More than targets: How the EU promotes democracy, human rights and gender equality through Global Europe and beyond

The European Union is committed to promoting gender equality, human rights, and democracy through its Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe. While there has been success in integrating these principles into policy dialogue and development plans, there is a need for confirmation and operationalisation of these assessments. The midterm review (MTR) of the NDICI-Global Europe presents an opportunity to evaluate progress and reallocate resources as needed. Mainstreaming gender equality and human rights into policies is crucial, but challenges remain in consistent implementation and measurement of impact. Additionally, targeted funding and interventions are necessary alongside mainstreaming.

As highlighted in this paper, the EU employs conditionality and incentive-based approaches to uphold human rights and democracy globally, but their effectiveness varies. Strengthening links between financial instruments and policy processes is essential, along with ensuring coherence between various policy tools like the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and Gender Action Plan III. 

Synergies between policy processes are also crucial for a strategic and coherent approach. Policy dialogues are essential but need to be more uniformly conducted worldwide. Collaboration between EU delegations and partner countries is vital, with increased engagement on human rights and gender issues. This paper also suggests the EU needs to ensure a common approach among its members regarding funding objectives and monitoring criteria. Local ownership and involvement of stakeholders in partner countries are key for meaningful implementation. Civil society organizations (CSOs), local authorities (LAs), and the private sector play critical roles, and their engagement should be enhanced through better consultation mechanisms and tailored support.

A structured dialogue with the private sector is necessary to ensure investments respect EU principles, alongside initiatives on corporate sustainability and due diligence. These efforts should be integrated into political and policy dialogues with partner countries for a comprehensive impact