The Lisbon treaty promised more efficient and visible EU human rights policy, especially at the multilateral level. In 2011 the EU managed to upgrade its status at the UN General Assembly to match its new ambitions. Year 2012 was a landmark year in EU’s human rights policy with the introduction of Strategic Framework for human rights and democracy. The EU also got its first Special Representative for human rights.
My paper studies how these changes have influenced EU’s diplomatic practices at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. What is the current role of the EU-delegation vís-a-vís member states? How different external actors perceive the EU? The paper is based on 55 interviews conducted in Geneva and Brussels in 2013 with EU member state diplomats, EEAS staff and outsiders (HR organizations, other countries and UN secretary).
