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The Platform Europe Peru (Plataforma Europa Perú – PEP) is a network of 16 European NGOs that was created in 2005 with the aim to increase coordination of advocacy toward European institutions and the European public on the topic of human rights situation in Peru..
After 2 decades of internal conflict and severe human rights violations and with the return of democracy after the fall of the Fujimori regime in 2000, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created to clarify the process of violence, to investigate human rights violations, its causes and responsibilities. In August 2003 this commission published its final report, including a list of reforms that should be implemented to tackle the causes of conflict and human rights violation and to strengthen democracy and the rule of law. The recommendations of the report were supported by a broad majority of Peruvian civil society organizations as well as by the International Community, but at the same time it was also clear that full implementation of these reforms wouldn’t be easy. Social control and international support and pressure were crucial to assure the implementation of reforms that could affect established interests of some economic groups, limit military power, judge the responsible of human rights violations and strengthen the position of rural communities. European NGO’s and their partners in Peru have since being actively involved in monitoring these processes and reforms.
Due to a significant raise in global demand and prices for metals and fuels, mining and oil exploration is rapidly expanding in Peru since the second half of last decade, affecting in many cases agriculture of traditional rural communities, territories of indigenous people and vulnerable ecosystems. Nowadays social conflicts related to extractive industries are the main source of social conflictivity in the country, generating human rights violations, criminalization of social protest and threatening political stability. The Platform Europe-Peru as well as most of European NGO working on Peru are now largely engaged in accompanying local organizations and organizing advocacy initiatives on the subject of these social and environmental conflicts, promoting more policy space for local communities (Free and Prior Informed Consent), land-use and environmental mapping, environmental monitoring.
In the framework of the FTA EU-Colombia/Peru several members of PEP have been closely involved in advocacy and civil society dialogues with European Parliament and European Commission, mainly on the issues of human rights, environmental impact and food security. We have been monitoring the negotiation process from the moment of the announcement of start of negotiations with the aim that human rights, sustainable development and civil society dialogue should be firmly integrated within the trade agreement . We participate at civil society meetings and hearings at European parliament and coordinate meetings with MEPs,frequently with the presence of representatives of Peruvian civil society organizations.
The following organizations are integrating our platform: Peru Support Group – Great Britain; Entraide et Fraternité – Belgium; Commission Justice & Paix Belgique Francophone – Belgium; Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España – Spain; Secours Catholique – France; ICCO & Kerk in Actie – The Netherlands; Informationsstelle Peru – Germany; CATAPA – Belgium; Broederlijk Delen – Belgium; Kampagne “Bergwerk Peru – Reichtum geht, Armut bleibt“ – Germany; Action Solidarité Tiers-Monde (ASTM) – Luxemburg ; Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement, 11.11.11 – Belgium; PLataforma Q’atary Peru – Spain; Peru Kommittén för MR – Sweden; Mensen met een Missie – The Netherlands, Asociación Putumayo – Belgium.. Amnesty International (Belgium) is associated to the PEP as observer.
Since 2010, we jointly set out working plans and organize advocacy activities with the Working Group Peru of CIDSE, in which 9 European members of this international alliance of Catholic development organizations participate: CCFD Terre Solidaire – France; CAFOD – England & Wales, Broederlijk Delen – Belgium; Fastenopfer – Switzerland; Manos Unidas – Spain; Cordaid – the Netherlands; Misereor – Germany; Entraide et Fraternité – Belgium ; Trocaire – Ireland..
Most members of the PEP and of the Working Group Peru of CIDSE are already working in Peru for several decades. We have large expertise in development and human rights topics, accompanying NGO’s and other civil society organizations in Peru at national and local level. Among our partners are several of the most known Peruvian NGOs and their networks specialized in human rights, mining, sustainable development, rural development, indigenous people and climate change like the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos – APRODEH; el Instituto de Defensa Legal – IDL, el Movimiento Ciudadano Frente al Cambio Climático (MOCCIC); Comisión Episcopal de Acción Social – CEAS; Red Peruana por una Globalización con Equidad – (Red GE (trade and sustainable development); La Red Muqui, Grufides and Cooperacción (mining and sustainable dev.); La Asociación de Servicios Educativos Rurales – SER; Derecho Ambiente y Recursos Naturales – DAR (Indigenous people and natural resources); Centro Bartolomé de las Casas.