Global backsliding in human rights and democracy in 2025
MEPs will debate on Tuesday and vote on Wednesday on their 2025 report on human rights and democracy in the world. The text calls for action to remedy their sharp decline.
The draft text adopted in December 2025 in the Foreign Affairs Committee underlines that democracy is in decline globally, notably because of disinformation and cyber-attacks during election periods and the rise in human rights violations. MEPs denounced the unprecedented threats to multilateral human rights institutions and the rules-based multilateral order in 2025.
The text also assesses the tools available to the EU to promote and contribute to the protection of human rights and democracy worldwide and sets out recommendations, from the implementation of existing EU rules on due diligence to a dedicated budget in the future 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework. MEPs also want to see the systematic assessment of the human rights situation in countries that sign agreements with the EU and extensive application of the EU Magnitsky Act - the EU’s sanctions regime.
The EU sanctions regime is also the subject of a specific report to be put to a vote on Wednesday.
Background
Each year, Parliament adopts three reports on the EU’s foreign, security, defence and human rights policies. The human rights report will feed into ongoing preparations for a new post-2027 EU action plan on human rights and democracy.
Procedure: own-initiative report
Debate: Tuesday 20 January
Votes: Wednesday 21 January