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11.11.11, Koepel van Internationale Solidariteit

11.11.11

11.11.11 is de Vlaamse Coalitie van Internationale Solidariteit en heeft twee belangrijke pijlers: lokale vrijwilligersgroepen en een 60-tal lidorganisaties van diverse strekkingen.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Nov 2025 · EU migration politics - state-of-play

Meeting with Wouter Beke (Member of the European Parliament, Delegation chair)

10 Sept 2025 · Indonesië

Response to EU Civil Society Strategy

5 Sept 2025

The importance of a strong and independent civil society cannot be overstated. Civil society actors play an essential role worldwide as watchdogs for human rights, democracy, environmental justice, and the rule of law. They give a voice to marginalised groups, both locally and in the Global South, and contribute to social cohesion, policy change, and the implementation of public tasks. The rise of the far-right and fascism in the EU poses a fundamental threat to democratic societies. By systematically eroding the rule of law and a free press, these movements undermine the very foundation of civic space. This shift not only compromises political freedom but also endangers the peaceful coexistence of diverse communities. Yet, those who defend these values are under severe pressure. Major challenges for these EU civil society actors include legal intimidation (e.g., SLAPPs, the disproportionate use of criminal law), online and offline threats, negative media campaigns, and financial insecurity caused by severe subsidy cuts and austerity measures. These conditions foster self-censorship and a shrinking civic space. In Belgium, organisations and individuals working on discrimination and migration are particularly at risk, often facing the brunt of this pressure. The situation has worsened in recent years: since 2021, CIVICUS has classified Belgian civic space as contracted. Alongside national pressures, the EU also plays a role: budget shifts towards defence and border control come at the expense of human rights and development cooperation. Smaller and grassroots organisations often key to social and gender justice, both in Europe and in the Global South struggle the most to access structural and flexible funding. Existing EU mechanisms, such as ProtectDefenders.eu, anti-SLAPP legislation and the EU Human Rights Action Plan, are valuable but insufficient. There is a need for a coherent European Civic Space Strategy, stronger protection against intimidation and censorship, and structural, flexible funding that also reaches small-scale actors and actors from the global South. Four pillars are crucial for the EU: Engagement and transparency: binding guidelines for CSO inclusion in policy and programme cycles. Examples such as the Global Gateway show how exclusion of CSOs and Southern partners undermines legitimacy. Support: recognition of advocacy as a legitimate use of funds and easier access for smaller and local actors. Protection: integration of civic space clauses in international agreements and stronger anti-SLAPP and anti-intimidation measures. As well as protection initiatives in both the EU and partner region and and accessible visa for human rights defenders at risk. Coordination and monitoring: CSOs must play an active role in the selection, design and implementation of all EU-funded projects and strategies. Civil society participation should be strengthened in areas such as democracy and rule of law, international cooperation, gender equality, climate and biodiversity, and trade policy. It is crucial that grassroots organisations, womens rights groups, and actors in the Global South are systematically and equally included in policy-making, monitoring, and evaluation. Protecting and strengthening civil society is fundamental to democracy, the rule of law, and sustainable development. Only by ensuring the participation of diverse voices, including those from the Global South, can the EU develop a credible and effective strategy for civic space.
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Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Aug 2025 · Mercosur and trade policy

Meeting with Pascal Arimont (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Jun 2025 · Omnibus and CSDDD

Meeting with Rudi Kennes (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Apr 2025 · International trade

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament) and Eurogroup for Animals

12 Feb 2025 · EU-Mercosur Agreement

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Feb 2025 · Trade relations with Indonesia

Meeting with Daniel Freund (Member of the European Parliament) and Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte Philippinen

18 Nov 2024 · Human Rights Situation at the Phillipines

Meeting with Martin Schirdewan (Member of the European Parliament) and Climate Action Network Europe and

26 Sept 2024 · Fairer Handel

Meeting with Charmaine Hili (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen) and Human Rights Watch and European Institute of Peace

10 Jul 2024 · Syrian refugees / Lebanon package

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Jul 2024 · Dossiers mbt internationale handel, industrie, klimaat en migratie en vooruitzichten voor het nieuwe mandaat

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Jan 2024 · The outcome of the negotiations on the European Pact on Asylum and Migration

Meeting with Nathalie Loiseau (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

20 Sept 2023 · Syrie

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Jun 2023 · Lunch debate on asylum and migration 11.11.11 (APA)

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Apr 2023 · Staff level: Single permit directive

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Feb 2023 · Challenges for asylum and migration in the EU - APA

Meeting with Marc Tarabella (Member of the European Parliament)

19 Apr 2022 · Indonésie

Meeting with Hannah Neumann (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Amnesty International Limited and

7 Dec 2021 · Expert Round Table on EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders

Response to Modernising the EU’s batteries legislation

1 Mar 2021

11.11.11 welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a Battery Regulation and strongly supports the need for the transition to sustainable mobility to respect human rights and stay well within planetary boundaries. Our feedback focuses on the European Commission’s proposal to install human rights and environmental due diligence for economic operators in the battery chain in the European Union (Article 39). We strongly encourage the choice for mandatory human rights due diligence based on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, and stress the need – as proposed by the Commission – to ensure it covers the entire value chain (upstream and downstream) of all batteries on the European market. In this feedback, we point out some elements that according to our view need to be added or further improved: • The duty of care needs to be complemented by a duty to cooperate in remediation and a liability for business enterprises. • The scope of the mandatory human rights due diligence obligations should be elaborated to all problematic battery minerals. • The scope of the mandatory human rights due diligence obligations should be elaborated to all battery types. • The Regulation needs to take into account the potential impacts on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations and take appropriate measures to mitigate these impacts. • The Regulation should explicitly mention the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent. • The Regulation should recognise the human rights impacts that environmental degradation and biodiversity loss can have on indigenous and other communities’ livelihoods. • The Regulation should exclude minerals coming from protected areas as well as from deep sea mining. • The list of risks in Annex X should be complemented with the risk of financial crimes. • Only the most rigorous schemes should be recognized under Article 72 and recognized schemes should be assessed regularly for compliance. • Recovery targets for all minerals should be increased. Please find attached a further elaboration of these points.
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Response to Joint Communication: "The European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean: A renewed partnership"

26 Mar 2018

La revisión del partenariado entre la UE y América Latina ofrece una oportunidad para la armonización con la Agenda 2030, el marco Sendai y el Acuerdo de París entre otros marcos internacionales. La plena implementación de la Agenda 2030 sólo puede ser alcanzada con la movilización de recursos como la Ayuda Oficial para el Desarrollo, además del cambio de modelo de consumo y producción que protegerá los límites del planeta y beneficiará a la ciudadanía más discriminada. Entorno propicio vs. reducción del espacio para las OSCs y los DDHs En los últimos años ha habido en Europa y en AL una reducción significativa de los espacios abiertos para de la sociedad civil, a nivel cuantitativo como cualitativo. Los mecanismos que deberían permitir a las organizaciones ciudadanas alimentar las decisiones políticas carecen muchas veces de impacto y se han incrementado leyes y órdenes administrativas que restringen y criminalizan la actuación de las OSCs. La UE debe apoyar y legitimar su labor y su papel fundamental en la defensa de los derechos humanos y en la consecución de los ODS. Respeto por los límites del planeta La Agenda 2030 enlaza sostenibilidad con la protección de los límites del planeta. En los últimos años se han demostrado los efectos del cambio climático en muchas partes de América Latina. Esto incrementa la necesidad de evolucionar hacia un futuro más verde, hacia otro sistema económico que respete los límites ecológicos del planeta. Los costes ambientales de este tipo de crecimiento están vinculados a costes sociales. La población local que vive en las zonas de extracción ve su calidad de vida retroceder y sus derechos violados. Negocios y derechos humanos El modelo de negocios promovido por las empresas transnacionales, incluyendo las europeas, se centra en la extracción de recursos naturales como el petróleo, el gas, el oro, la plata, el hierro, el cobre y el estaño entre otras. Este modelo tiene un impacto negativo sobre las comunidades rurales y los pueblos indígenas cuya situación se deteriora constantemente: las actividades extractivas se incrementan sustancialmente,los impactos negativos sobre las condiciones de vida, los ecosistemas y las comunidades crecen. Luchando contra la igualdad AL y el Caribe es una de las regiones con mayor desigualdad del mundo y el último crecimiento económico no ha reducido la brecha. Los sectores más golpeados son los pequeños agricultores, los trabajadores y las mujeres, víctimas de políticas económicas nacionales e internacionales que impactan negativamente sobre sus ingresos, los sistemas de protección social y el acceso a los servicios públicos básicos. Las políticas fiscales de las élites económicas y políticas gravan el consumo favoreciendo así a los beneficios y la acumulación de activos. Trabajo digno y protección social para la ciudadanía Los gobiernos de la UE-CELAC deben demostrar su compromiso hacia el progreso adoptando estándares que creen y protejan el trabajo digno y que garanticen salarios decentes y un alto nivel de protección social como mecanismo efectivo para combatir la exclusión, la pobreza y las desigualdades. Los gobiernos deben garantizar la libertad de asociación, el derecho a la negociación colectiva y el derecho de reunión y manifestación como instrumento para reforzar la democracia tal y como se indica en las convenciones de la OIT. Violencia contra las mujeres y niñas La violencia contra las mujeres y niñas y el feminicidio continúan siendo los principales motivos de muerte y enfermedad de las mujeres en AL. A pesar del capítulo de Género en el Plan de Acción EU-CELAC, la adopción de la Convención de Estambul o la experiencia de la Convención Belèm do Pará, las iniciativas del SEAE en el marco del capítulo de Género no son acciones coherentes. Los mecanismos de seguimiento de las Convenciones, GREVIO y MESECVI, serían un valor activo en la implementación del capítulo de Género y la lucha contra la violencia hacia mujeres y niñas.
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