“Human rights are and must remain non-negotiable,” German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told parliamentarians today at PACE’s plenary session in Strasbourg. “They are not just an instrument to be used when it suits on the road to peace. They are in fact the cornerstone on which a functioning international order needs to be built.”
“There is no paradox between standing up for human rights and the aim of foreign-policy stability or efforts to balance interests between states. On the contrary, they go hand in hand,” he pointed out.
The world currently seems to be “out of joint”, the Minister said, citing wars and conflicts on Europe’s doorstep, the unlawful annexation of Crimea by Russia, forces undermining EU cohesion - most recently in the Brexit referendum – as well as growing social tension in many European states. (more...)