EP condemns shrinking civic space in Cambodia, highlights CENTRAL case

EP Position

The Parliament condemns the shrinking civic space in Cambodia and calls for the immediate release of political prisoners and cessation of repression and harassment of activists, journalists and civil society actors. It urges the Cambodian authorities to dismiss politically motivated charges against CENTRAL and its members, amend national laws to align with international human rights and labour standards, and halt audits and smear campaigns.

Key Trade Point

The text calls on companies operating in the EU that source from Cambodia to carry out thorough human rights due diligence in their supply chains and asks the Commission and Member States to assess changes to tariff preferences under the Everything but Arms scheme in response to Cambodian non-cooperation on human rights. The resolution also calls for targeted sanctions against those responsible for political repression.

What Comes Next

The Parliament instructs its President to forward the resolution to EU institutions, Member States, the Cambodian authorities and the ASEAN secretariat.