education and awareness: run campaigns on human rights problems and encourage an active public towards a better-informed citizenry.

-Civil society engagement: partnerships with NGOs and grassroots will give insight into the human rights problem: taking the voice of the marginalized.

-Social policy implementation: designing comprehensive social policies as a method of reducing inequality, ensuring universal access to health care, improving conditions for the vulnerable.

-Strengthening Judicial Recourse: Prudent measures to ensure that victims of violations of human rights receive effective judicial remedies.

-Fostering International Cooperation: Working with international bodies to bring efforts into alignment on global challenges in human rights as enhanced by EU leadership in such advocacy.

With new commissioners already elected but yet to take office, the test for rights-based governance is sounding out and, by extension, all demands for the EU's strict observance of its legal framework are literally reaching a turning point, with all matters of human rights in the EU now being put to the test of this administration.

Russia announced its support for Pakistan's bid to join BRICS

Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff

C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.

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Amidst the transitioning geopolitical landscape, BRICS is the most rapidly growing intergovernmental organization. The organization was established in 2009, mainly by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is now joined by many developing countries.

Image Source : (sputnik/Getty)

On 1st January 2024 the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Iran formally joined the group. Pakistan, a significant South Asian nation, announced in November 2023 that it had requested to join BRICS. Recently, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk pledged that Russia would support Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS.

Shifting Alliances: Pakistan’s Search for New Partners

Pakistan has long been grappling with stagnant economic growth and international support. It has been a significant Cold War ally of the United States. The two countries have also been strong allies in the US-led War on Terror in Afghanistan. Pakistan was considered one of the most significant non-NATO allies of the US during this era. However, the relationship between Pakistan and the United States has always been transactional. Once the storm ends, their relationship returns to square one. The United States has been using Pakistan merely to achieve its strategic ambitions in South Asia. The former has also been intimidating Pakistan through sanctions.

Recently, the United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese suppliers to the latter’s ballistic missile program. The United States has also been one of the obstacles in Pakistan’s efforts to gain financial aid from international monetary institutions. The United States has also been allegedly involved in the grey listing of the country in FATF. Such moves have always increased anti-US sentiment amongst Pakistani citizens and government, resulting in Pakistan’s quest to search for new and reliable allies. Russia and China, the two rising superpowers of the world, are seen in Pakistan as the most reasonable and trustable allies.

Pakistan and China share deep historic ties. Relations between the two countries are celebrated across the border. However, Pakistan and Russia hold bitter historical memories. Russia has played a significant role in establishing Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan’s first Nuclear Power plant. Nonetheless, both countries were in opposite blocs during the Cold War. Relations between Pakistan and Russia have seen significant improvement with the turn of the 21st century. Both countries have exchanged official visits during the 2000s. A major break through came between the two countries in 2021 when the Russian Foreign Minister visited Pakistan after 9 years. Next year, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Russia. This development was seen as the most significant move, as this visit took place soon after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Imran Khan’s government was also derailed soon after this visit. Pakistan Tehreek E Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan’s political party, maintains that this visit was the main reason behind his ouster from Prime Minister office. They even accuse the United States of conspiring against Imran Khan to set a precedent amongst third-world countries. However, the Pakistani state and establishment seek to establish strong bilateral relations with the regional countries and the rising powers of the world without being part of bloc politics. Russia and China provide the most suitable option to all the developing world as reliable allies. Moreover, they pursue a policy of non-coercion in domestic issues of their allies.

Both these countries play a leading role in the BRICS. Pakistan, a country grappling with stagnant economic growth and diplomatic isolation, officially announced the bid for BRICS membership in November last year. Pakistan has long been struggling in all the international forums. India, being the historic rival of Pakistan, could oppose its application for the BRICS organization. However, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk’s affirmation to Pakistan that his country will support its bid to join BRICS has raised hopes among Pakistani officials.

BRICS: A New Avenue for Pakistan’s Growth

Pakistan’s BRICS membership will help the country break the shackles of the Western, especially the United States, influence. BRICS, being a true liberal organization, offers the member countries to pursue an independent foreign policy. Moreover, unlike Western institutions, it provides them with an equal opportunity for growth and development. It also provides them an opportunity to establish stronger economic ties with each other. The BRICS also established the New Development Bank (NDB), a multilateral financial institution parallel to the World Bank, in 2014. This institution aims to fill the $1 trillion infrastructure investment gap in the member developing nations. This financial institution can also help Pakistan to strengthen its economy and decrease its dependence on Western financial institutions, leading to a further decline in the US influence in South Asia.

Russia’s support of Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS will encourage other developing countries to apply for the organization’s membership. Moreover, it will also result in expanding Russian influence in South Asia and beyond. This will also increase Russia’s soft power. Russia will gain diplomatic leverage over the United States in Pakistan and South Asia through this move. Moreover, the expanding BRICS membership will further hasten the declining Western-dominated New World Order. Recently, Türkiye has also applied for the BRICS membership. 40 other countries have also shown their interest in joining the organization. This demonstrates that BRICS is soon expected to become the largest and fastest-growing organization and a significant challenge to all the multilateral Western institutions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the US and attends the UN 'Summit of the Future.'

Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff

C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.

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The head of the Indian government and the leader of one of the largest world powers, N. Modi, has yet again prevailed in the foreign policy field, this time holding the latest successful talks with US President Joe Biden and taking part in the meeting of the Indo-Pacific ‘quartet’ on security issues, as well as the UN ‘Summit of the Future’.

File picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with U.S. President Joe Biden. Image Source : PTI

The leaders of the United States and India exchanged views on global and regional issues

Narendra Modi began his three-day trip overseas (September 21-23) with a meeting with US President Joe Biden in the US state of Delaware, during which the parties, noting the high strategic level of bilateral cooperation, outlined new steps in this direction. It was, first and foremost, about building up political, military-technical, scientific-technological and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. For the first time, the US military has entered into cooperation with India in the field of high technologies and next-generation telecommunications and agreed to implement a joint project to produce semiconductors in India for national security needs.

Attention was also paid to the further development of cultural cooperation. In this regard, India highly appreciated the US gesture to return to India about 300 objects of antiquity and art that were stolen or illegally exported from the country. By the way, it should be noted that since 2016, the US has already returned about 600 cultural artefacts to India and, in general, issues of cultural property restitution have become an important aspect of bilateral relations and are highly appreciated in Indian scientific and public circles.

"The success of mankind is not on the fields of war, but depends on collective efforts and power, reform of global institutions, first and foremost the UN Security Council : Narendra Modi

When discussing issues of foreign policy, the Middle East and Ukraine, of course, were mentioned. N. Modi shared the results of his recent trip to Kiev and persistently called for the cessation of hostilities there and the beginning of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. It should be noted that, unlike the US president, the Indian Prime Minister refrained from criticising Russia and emphasised the need for a political solution to the Ukrainian problem.

QUAD meeting and India’s special position

Special attention was paid to strengthening cooperation within the framework of the expanding dialogue between the leaders of the four states (USA, India, Japan and Australia) on security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. The 6th summit of this dialogue platform was held there in Delaware on September 21 and, in the statement adopted at the end of the meeting, the participants of the meeting joined in support of achieving a sustainable and just peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, the goals and principles of the UN, including, above all, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this state. At the same time, it is significant that the statement does not mention Russia and, apparently, it was not without the participation of the Indian leader. At the same time, the leaders of the quartet noted the negative consequences of the situation in Ukraine for global food and energy security, as well as stressing the unacceptability of the threat of the use of nuclear weapons.

At the same time, the summit participants condemned the development of the DPRK’s nuclear missile programme and spoke out against the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies in the region, expressing concern about the expansion of North Korea’s military and technical cooperation with other countries (although not mentioned, Russia and China are meant). When working in this format, India has to take into account the anti-Chinese and anti-Russian sentiments of the rest of its participants and when discussing problems related to Russia and China, New Delhi continues to take a balanced and cautious position, declaring its intention to further develop strategic partnership relations with Moscow and make efforts to align ties with Beijing, including the settlement of border problems between the countries. It should also be noted that other participants in the quadrilateral dialogue ­– no matter how much they would like to – still fail to drive wedges into India’s relations with Russia and China. At the same time, it is obvious that cooperation within the framework of the quartet is increasingly expanding, covering new areas of interaction, and the anti-Chinese and anti-Russian aspects are invisibly present in the activities of its three participants in this format. Indian diplomacy has a difficult time on this dialogue platform, but it still manages to adhere to its own national interests, to balance, and attempts by others to turn India off this path have not been crowned with success so far. In this regard, a serious test for India will be the next quartet summit in Delhi in 2025, to which N. Modi has agreed.

Underlining the search for ways to reach peace

On the side-lines of the summit, Modi held a number of bilateral meetings, including with the head of Palestine, M. Abbas, Prime Minister N. Pashinyan and the presidents of other states, among which the third meeting with the leader of Ukraine, V. Zelensky, is particularly noted. The head of the Indian government has repeatedly stressed the need to end the war in Ukraine and find ways to achieve peace.

The Indian Prime Minister ended his stay overseas with a speech addressed to the large diaspora living in the US and an address to the participants of the ‘Summit of the Future’ in New York on the eve of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. In his speech, the Indian Prime Minister stressed that the success of mankind is not on the fields of war, but depends on collective efforts and power, reform of global institutions, primarily the UN Security Council.

Such was the very rich programme of Narendra Modi’s stay in the US, which confirmed India’s high authority on the world stage and the active role of the head of its government, who enjoys well-deserved influence and weight among world leaders.