Statement for the International Day of Conscientious Objection to Military Service

For the past few months, six civil society organisations operating on a regional and international level – Connection e.V., European Bureau for Conscientious Objection, Pax Christi International, Quaker Council for European Affairs, Un ponte per, War Resisters International – have been working together on a European level with a focus on the human right to conscientious objection to military service.

May 15th is International Day of Conscientious Objection to Military Service. Several organizations worldwide are planning initiatives to support this human right and to stand in solidarity with those who refuse to kill and engage in wars and are for this reason persecuted, criminalized and jailed.

The undersigned organizations -active also at the European level- address a specific appeal to the European institutions and Member States to protect and fully implement the right to conscientious objection to military service which is inherent in art. 18 of the Human Rights Declaration and art. 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right is stated also in several other international and regional human rights charters.

At the European level we recall, for instance:

Art. 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;

Art. 10 of the European Union Charter;

Recommendation No. R (87) 8 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe1;

Recommendation 1518 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe2;

De Gucht Resolution of the European Parliament3;

Rulings of the European Court of Human Rights that the right to conscientious objection to military service is protected under article 9 of the ECHR4.

We call on Europe to fully implement this human right and to protect those who object to military service in their own countries and that, because of persecutions, seek protection in European countries.

On 16 February 2023, in the resolution ‘One year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine’, the EU Parliament demanded that Member States provide protection for conscientious objectors and deserters fleeing Belarus, Russia and occupied Ukraine.5 However, this is not guaranteed in most Member States.

Europe has experienced the atrocities of war and should take a clear stand to protect those who object to war and effortlessly work for peace, to stop any war.

We recall as well the ongoing #ObjectWarCampaign calling for the protection of all those who refuse to engage in the war – particularly in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and the global initiative #RefuseWar to stand for peace and refuse war everywhere.

On the occasion of this year’s May 15th International Day, we are launching a social media initiative focused on Europe to inform and raise awareness on the right to conscientious objection to military service.

We prepared posts and graphic materials with testimonies of conscientious objectors to military service from several countries such as Israel, Russia, Türkiye . . . [social media kit available here].

We invite individuals and groups to join in and stand up for the right to refuse to kill!

Connection e.V. – connection-ev.org

European Bureau for Conscientious Objection – www.ebco-beoc.org

Pax Christi International – www.paxchristi.net

Quaker Council for European Affairs – wwwqcea.org

Un ponte per – www.unponteper.org

War Resisters International – www.wri-irg.org

PAX