The Spanish government rejects the laws of concord
The Spanish government led by Pedro Sánchez has rejected the harmony laws proposed by the PP and Vox coalition governments in several autonomous communities. These laws aim to repeal existing historical memory laws and replace them with new laws. However, the UN has urged Spain to take the necessary measures to guarantee strict respect for international human rights standards.
The United Nations alert
UN experts have warned that the concordat laws could transgress the Spanish state’s obligation to preserve the historical memory of serious violations of human rights. These experts have pointed out that these laws order the suppression of multiple entities, projects, websites and activities of historical memory, and can limit access to the truth about the fate of the victims. In addition, these laws hinder or remove the subsidy for projects related to historical memory.
The position of the UN
The UN considers that these initiatives of the Spanish right can make invisible the serious violations of human rights committed during the Franco dictatorial regime. The UN rapporteurs have particularly criticized the law promoted by the right-wing coalition government in the Valencian Country, which lumps together the victims of the Second Republic, ETA terrorism and Islamic terrorism, thus distorting the objective of preserve the historical memory of the victims of Francoism and the Civil War (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
Spain’s commitment
The UN reminds that Spain must comply with international agreements on human rights and historical memory. All Spanish institutions and the powers of the State must commit to protecting human rights and preserving historical memory. In case of not complying with this commitment, Spain and the UN could see their responsibility compromised.