High Representative Kaja Kallas, in a written answer on 16 June 2026, assured that the EU will continue to press Indonesia to permit a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to West Papua, and that human rights commitments are embedded in the EU-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) concluded in September 2025. The answer, responding to a question from The Left MEP Pernando Barrena Arza, signals that the EU will not block the trade deal over West Papua but will use diplomatic channels to address concerns.
The answer reaffirms that the EU-Indonesia partnership, in place since 2014, includes regular human rights dialogues under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which respects Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Kallas stated that the EU will continue to urge Indonesia to invite the UN High Commissioner, a request Indonesia has denied since 2018. The CEPA, currently under legal revision and awaiting ratification, reaffirms commitments to the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The answer does not commit to a separate human rights review of West Papua before ratification, instead pointing to existing dialogue mechanisms and cooperation with civil society and Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission.
The EU prioritises maintaining trade ties while pursuing incremental human rights progress through dialogue, avoiding conditionality that could derail the agreement. Institutional follow-up: Ratification of CEPA will proceed; the Commission will continue to raise human rights issues in bilateral forums. The answer provides no new concrete measures or deadlines, reflecting a cautious approach that balances economic interests with human rights advocacy.