Background

As part of its 10th anniversary year, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in
close cooperation with the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European
Union invites its stakeholders, including Members of the European Parliament, the
European Commission, national governments and parliaments, national human
rights institutions and other human rights actors across the EU to a symposium
discussing fundamental rights issues that are currently high on the Union’s political
agenda.

The Agency’s annual Fundamental Rights Report will form the background for this discussion. It includes a review of developments over the past 10 years focusing, in particular, on the protection of the rights of children. Children will be among the event’s participants.

The Symposium will take stock of developments since 2007, the year in which the Agency was created, to explore and discuss with participants how we can improve the protection, respect, and the promotion of fundamental rights.

Looking back over the past decade FRA finds that, despite progress in many areas, challenges remain too daunting and patterns of abuse too great. Europe is facing persisting high poverty levels, rates of youth unemployment that demoralise young people, political forces that capitalise on fear championing nationalist, populist and sometimes even racist agendas, as well as an overall disappointment in what Europe has to offer to the citizen. Communicating the importance of human rights in this political environment is increasingly difficult.

The discussion will address the following 3 core issues, including on dimensions that affect child rights:

  • Migration and asylum
  • (In)Security and fear
  • Poverty and social exclusion

Meeting structure

  • Half-day plenary event
  • Two high-level panels with EU and national level leaders, decision makers and experts with discussion with participants
  • Videos with children’s’ view that serve to introduce the sessions

Participants

Some 300-350 participants from the EU’s fundamental rights landscape ranging from representatives of EU institutions and bodies, UN / Council of Europe, national governments, human rights organisations, civil society including faith based communities, trade unions, those that work on arts and human rights and other experts, as well as children.