UN Human Rights Council 

60^th  Session – Item 10

L.34 – General comment

Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia

EU General Comment

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU Member States that are members of the Human Rights Council. This general comment has been agreed by the EU as a whole.

We thank Japan for presenting the resolution L.34 on Advisory services and technical assistance for Cambodia. The EU strongly supports the key ask of the resolution – namely the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.

The EU would also like to thank Japan for its constructive and persistent work in drafting the resolution. We truly appreciate Japan’s extensive consultations and transparency throughout the negotiations. 

The EU remains deeply concerned by the human rights violations that continue unabated in Cambodia. The severe restrictions of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and the continuing practice of intimidation, judicial persecution and arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, members of the political opposition, media workers and trade unionist is very alarming. The ongoing land grabbing and forced evictions threaten rights and displace vulnerable communities. It is for this reason that the EU would have preferred the draft resolution to reflect more accurately the human rights violations on the ground. While the draft text recognises some areas of progress in the country, it also raises concerns over the deterioration of the current civil and political environment, the human rights violations and the restrictions imposed on civil society. We thank the penholder for taking onboard several of our proposals, and we understand the efforts towards striking a balance that can be supported by all Member States. We call on the government of Cambodia to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination.

The EU appreciates Cambodia’s cooperation with the Human Rights mechanisms. We encourage the government of Cambodia to continue engaging constructively with the Special Rapporteur and the Field Office of the OHCHR in Phnom Penh.

The EU believes that it is important to maintain the Council’s attention on the human rights situation in Cambodia and to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. The continued scrutiny by this Council of the situation in Cambodia must be ensured. 

For the above-mentioned reasons, the EU is pleased to join consensus. 

Thank you.