On 20 February 2023, the Council of the EU approved conclusions on the EU’s priorities in UN human rights fora in 2023. The conclusions reaffirmed the EU’s “unequivocal commitment to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights and to defend their universality”, and included for the first time, an explicit commitment to academic freedom, offering to strengthen its action to uphold it (at para. 9). While conclusions are not binding, they are important, as they clearly identify issues of concern for the EU, and can offer significant direction to the EU and the Member States.