The Union's contribution to democracy and the rule of law and to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms is rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and other human rights instruments adopted within the framework of the United Nations (UN), as well as relevant regional human rights instruments.

The Union's policy and international action are also guided by its commitments and obligations concerning human rights and development, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the UN Declaration on the Right to Development.

89. Regrets China's postponement of the eleventh China-EU summit on the grounds of the Dalai Lama's visit to Europe; emphasises the need for a radical intensification and re-thinking of the European Union-China human rights dialogue; expresses its disquiet at the serious human rights violations in China and stresses that, despite promises made by the regime before the Olympic Games in August 2008, the situation on the ground regarding human rights has not improved; points out, moreover, that restrictions on freedom of association, expression and religion have been further tightened; strongly condemns the crackdown against Tibetans fo ...[+++]llowing the wave of protests that swept across Tibet beginning on 10 March 2008 and the repression by the Chinese government that has increased in Tibet since then, and calls for the restart of a sincere and results-oriented dialogue between both parties based on the "Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People"; notes that, despite repeated assurances by the Chinese government of its intention to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratification is still pending; refers to Parliament's resolution of 17 January 2008 on the arrest of the Chinese dissident Hu Jia , who has been awarded the 2008 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought; calls on the Chinese government to release Hu Jia immediately and to lift the house arrest on his wife Zeng Jinyan and his daughter; condemns the wave of repression against signatories of the "Charter 08", a document calling for democratic reforms in China and demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo, a dissident who has been detained since 9 December 2008; expresses concern that the legal system remains vulnerable to arbitrary and often politically-motivated interference, including the State Secrets system, preventing the transparency necessary for the development of good governance and a system in which the rule of law prevails; in this context, deplores the systemat ...

89. Regrets China's postponement of the eleventh China-EU summit on the grounds of the Dalai Lama's visit to Europe; emphasises the need for a radical intensification and re-thinking of the European Union-China human rights dialogue; expresses its disquiet at the serious human rights violations in China and stresses that, despite promises made by the regime before the Olympic Games in August 2008, the situation on the ground regarding human rights has not improved; points out, moreover, that restrictions on freedom of association, expression and religion have been further tightened; strongly condemns the crackdown against Tibetans fo ...[+++]llowing the wave of protests that swept across Tibet beginning on 10 March 2008 and the repression by the Chinese government that has increased in Tibet since then, and calls for the restart of a sincere and results-oriented dialogue between both parties based on the "Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People"; notes that, despite repeated assurances by the Chinese government of its intention to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratification is still pending; refers to Parliament's resolution of 17 January 2008 on the arrest of the Chinese dissident Hu Jia , who has been awarded the 2008 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought; calls on the Chinese government to release Hu Jia immediately and to lift the house arrest on his wife Zeng Jinyan and his daughter; condemns the wave of repression against signatories of the "Charter 08", a document calling for democratic reforms in China and demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo, a dissident who has been detained since 9 December 2008; expresses concern that the legal system remains vulnerable to arbitrary and often politically-motivated interference, including the State Secrets system, preventing the transparency necessary for the development of good governance and a system in which the rule of law prevails; in this context, deplores the systemat ...

ACKNOWLEDGING the necessity of observing human rights and freedoms, and emphasising that this Agreement shall be without prejudice to the rights and obligations of the Community, the Member States of the European Union and Ukraine arising from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948 and from international law, in particular, from the European Convention of 4 November 1950 for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Convention of 28 July 1951 and the Protocol of 31 January 1967 on the Status o ...[+++]f Refugees, the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 19 December 1966 and international instruments on extradition,

EMPHASIZING that this Agreement shall be without prejudice to the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the Community, the Member States of the European Union and the Russian Federation arising from International Law including International Human Rights law rules, as confirmed, in particular, by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966, the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951 and the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees of 31 January 1967, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and ...[+++]Fundamental Freedoms of 4 November 1950 and Protocol No 4 thereto of 16 September 1963, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 10 December 1984,