The European Union’s hopes of supporting human rights and
democracy around the world are at risk of being defeated by
changes in the global balance of power. The EU is committed
to putting democracy, human rights and the rule of law at the
centre of its foreign policy. But as the West loses its political
and economic dominance in global affairs, it must increasingly
compete for influence with rising powers that have shown no
interest in promoting human rights or democracy outside their
borders – and some of them not even within their own borders.
The spectacular success of authoritarian capitalism in China
and the current economic crisis in the West have undermined
the appeal of liberal democratic political systems. Some newly
democratic countries have failed to meet the hopes of their
citizens, while authoritarian regimes have become more
effective at blunting pressures for political reform. Across the
world, there is increasing opposition to the idea that the West
should tell countries how to run their own affairs.
Links to the full briefs:
The EU and Human Rights at the UN: 2010 Review
Towards an EU Human Rights Strategy for a Post-Western World
