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Can SAFE contribute to the emergence of a European strategic culture and to enhanced interoperability? – ELIAMEP’s experts share their views

ELIAMEP - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 12:53

The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) Programme is the new EU financial instrument designed to allow EU Member States to speed up their defence readiness by enabling urgent and significant investments in support of the European defence industry, with a focus on filling critical gaps in capabilities and equipment. It is the first pillar of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 strategic plan that aims to unlock €800 billion in defence spending across the EU.[1]

SAFE will provide up to €150 billion in competitive long-maturity loans to Member States that request financial assistance for investments in defence capabilities. These loans will finance urgent and large-scale procurement processes, ensuring that Europe’s defence industry can deliver the requisite equipment.

The features expected of the submitted proposals

The proposals should be:

  • Relevant to the defence capabilities of Member States and the EU (e.g. border protection, countering hybrid threats, protecting critical infrastructure, countering cyber warfare, etc.)
  • For urgent, large-scale procurement efforts, not small projects
  • Involve at least two Member States in a common procurement procedure
  • However, requests from individual Member States can also be approved, but only if they are linked to an urgent need and broader geopolitical realities; the proposal must also be submitted on the basis of the timely procurement and delivery of critical assets[2] (for example, the need to procure drones to counter migration movements along routes experiencing a significant increase in traffic, or systems to protect critical infrastructure from potential terrorist threats linked to the situation in the Middle East, could be supported). This is a temporary exception with an initial duration of one year.
  • In addition, no more than 35% of the cost of the products’ manufacturing components can originate from outside the EU, EEA-EFTA, or Ukraine, while the countries of origin must meet the conditions set out in the Programme Regulations.
What will SAFE fund?

Category 1:

  • Ammunition and missiles
  • Artillery systems, including deep-precision strike capabilities
  • Ground combat capabilities and their support systems, including soldier equipment and infantry weapons
  • Small drones (NATO 1 class[3]) and related anti-drone systems
  • Systems and equipment for critical infrastructure protection
  • Cyber defence and cyber security systems
  • Military mobility, including counter-mobility

Category 2:

  • Air and missile defence systems
  • Maritime surface and underwater capabilities
  • Drones other than small drones (NATO-2 and NATO-3 class) and related anti-drone systems
  • Strategic enablers such as, but not limited to, strategic airlift, air-to-air refuelling, C4ISTAR systems (Command, Communications, Information, Control, etc.), as well as space assets and services
  • Space asset protection systems
  • Artificial intelligence and electronic warfare systems
Countries that have expressed an interest in participating in SAFE and a Timeline for the Next Steps

By 29 July 2025, when the Programme’s first key deadline expired, 19 Member States had expressed an interest in accessing loans through the SAFE mechanism, with potential defence purchases of at least €127 billion.

The Member States in question are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

The following resources have been tentatively allocated to the Member States as follows:

Member-State Allocation of Resources (€) Belgium 8,340,027,698 Bulgaria 3,261,700,000 Croatia 1,700,000,000 Cyprus 1,181,503,924 Czech Republic 2,060,000,000 Denmark 46,796,822 Estonia 2,660,932,171 Finland 1,000,000,000 France 16,216,720,524 Greece 787,669,283 Hungary 16,216,720,524 Italy 14,900,000,000 Latvia 5,680,431,322 Lithuania 6,375,487,840 Poland 43,734,100,805 Portugal 5,841,179,332 Romania 16,680,055,394 Slovakia 2,316,674,361 Spain 1,000,000,000

 

30 November 2025 Submission of National Defence Investment Plans

January 2026 Adoption of Council Implementing Decisions

February 2026: Negotiation of loan agreements and operational arrangements, triggering pre-financing.

In search of a European strategic culture and interoperability: Behind the Lines
  1. The Programme is part of the EU’s overall strategy on the indivisibility of external and internal security—a strategy which informs every strategic and institutional document it produces in relation to internal and foreign policy. SAFE follows in the wake of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, but also the intensification of hybrid threats. It is therefore to be expected that it bears the imprint of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well Moscow’s hybrid attacks against Ukraine and its hybrid operations against EU Member States. Apart from blurring the lines between war and peace—which is a key characteristic of hybrid threats in general—, the specific threat posed by Russia highlights the extent to which internal security is now significantly threatened by a malicious external actor, which can also be a state. This constitutes a further significant change in the recognition and assessment of threats.
  2. The main threats that can be addressed through projects submitted to SAFE for funding extend beyond military attack by a hostile nation to include hybrid threats, cyber-attacks, the weaponization of migration and mass border breaches, terrorist attacks, malicious acts, and the sabotaging of critical infrastructure. Which is to say, precisely those threats that are stressed in the broader strategic and political philosophy underpinning the new EU defence policy, mainly via the White Paper on European Defence Preparedness 2030.
  3. This works in tandem with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, which sets out an integrated approach to every threat to the Union’s preparedness for conflict, anthropogenic and natural disasters and crises, the White Paper on European Defence Preparedness 2030, and the Internal Security Strategy: Protecting the EU.
  4. SAFE emphasizes investment in the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure/entities, cyberspace, borders, transport, supply chains, information and communication technologies, as well as space investments, technologies and facilities. It is worth noting that most Member States are in the process of transposing the Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities into national law and developing related strategies.
  5. SAFE is a Programme that can further enhance interoperability between the armed and security forces, as well as dual use in the defence / security / civil protection sectors in line with the framework put in place by the EU Preparedness Union Strategy to prevent and react to emerging threats and crises—in particular those in the areas of hybrid threats, border protection, the resilience of critical infrastructure, and cyber security.
  6. It can act as a bottom-up catalyst for the emergence of a European strategic culture in both threat identification and investment planning; for the creation of collaborative economies of scale; and for the increased interoperability of assets and systems on the basis of a common European defence capability. This procedure has been followed in other cases where there were difficulties reaching an agreement at the Council level—for example, in the prevention of radicalization. However, there is always the risk that the absence of a statutory coordinating body could lead to fragmented proposals that simply reproduce the various strategic cultures and assessments of risk. Let’s hope that this time, the glass is half-full.

 

[1] For details on SAFE, see the relevant EXPLAINER by S. Blavoukas and P. Politis-Lamprou at https://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/EXPLAINER-4-EL.pdf. More generally, on the European Defence Fund and the EU Defence Industrial Ecosystem, see S. Blavoukos; P. Politis-Lamprou and G. Matsoukas at https://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Policy-paper-182-Blavoukos-Politis-Matsoukas-FINAL-EL.pdf

[2] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/safe-security-action-europe_en

[3] The classification is based on their weight and the altitude they can reach under normal conditions. Specifically, they are:
Class I: small>20 kg; mini 2-20 kg, micro<2kg
Class II: 150-600 kg (regular)
Class III: >600 kg with three subcategories (strike, HALE, MALE).
On the categories, and more generally on NATO’s approach to unmanned aerial vehicles, see Joint Air Power Competence Centre https://www.japcc.org/

Rapporteur | 23.09.2025

Euractiv.de - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 12:53
Ein Flug der Scandinavian Airlines mit der Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Roxana Mînzatu, an Bord musste gestern Abend nach Schweden umgeleitet werden, nachdem der Flughafen Kopenhagen aufgrund von Drohnen-Sichtungen geschlossen worden war. In einem separaten Vorfall meldete auch der Flughafen Oslo Drohnenaktivitäten.

The Rise of Androids Among Human Populations

Africa - INTER PRESS SERVICE - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 12:35

As androids edge closer to reshaping how we work, interact, and manage conflict and resources, the absence of clear regulations leaves human rights, jobs, and social bonds unprotected. Credit: Shutterstock

By Joseph Chamie
PORTLAND, USA, Sep 23 2025 (IPS)

Despite anxieties, concerns, and warnings, androids or humanoid robots that rely on generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and advanced robotics are increasingly being integrated into the modern lives of human populations. This integration raises serious challenges regarding humanity’s future in an era where androids are emerging rapidly.

Some have expressed concerns that GAI and robots are embedding and intensifying existing societal biases, stereotypes, misogyny, and discrimination in the development of these new technologies.

Soon, androids are expected to change the nature of work, social interactions, conflict resolution, and resource management. However, guidelines, regulations, and protocols for their usage and protecting human rights, employment, and social relationships have not been established yet.

 

Growth

In response to the increasing need for automation in various sectors of society, coupled with declining production costs and increasing corporate investments, the use of androids is evolving rapidly. Breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence have accelerated the development of androids.

At the start of the 21st century, the world’s population of humans was about 6.2 billion and, except in science fiction novels and movies, androids were essentially non-existent. By 2025, the world’s human population had increased to 8.2 billion, with the number of androids estimated to have grown to about 10 thousand.

By 2050, the global population of humans and androids is projected to reach 9.2 billion and 1 billion, respectively (Table 1).

Source: United Nations and Morgan Stanley.

With many countries facing demographic decline and population ageing, coupled with opposition to immigration in most destination countries, many governments, industries, and organizations are increasingly turning to technologies that incorporate generative artificial intelligence and advanced robotics.

The growth of androids is being driven by several factors, including substantial financial investments, decreasing production costs, and intense competition among countries in the humanoid market. Androids are increasingly being utilized in education, entertainment, healthcare, manufacturing, and household applications.

 

Reactions

The reactions of human populations to androids vary considerably. Many people have mixed feelings toward androids with artificial intelligence but see further developments as “inevitable”.

Although many people use artificial intelligence enabled technologies daily, they fear androids will lead to job displacement, rising unemployment, misuse, abuse, intrusive surveillance, and loss of human connection.

The increasing presence of androids is heightening competition for jobs in the labor market, especially among recent college graduates. This development is potentially leading to widespread unemployment, greater dependence on emerging technologies, and a significant rise in wealth inequality.

The reactions of human populations to artificial intelligence (AI) vary significantly across countries. A survey of views towards AI among 21 countries found significant differences between more developed and less developed countries.

While most of the public in less developed countries, like Brazil, China, and India, had positive views about AI, in more developed countries, like Germany, Japan, and the US, 40% or less of the public had positive views about artificial intelligence (Figure 1).

 

Source: Visual Capitalist.

 

Another survey of G7 countries in 2024 reported that 80% of the respondents feared androids would take away jobs, while 70% believed androids would dominate social interactions.

Furthermore, 60% of the respondents in the survey were uncomfortable with androids and preferred them not to resemble humans. This preference is believed to be partly due to the “uncanny valley” effect, which refers to the eerie or unsettling feeling some people experience in response to humanoid robots and lifelike computer-generated characters (Figure 2).

 

Source: Euronews.

 

Advancements

Further advances in the fields of robotics and GAI have also led to the emergence of Socibots. These androids are designed to be social robots. Utilizing GAI and advanced robotics, they are intended to function as an individual’s friend and offer companionship.

International Gallup surveys have found that approximately one-fifth of the global population experienced loneliness “a lot of the day yesterday”. The World Health Organization (WHO) also reports that social isolation and loneliness affect over one billion people worldwide.

Without proper regulations and guardrails focusing on safety, fairness, and basic human rights, it is uncertain how androids can integrate into human populations without posing risks to human wellbeing and the future of humanity

Equipped with sensors and GAI, Socibots are designed to interact and communicate with humans using social behaviors. They are intended to be companions, educators, and assistants, and are expected to be used in hospitals, schools, and homes as their capabilities improve.

Socibots are becoming more expressive, emotionally intelligent, and personable, specifically designed to be a person’s friend. Companies are investing billions of dollars into developing Socibots that can remember individuals, understand their emotions, and engage in natural conversation.

In contrast to Socibots, warbots are robots, unmanned vehicles or devices designed for military operations and warfare. These warbots are autonomous or remote-controlled mobile robots intended for military applications

Military and security forces around the world are currently utilizing autonomous weapons systems, or warbots, which can identify and attack targets with varying degrees of human oversight. These systems are rapidly advancing with the progress of generative artificial intelligence.

Although autonomous “killer robots” capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention are in development, they are not yet widely deployed on the battlefield. There is a growing focus on increasing the autonomy of warbots to operate independently and behind enemy lines.

 

Concerns

Over 120 countries and various organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, have called for an international ban on the development and use of autonomous warbots that can select and attack targets without human control.

However, some governments believe that an international ban is unnecessary. They maintain autonomous robotics could save the lives of soldiers who might otherwise be killed on the battlefield. They also stress that most military robots are tele-operated and unarmed, with many used for reconnaissance, surveillance, sniper detection, and neutralizing explosive devices.

Some individuals suffer from robophobia, an anxiety disorder characterized by an intense fear of androids and robots with generative artificial intelligence. Many of these individuals view the increasing presence of humanoid robots as creepy, hazardous, and a menace to society.

The increasing presence of androids is heightening competition for jobs in the labor market, replacing many human jobs, potentially leading to widespread unemployment, greater dependence on emerging technologies, and a significant rise in wealth inequality. Some individuals are concerned about the potential for social isolation, reliance, and loss of human connection as androids take on roles as companions and service providers.

The global efforts towards advancements in generative artificial intelligence are demanding substantial amounts of electricity. Many billions of dollars are reportedly flowing into the data centers needed to power artificial intelligence. The International Energy Agency projects that by 2030, data centers will require slightly more energy than Japan consumes today.

However, others, especially those benefiting financially, downplay the rising concerns and emphasize the potential benefits of androids. These benefits include increased efficiency, additional labor, higher productivity, business opportunities, enhanced safety, entertainment, personal help, and companionship.

Despite notable advancements, some observers have cautioned about the “humanoid hype”. They note that robots are not acquiring real-world skills as quickly as AI chatbots are gaining language fluency. They expect many more decades of research and development in robotics will be needed before androids can perform these necessary skills.

Some individuals, often referred to as doomsayers, have expressed concerns about the risks involved in the rapid growth of GAI, particularly warning about its potential for disruption and human manipulation.

The development of powerful generative artificial intelligence systems may eventually surpass human intelligence, reach singularity, and evade human control. Experts caution that this alarming progression could lead to catastrophic consequences for human populations.

 

Conclusions

Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence and robotics have led to an increase in the introduction of androids into modern society. The emergence of androids presents significant challenges for human populations, especially concerning humanity’s future in a world dominated by generative artificial intelligence and humanlike robotics.

While some see further developments as inevitable, there is concern that future androids, possibly arriving within the next five years, could become excessively intrusive, disruptive, and replace many human jobs, particularly entry-level jobs in fields such as law, finance and consulting. Some have issued warnings about the rapidly expanding influence of robotics and generative artificial intelligence, approaching the likely scenario with caution rather than enthusiasm.

Additionally, there are concerns about potential social isolation, dependency, and a lack of human connection as androids take on roles as companions and service providers. However, some, particularly those with financial investments, downplay these concerns and emphasize the advantages and benefits of androids.

Without proper regulations and guardrails focusing on safety, fairness, and basic human rights, it is uncertain how androids can integrate into human populations without posing risks to human wellbeing and the future of humanity. It is also unclear how individuals, especially children, will react to humanoid robots with advanced generative artificial intelligence offering assistance and making contributions.

 Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division, and author of many publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Population Levels, Trends, and Differentials”.

 

Categories: Africa, European Union

La commission JURI du Parlement rejette la demande de levée de l’immunité du chef de l’opposition hongroise

Euractiv.fr - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 12:23

La commission des Affaires juridiques (JURI) du Parlement européen a rejeté mardi 23 septembre la demande de la justice hongroise visant à lever l’immunité de Péter Magyar, eurodéputé du Parti populaire européen (PPE) et chef de file de l’opposition hongroise.

The post La commission JURI du Parlement rejette la demande de levée de l’immunité du chef de l’opposition hongroise appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Categories: Afrique, Union européenne

Comment un mégaprojet touristique dans le Sinaï menace la candidature de l’Égypte à l’UNESCO

Euractiv.fr - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 12:12

Des personnalités politiques, à l'image de l'eurodéputé grec Nikolas Farantouris (La Gauche), estiment que la candidature égyptienne est incompatible avec la station balnéaire en construction près du monastère Sainte-Catherine, considéré comme un site d'une valeur universelle exceptionnelle (VUE) par l'UNESCO.

The post Comment un mégaprojet touristique dans le Sinaï menace la candidature de l’Égypte à l’UNESCO appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Categories: Afrique, Union européenne

US-Greek relations — August brief by the Transatlantic Periscope

ELIAMEP - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:22

The Transatlantic Periscope is an interactive, multimedia tool that brings together expert commentary, high-quality media coverage, official policy documents, quantitative data, social media posts, and gray literature. It will provide on a monthly basis a summary of the most important news concerning the Greek-US relations, as reflected in the media. Below you will find an overview for August 2025.

On August 4, 2025, the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, met with the new Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Athens, Josh Huck, to discuss energy cooperation between Greece and the US and electricity interconnection projects in the Eastern Mediterranean. Papastavrou said that the discussion focused on energy cooperation, the South-North Vertical Gas Corridor, the utilization of infrastructure for American LNG in Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis, and the keen interest in electricity interconnection projects in the Eastern Mediterranean.

On the same day, a statement released by the American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce on the recent EU-US Trade Deal noted that the deal may present important opportunities for Greece. As it is specifically noted in the statement: “As a member of both the EU and NATO, and as a growing logistics, energy, and digital hub in Southeastern Europe, Greece stands to benefit significantly from the strengthening of transatlantic trade ties. In fact, improved market access, increased regulatory coordination, and the prospect of expanded zero-for-zero tariff arrangements can translate into tangible results for Greek exporters, investors, and technology-driven sectors”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a call with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis on August 8 regarding the strategic importance of US–Greece energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. During the call, Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the continued strength of the United States’ bilateral relationship with Greece and its role as a key NATO Ally.

At the same time, Greece and the United States are in talks to revise their Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), a move that could see the establishment of two new bases for US forces in mainland Greece and a significant expansion of the American military footprint in the country. The ongoing negotiations are also focused on upgrading existing facilities. The US will remain in the strategic northeastern port of Alexandroupoli and is set to spend $42 million to upgrade its naval base at Souda Bay in Crete. According to officials, the two new locations being considered for US forces are the Petrochori firing range in the western Peloponnese and the Dalipis Army Base near Thessaloniki.

More at: https://transatlanticperiscope.org/relationship/GR#

Press release - MEPs seek to improve trainees’ working conditions across the EU

European Parliament - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:13
To prevent abusive practices against trainees, the Employment Committee wants traineeship contracts with clear provisions on pay, duration and social protection.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Press release - MEPs seek to improve trainees’ working conditions across the EU

Europäisches Parlament (Nachrichten) - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:13
To prevent abusive practices against trainees, the Employment Committee wants traineeship contracts with clear provisions on pay, duration and social protection.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Press release - MEPs seek to improve trainees’ working conditions across the EU

European Parliament (News) - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:13
To prevent abusive practices against trainees, the Employment Committee wants traineeship contracts with clear provisions on pay, duration and social protection.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP
Categories: European Union

Press release - MEPs seek to improve trainees’ working conditions across the EU

Európa Parlament hírei - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:13
To prevent abusive practices against trainees, the Employment Committee wants traineeship contracts with clear provisions on pay, duration and social protection.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Parlement européen : la commission JURI opposée à la demande de levée de l’immunité d’Ilaria Salis

Euractiv.fr - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:08

La commission des Affaires juridiques (JURI) du Parlement européen a voté mardi 23 septembre contre la levée de l’immunité de l’eurodéputée italienne de gauche Ilaria Salis — demandée par un juge hongrois.

The post Parlement européen : la commission JURI opposée à la demande de levée de l’immunité d’Ilaria Salis appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Categories: Afrique, Union européenne

Press release - Trade Committee reactions to signing of trade agreement between EU and Indonesia

European Parliament - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 10:57
The EU and Indonesia have concluded today trade and investment deals that should boost EU export to the region, while ensuring environmental and social standards.
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Press release - Trade Committee reactions to signing of trade agreement between EU and Indonesia

Europäisches Parlament (Nachrichten) - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 10:57
The EU and Indonesia have concluded today trade and investment deals that should boost EU export to the region, while ensuring environmental and social standards.
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Press release - Trade Committee reactions to signing of trade agreement between EU and Indonesia

European Parliament (News) - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 10:57
The EU and Indonesia have concluded today trade and investment deals that should boost EU export to the region, while ensuring environmental and social standards.
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Press release - Trade Committee reactions to signing of trade agreement between EU and Indonesia

Európa Parlament hírei - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 10:57
The EU and Indonesia have concluded today trade and investment deals that should boost EU export to the region, while ensuring environmental and social standards.
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

ENTWURF EINES BERICHTS über Menschenrechte und Demokratie in der Welt und die Politik der Europäischen Union in diesem Bereich – Jahresbericht 2025 - PE776.918v01-00

ENTWURF EINES BERICHTS über Menschenrechte und Demokratie in der Welt und die Politik der Europäischen Union in diesem Bereich – Jahresbericht 2025
Ausschuss für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
Francisco Assis

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

Video einer Ausschusssitzung - Dienstag, 23. September 2025 - 07:08 - Ausschuss für auswärtige Angelegenheiten

Dauer des Videos : 85'

Haftungsausschluss : Die Verdolmetschung der Debatten soll die Kommunikation erleichtern, sie stellt jedoch keine authentische Aufzeichnung der Debatten dar. Authentisch sind nur die Originalfassungen der Reden bzw. ihre überprüften schriftlichen Übersetzungen.
Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

ENTWURF EINER STELLUNGNAHME zu dem Vorschlag für eine Verordnung des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates zur Änderung der Verordnung (EU) 2024/1348 in Bezug auf die Erstellung einer Liste sicherer Herkunftsländer auf Unionsebene - PE776.982v01-00

ENTWURF EINER STELLUNGNAHME zu dem Vorschlag für eine Verordnung des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates zur Änderung der Verordnung (EU) 2024/1348 in Bezug auf die Erstellung einer Liste sicherer Herkunftsländer auf Unionsebene
Ausschuss für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
Marco Tarquinio

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

La reconnaissance d'un État palestinien soulève une autre question : qui le dirigerait ?

BBC Afrique - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 10:06
Alors que le président Mahmoud Abass approche les 90 ans et qu'un autre candidat potentiel est en prison, trouver le bon leadership serait un défi.
Categories: Afrique

‘The State Cannot Pardon Itself for Violating Human Rights’

Africa - INTER PRESS SERVICE - Tue, 09/23/2025 - 09:50

By CIVICUS
Sep 23 2025 (IPS)

CIVICUS discusses Peru’s new amnesty law with Nadia Ramos Serrano, founder and researcher at the Leadership Centre for Women of the Americas, a civil society organisation working on democratic development and the role of women in politics.

Nadia Ramos Serrano

In August, the Peruvian government passed a controversial amnesty law that benefits military personnel, police officers and members of self-defence organisations accused of committing human rights violations during Peru’s internal armed conflict from 1980 to 2000. The law affects the search for justice for some 69,000 victims and has drawn national and international condemnation for institutionalising impunity.

What does the amnesty law establish?

The amnesty law exonerates from criminal responsibility members of the armed forces, the national police and self-defence committees who have been prosecuted and sometimes convicted for crimes committed during the internal armed conflict. Although in theory the law excludes crimes of corruption and terrorism, in practice it could benefit people involved in serious human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture.

The law re-victimises the victims. After over three decades of struggle, the state tells them that those who murdered and disappeared their relatives or subjected them to torture will not be punished and may be released. It is the state again causing harm rather than providing redress.

The law perpetuates impunity under the pretext of pacification and consolidates structural discrimination. The majority of victims were Indigenous Aymara and Quechua peasants, historically excluded groups. Relatives and victims feel the state is again abandoning them to protect the powerful, fuelling frustration, political disaffection and lack of trust in the system.

Does the new law comply with national and international law?

It doesn’t. The state cannot pardon itself for violating human rights: justice is not negotiable. This law seeks to normalise impunity and violates the principle of equality before the law. It weakens accountability and sends the dangerous message that those in power can violate fundamental rights and face no consequences.

This contravenes international law. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) has established that amnesty cannot be granted for crimes against humanity. One example is the case of Barrios Altos versus Peru, where the court condemned the Peruvian state for murdering 15 people and seriously injuring four others in 1991. The court has also declared that amnesty laws that seek to prevent the investigation and punishment of serious human rights violations are incompatible with the American Convention on Human Rights.

What has civil society’s response been?

Civil society has responded firmly. Academic institutions, citizen movements, family associations, human rights organisations and victims’ groups have rejected the law, which they consider a serious setback for struggles for justice and memory. The National Human Rights Coordination, alongside feminist and youth groups, have organised sit-ins, published statements and run public campaigns to denounce impunity.

The wounds of the conflict remain open. While some insist on focusing exclusively on the fight against terrorism, rendering state crimes invisible, thousands of families continue to wait for justice. Most of those responsible have never been brought to trial and over 20,000 people are still missing. For their families, this law reinforces the lack of justice and prolongs a mourning process that has already lasted for decades.

How does this situation compare with other transitional justice processes in the region?

Peru is experiencing a setback, while the regional trend is of progress in transitional justice processes. Argentina, for example, repealed laws that prevented those responsible for crimes against humanity committed during dictatorship from being tried, and hundreds of military personnel have been convicted as a result. Chile implemented policies of reparation and held trials against some people responsible for human rights violations. Colombia, with the creation of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace as part of the peace agreement with FARC guerrillas, has also shown it is possible to seek justice and reconciliation without resorting to blanket amnesties.

The international community has reacted strongly to Peru’s setback. The IACtHR issued an urgent resolution reminding the state it cannot apply amnesties in cases of crimes against humanity. The United Nations and organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have pointed out the law violates basic principles of international law, and foreign governments and human rights experts have warned about the deterioration of the rule of law in Peru.

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SEE ALSO
Uruguay: ‘Truth and justice have no statute of limitations; the state must assume its responsibility’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Graciela Montes de Oca 04.Jun.2025
The disappeared: Mexico’s industrial-scale human rights crisis CIVICUS Lens 22.Apr.2025
Mexico: one step closer to justice for the missing 43? CIVICUS Lens 31.Aug.2022

 


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Categories: Africa, European Union

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