By entering the year of 2015, we also entered the year in which the UN’s MDGs are supposed to be completed. The MDGs were set in the year of 2000, during a meeting where the world leaders participated. The aim of the goals was to direct attention to people in need in different parts of the world, and to point out that there is a collective responsibility to make sure that the world see a positive development in the future. World leaders were united when eight measurable goas were set, goals which were supposed to have been completed by the end of this year. Whether they will be or not, still remains to be seen, but the European Union have already started to look further ahead. Post-2015.
Just before the beginning of the new year, on 16th December 2014, the European Council presented their plan for the coming political visions of the European Union. The European Council consists of the leaders of countries that are members of the EU, and they are responsible of presenting wide political priorities as well as important initiatives. Here was presented that the EU actively will keep working towards the MDGs that haven’t yet been completed, but they will also do even more.
The fact that the document in which the Councils conclusions regarding future work of the EU is presented (Council conclusions on a transformative post-2015 agenda) contains priorities on human rights and equality is very pleasing. Following extract is from the above mentioned document: “We will make sure that no person – regardless of where they live, and regardless of their ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion or other status will be denied their universal human rights and basic economic opportunities. We stress the crucial importance of high quality education, health insurance, and social safety for everyone. These are things that are central for achieving sustainable development.”
We welcome these visions and truly hope that the EUs operation on human rights – and the fact that they should be applying to everyone, always – will be more active in the coming year, and also in the far future. It is important to stress that trafficking is a significant part of this operation. Trafficking is an ongoing human slavery in today’s Europe, and this is one of the most severe violations of human rights in present time.
Read the whole document from the European Council here!