The latest Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), held in Brussels on Monday, 22 March 2021, focused on human rights and the EU’s relations with Turkey. Regarding the package of sanctions agreed against those responsible for abusing the human rights of Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang Province, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg stressed that:
There is no lockdown when it comes to our commitment to human rights. This sanctions regime for human rights violations finally gives us a tool that is consistent with our values, and that we can use to act more quickly and flexibly than before.
Penalties were also imposed on individuals responsible for the recent military coup in Myanmar and for the brutal suppression of the subsequent protests. Austria supported these sanctions. Along with the EU as a whole, Austria unequivocally condemns the coup, and has already made a number of demands against those responsible.
The EU’s relations with Turkey were also on the foreign ministers’ agenda. Foreign Minister Schallenberg noted that although efforts were being made to construct a positive agenda at a European level, Turkey had repeatedly taken actions that gave cause for concern. Schallenberg also sharply criticised Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, commenting that:
This shameful decision is a slap in the face for all those who are committed to upholding women’s rights, and significantly turns the clock back for women’s rights in Turkey. We all have a responsibility to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls.
Other topics discussed by the foreign ministers of the EU member states included the Southern Neighbourhood, the Western Balkans, and efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAC also featured a virtual meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet which included an exploratory discussion on how the EU could strengthen its support for the UN Human Rights Council.
