UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

59^th session

Annual thematic panel discussion on technical cooperation and capacity-building

4 July 2025

EU statement

Thank you, Mr. President,

The EU thanks the OHCHR for organising this panel discussion and welcomes the OHCHR for its report. 

Human rights are a foundation for dignity, equality, and justice; strengthening relevant national Human Rights structures is important to ensure these rights are not only recognised but effectively respected, protected and fulfilled. Stronger national human rights institutions and mechanisms for implementation, reporting, and follow-up contribute to ensuring that human rights are adequately safeguarded.

The European Union places significant emphasis on supporting institutional capacity and independence of NHRIs, ensuring they comply with the Paris Principles. We engage in various forms of technical cooperation and capacity-building to strengthen these structures including through our external action.  We encourage and facilitate exchanges with and among partner human rights institutions, promoting peer learning, sharing of best practices and experiences, as well as building strong networks.

The EU collaborates with international and regional human rights bodies - most notably, UN human rights treaty bodies and Special Procedures, and the Council of Europe, - to align efforts and empower national structures to function more effectively, ensure accountability, and uphold human rights standards.

We would like to ask the panellists how can the role of civil society be strengthened to reinforce national human rights structures.

Thank you.