The EU-LAT Network and 39 organizations reacted to the release of the GIEI’s final report on the case of Berta Cáceres, by signing a public letter calling for stronger safeguards in EU-backed investments to prevent human rights violations.
This report highlights recurring concerns about illicit and unpunished uses of resources initially allocated to development. In today’s context of increasing implementation of Global Gateway projects, the structure of economic power must not come at the expense of human rights.
Therefore, the Network and the undersigned organisations calls on the EU to support the implementation of the following recommendations:
- Urge the State of Honduras to implement the GIEI recommendations to ensure justice, guarantees of non-repetition, and reparation
- Binding due diligence rules for all Global Gateway projects.
- Independent oversight and complaints mechanisms for affected communities and human rights defenders.
- Effective reparation mechanisms where development finance institutions have contributed to human rights harms.