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EU Parl Watch

resolution motion, 25 November 2024

On the shrinking space for civil society in Cambodia, in particular the case of the labour rights organisation CENTRAL

Motion B-10-2024-0190 · (2024/2952(RSP))

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Catarina Vieira, Maria Ohisalo, Ville Niinistö, Benedetta Scuderi, Hannah Neumann, Nicolae Ştefănuță

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

The resolution condemns the shrinking civic space in Cambodia and the reprisals against the labour rights organisation CENTRAL, urging the Cambodian government to drop charges, release detainees, and reform the judiciary. It calls on the EU to assess tariff preferences, adopt targeted sanctions, increase support for civil society, and make future cooperation conditional on human rights progress. It also urges companies to conduct human rights due diligence and the ILO to take a public position.

Key points

  1. Urges the Cambodian government to immediately and unconditionally drop all politically motivated charges against CENTRAL and stop the smear campaign.
  2. Calls for the immediate release of all detained activists and for charges to be dropped, and for an end to harassment and lawfare against dissenting voices.
  3. Calls on Cambodia to repeal legislation limiting political freedoms and to work towards comprehensive judicial reform.
  4. Regrets that partial withdrawal of tariff preferences under the EBA scheme has not improved human rights; asks the Commission to assess changes based on non-cooperation.
  5. Urges the Council to adopt targeted sanctions against officials, including in the judiciary, and their economic interests.
  6. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to increase assistance to civil society and unions and to make future EU trade and investment conditional on human rights compliance.
  7. Asks the EU delegation and member states' embassies to issue condemnations, monitor trials, conduct prison visits, and offer protection, including safe haven and emergency visas.
  8. Calls on EU companies sourcing from Cambodia to conduct human rights due diligence and use their leverage to promote workers' rights; welcomes the 10 September 2024 statement by global brands.
  9. Calls on the ILO to take a public position on the matter.

Who is affected

  • Cambodian government and authorities: must drop charges, release detainees, and reform judiciary.
  • CENTRAL and other civil society organisations in Cambodia: face reprisals and threats.
  • EU institutions (Commission, EEAS, Council) and member states: to take actions on sanctions, aid, and diplomacy.
  • EU companies sourcing from Cambodia: must conduct human rights due diligence.
  • Detained activists: to be released.

Figures and deadlines

  • 15 July 2024: date of the government's national security audit against CENTRAL.
  • 10 September 2024: date of the statement by global brands sourcing from Cambodia.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Text 16 paragraphs

B100190/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the shrinking space for civil society in Cambodia, in particular the case of the labour rights organisation CENTRAL

(2024/2952(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Cambodia,

– having regard to Rules 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas civic space in Cambodia has been continuously shrinking since 2017, with a recent surge in numerous cases of state targeting of union leaders, political opposition figures, activists, and journalists;

whereas the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), one of Cambodia’s leading and last independent labour rights organisations, is facing reprisals for their legitimate work in defence of labour rights; whereas on 15 July 2024 the government initiated a "national security" audit after CENTRAL had published a critical report on the Better Factories Cambodia program, whereas the audit paves the way for the Ministry of Interior to impose sanctions on CENTRAL, threatening the organisation’s operations and autonomy.

whereas the recent escalation of repression against civil society is not limited to labour rights organisations, but also targets environmental defenders, including Equitable Cambodia and Mother Nature Cambodia;

Urges the Cambodian government to immediately and unconditionally drop all politically motivated charges against CENTRAL and stop the smear campaign against the organisation and its leadership;

Calls for the immediate release of all detained activists for politically motivated charges, and for these charges to be dropped; calls on the Cambodian government to end the ongoing harassment and lawfare against dissenting voices, repeal legislation which is limiting political freedoms in violation of Cambodia’s obligations and international standards and work towards a comprehensive reform of the judiciary;

Regrets that the partial withdrawal of tariff preferences under the EBA scheme has not prevented the worsening of the human rights situation; calls on the Commission to assess changes to the tariff preferences based on the non-cooperation of the Cambodian government in remedying and preventing human rights violations;

Urges the Council to adopt targeted sanctions against officials also within the judiciary, including their economic interests, to hold accountable all persons responsible for serious human rights violations and repression of Cambodian civil society;

Calls on Commission and EEAS to focus and increase assistance on support for CSOs and unions working on human and workers’ rights and send clear messages that future EU trade, economic cooperation and investment is conditional on progress on compliance with human rights obligations; asks the EU delegation and Member States’ embassies to issue public condemnations, monitor trials, conduct prison visits, and offer protection to people at risk of persecution, including by providing safe haven at embassies, and facilitating entry for asylum or temporary refuge, including emergency visas;

Calls on companies operating in the EU that source from Cambodia to conduct thorough human rights due diligence in their supply chains, ensuring responsible sourcing practices and using their leverage to promote and defend workers’ rights; welcomes in this context the statement by the global brands sourcing from Cambodia on 10 September 2024; calls on the ILO to take a public position on the matter;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to all relevant parties.