EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019

The European Union is founded on a strong engagement to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law worldwide. Sustainable peace, development and prosperity cannot exist without respect for human rights. This commitment underpins all internal and external policies of the European Union. The European Union actively promotes and defends universal human rights within its borders and when engaging in relations with non-EU countries. Over the years, the EU has adopted important reference documents on the promotion and protection of human rights and developed a range of diplomatic and cooperation tools to support the worldwide advancement of human rights.