Open letter: The European Union’s treaty obligations on international law must be reflected in its foreign policy

As a member of the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN), the EULAT Network has joined a broad coalition of civil society organisations in issuing an open letter responding to recent remarks by President von der Leyen at the EU Ambassadors Conference.

The letter raises concern that calls for a more “interest‑driven” foreign policy risk weakening the EU’s long‑standing commitment to international law, human rights, and the UN Charter. It also highlights inconsistencies in the EU’s external action, including selective accountability, uneven application of international humanitarian law, and migration‑focused policies that may undermine the rights of refugees and migrants.

HRDN urges the EU to:

• Reaffirm human rights and international law as the foundation of all external action.
• Ensure coherence between rhetoric and practice.
• Strengthen internal accountability to uphold Articles 2, 3(5) and 21 TEU.
• Preserve dedicated human rights and civil society funding in the next MFF.
• Engage meaningfully with civil society and human rights defenders.

Read the letter here.