Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union begins today, coming at a critical moment for Ireland, Europe and the global multilateral system. Authoritarian leaders are accelerating their assault on the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at a time of escalating global conflict and crisis across the globe, where international human rights law and norms are one of the few safeguards for people exposed to violence and attacks on their lives and rights.
Stephen Bowen, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said:
“Across the world and within our EU borders humanity is under attack, and we need Ireland to step up during its Presidency. The entire international system of human rights, justice and peacebuilding painstakingly built over decades on the ashes of World War II crumbles before our eyes. Today, we call on Ireland during its Presidency to reject the politics of appeasement and narrow self-interest. It must instead ensure that the EU collectively stands up to and resists these attacks if we are to prevent the new global disorder from taking permanent hold.”
“We have written to the Taoiseach setting out our key calls so that human rights, justice and accountability can once again be at the heart of EU foreign and internal policy. Under Ireland’s helm, the EU must put racial and gender justice at the core of its actions, protect civic space and the right to protest, and stop persecuting migrants and asylum seekers. It must bring forward long-term, secure, sustainable housing solutions so that migrants are no longer scapegoated for the escalating EU housing crisis that is also enabling authoritarian forces to gain ground.”
“We highlight that the impunity Israel enjoys for its grave crimes against Palestinians is emblematic of this global disorder and EU breakdown in rule of law. In Ireland, civil society is playing its role, working to resist and disrupt. Ordinary people still take to the streets to protest Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and accelerating ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. The EU and its member states have still utterly failed to act in accordance with proclaimed EU values to end Israel’s blatant violations of international law. Ireland’s Presidency coincides with the second anniversary of the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, presenting a key opportunity for Ireland to lead the way. The time has come for the EU to rededicate itself to its founding values through concrete action not words, starting with immediate suspension of the EU Association Agreement. Ireland must have a clear aim of ending the genocidal Israeli Government’s disgusting special EU privileges by Presidency’s end.”
“As our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee said in January 2026 ‘[w]e are living in a new moment in history … where events move at extraordinary speed, where assumptions we once took for granted are being challenged … [a]nd where choices we make as a country, as a Union – matter more than ever.’1 We in Amnesty agree.”
“We appeal to our Government to ensure that the Presidency does not put Ireland’s or the EU’s narrow interests before its values. As Minister McEntee also said, ‘without values, none of it matters’.”
“We need an emboldened EU and an emboldened UN to navigate our way out of the abyss – including the domination of despots, tech billionaires and arms profiteers leading to global instability. We can already see the devastating consequences for the lives and futures of millions around the world, including here in Ireland. People across the EU now look to Ireland’s Presidency for hope. The EU and its political leaders need to act with courage. These are truly exceptional times and we need Ireland to be exceptional. Rather than give in, our shared sense of despair must spur us into greater action. With hope comes courage. When we reflect back on this pivotal Presidency, we hope Ireland will be proud to have stood on the right side of history. History is not merely something imposed upon us; it is ours to make. And for the sake of humanity, the time for Ireland to make history is now.”