00:00The European Union is not immune to the erosion of fundamental rights.
00:06The chilling warning came as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk
00:12delivered an address to mark International Human Rights Day observed annually on 10 December.
00:18They say that about half of EU member states have seen a reduction in civic space
00:24and civic space is what makes us thrive because we need an open and free civic space.
00:29We need to be able to express our opinions. We need to be able to protest.
00:34If we think we can protest, we need to be able to associate.
00:38And I have seen a lot of tendencies, even political discussions around it,
00:43that want to restrict civic space on environmental issues, on climate issues, on migration issues, for example.
00:48The UN Human Rights Chief called on the EU to defend its digital regulations,
00:53expressing concern about possible challenges of Digital Market Act and Digital Services Act that lie ahead.
01:00Now there are some tendencies and some discussions to say maybe we should lower the standards.
01:05I hope that's not going in that direction because Europe is really a lead example when it comes precisely to the digital space.
01:12Europe is also a lead example on regulating business and human rights.
01:17But we again see a discussion today about this omnibus process which may want to lower it.
01:23This year the theme of Human Rights Day is Our Everyday Essentials.
01:27The aim is to highlight how this issue shapes our daily lives, sometimes in subtle ways.
01:33Learn about Penguins in Muslim Rights Day is your daily life and91,
Comments