| MS | Title | Partners | Description | More details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination’s European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet) membership |
|
The Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination is a member ofEquinet. This network ensures that information and knowledge flow as efficiently as possible between members so that they may learn from the successes achieved and the challenges encountered during the implementation of their mandates at the national level. The commissioner’s staff have been actively involved in Equinet working groups. Their participation is valuable in terms of not only enhancing professional capacities but also exchanging best practices among equality bodies in various European countries.This participation exemplifies the promising pursuit of continuous improvement and collaboration within Equinet, fostering the exchange of knowledge and expertise to advance equality and non-discrimination across the continent. |
View more |
| Albania | Juvenile and Youth Crime Prevention Centre |
|
The Juvenile and Youth Crime Prevention Centre is an institution established as a mechanism under the Ministry of Justice, responsible for designing preventive programmes and supervising minors for a six-month period after the end of their sentence. In collaboration withCaritas Albania, the centre has initiated a promising programme known as the Path of Opportunities, with the primary aim of providing education, employment and psychosocial support to all minors who have been in conflict with the law and have completed their sentence. The programme supports them through the process of reintegrating into society. Started in 2022, this ongoing initiative involves regular meetings between the working groups of the Juvenile and Youth Crime Prevention Centre and Caritas Albania to address specific cases of minors currently enrolled in professional courses. In order to formalise this collaboration, the Juvenile and Youth Crime Prevention Centre and Caritas Albania signed a cooperation agreement entitled ‘For the provision of services within the framework of the rehabilitation and reintegration of minors and youth in conflict with the law’. Under this agreement, several meetings have been arranged with minors who have completed their sentence at the Kavajë Institute for Minors. At the time of writing, these minors were undertaking professional courses in computer science and culinary arts. The Path of Opportunities programme prioritises psychosocial support, meticulous case management, education, employment and equal opportunities for all participants. |
View more |
| Austria | Austrian League for Human Rights’ activities regarding the Universal Periodic Review |
|
The Austrian League for Human Rights organises the coordination of a joint statement by Austrian civil society to the UN Human Rights Council in the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The league supports the networking of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and invites umbrella organisations from diverse areas of human rights to participate in the UPR. Over 20 umbrella organisations with well over 250 sub-organisations were involved in the latest UPR process in order to give the widest possible range of NGOs the opportunity to suggest improvements in their fields of expertise, to make demands and to highlight positive developments. The league coordinates with the network of human rights coordinators of the federal ministries in terms of structured dialogue for the country report to the Human Rights Council in the framework of the UPR and regarding the implementation of the recommendations. This is considered a promising practice of cooperation between government administration and civil society for human rights monitoring. For a long time, it has been difficult to track whether the recommendations of the Human Rights Council are being implemented by the Austrian government. For this reason, the league developed the UPR tool. The UPR tool reflects the global recommendations to Austria from the UPR process at the UN Human Rights Council and shows the current implementation status. The UPR tool also details the status of the recommendations (accepted or acknowledged), progress in the implementation of these recommendations, the responsible actors at the federal level and specialised NGOs. Moreover, the league comments on the progress in the implementation of these recommendations. The mandate of the league furthermore encompasses education, training and awareness raising on human rights (also targeting parliamentary bodies and government administration). |
View more |
| Austria | Roma Dialogue Platform |
|
The Roma Dialogue Platform is considered a promising practice of cooperation, coordination and synergies, as it meets several criteria in accordance with the Belgrade principles, as explained below. The mechanism is regulated by point 28 of the EU framework for national Roma integration strategies up to 2020. The framework calls on Member States to promote the active involvement of Roma civil society as a whole and all other stakeholders, including at the regional and local levels, in Roma inclusion strategies. This is done in Austria by the Roma Dialogue Platform, which is a means of cooperation between parliament, government administration and civil society. In the framework of the Roma Dialogue Platform, civil society participates in monitoring the implementation of the national Roma strategy. Moreover, through the Roma Dialogue Platform, Roma civil society consults decision-makers in parliament and government administration on Roma concerns and needs. Thus, regular and structured exchange between representatives of government agencies and civil-society associations, in addition to experts from science and research, on Roma-relevant issues is facilitated by the platform. |
View more |
| Belgium | Belgian Network of Ombudsmen |
|
The online portal Ombudsman.be is an initiative by the Belgian Network of Ombudsmen that guides citizens to the appropriate ombudsman for their specific issues, whether involving organisations in the public, private or semi-private sectors. The network includes various ombudsman offices working at the federal, regional and community levels. Each operates independently to review complaints, seek solutions and improve service quality by addressing problematic situations. The network has also adopted important resolutions to enhance citizens’ rights. One advocates for the recognition of internet access as a fundamental right, essential for accessing information and services. Another calls for legal recognition of the right to make mistakes, promoting a supportive and educational approach to administrative errors. These efforts reflect the network’s commitment to fairness, transparency and accessibility in public administration and services. |
View more |
| Belgium | Cooperation among members of the Platform on Human Rights |
|
In Belgium, the informal Platform on Human Rights gathers the different Belgian stakeholders with a human rights protection mandate based in nationallaw. The platform meets monthly and has a six-month rotating presidency. The members of this platform often work together on topics that are of common interest. For example, in July 2023, Unia, the CCSP/CTRG and FIRM sent ajoint communicationto the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe concerning the group of casesL.B. vBelgium, which referred to detention in the psychiatric wards of prison establishments. In September 2023, FIRM, Myria, the Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service, Unia, the Federal Ombudsman, the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, the Flemish Office of the Children’s Rights Commissioner and the General Delegate for Children’s Rights wrotejoint lettersinviting European bodies and the UN to examine human rights violations in the context of the reception crisis in Belgium, which left many asylum seekers without reception due to the lack of reception places in the country. In October 2023, the Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service, FIRM, Unia, Myria, the Flemish Office of the Children’s Rights Commissioner and the General Delegate for Children’s Rights published ajoint position paperon the just transition and human rights, in which they called for, among other things, transition policies to take into account the needs of vulnerable populations and the participation of vulnerable groups in policymaking and decision-making. |
View more |
| Bulgaria | National structures for combating trafficking in human beings and providing support to victims |
|
In Bulgaria, the mechanisms tackling trafficking in human beings present a promising example of collaboration between different stakeholders engaging in prevention and providing various support services to victims of human trafficking at the local, national and supranational levels. As a party to all major international agreements in this field, Bulgaria has, over the years, taken significant steps to develop a comprehensive legislative and institutional framework for combating trafficking in human beings. The national anti-trafficking and victim protection policy is set out in theCombatingTrafficking in Human Beings Act (Закон за борба с трафика на хора), adopted in 2003. The act established the national coordination body –the National Commission forCombatingTrafficking in Human Beings (NCCTHB) (Национална комисия за борба с трафика на хора) – under the oversight of the Council of Ministers. At the local level, local commissions forcombatingtrafficking in human beings have gradually been set up in 10 municipalities. These commissions function under the same administrative guidelines as the NCCTHB and mirror its structure: they are chaired by a deputy mayor and include representatives of the relevant regional authorities. The NCCTHB also acts as Bulgaria’s national rapporteur or equivalent mechanism within the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator’s network. In addition, it is a member of the Network of National Anti-Trafficking Coordinators from South-East Europe and serves as Bulgaria’s contact point for the Transnational Referral Mechanism, developed by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development in Vienna, and for reporting to relevant UN bodies, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
View more |
| Bulgaria | Synergies in mechanisms for monitoring the rights of persons with disabilities |
|
In Bulgaria, the monitoring of the rights of persons with disabilities is implemented using a multilayered and multifaceted structure based on horizontal relations and involving various stakeholders. First, the Monitoring Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Съвет за наблюдение за правата на хората с увреждания) is the major monitoring mechanism for adherence to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the national level. The monitoring council has a four-year mandate and is administered by the national ombudsman and the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (Комисия за защита от дискриминация), which share the presidency on a two-year rotating basis. The council consists of nine members –two representatives each from the ombudsman and the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, four representatives of organisations for persons with disabilities and one academic appointed by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Българска академия на науките). Second, the government has established a National Council for Persons with Disabilities (Национален съвет за хората с увреждания) as an advisory body comprised of members from relevant ministries, public bodies and agencies and civil-society organisations. Third, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (Министерство на труда и социалната политика) engages in the coordination of the national monitoring mechanisms. It serves as the national focal point for matters relating to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. | View more |
| Croatia | Government Council for Human Rights |
|
Established in December 2021, the council is an interdepartmental advisory body of the government focusing on human rights issues. The tasks of the council are:
|
View more |
| Croatia | Hate Crimes Monitoring Working Group |
|
In 2021, the Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities drafted and adopted the new Protocol on the Procedure in Cases of Hate Crimes, a non-normative act defining the obligations of competent authorities involved in the detection, handling and monitoring of results of processing hate crimes. The protocol also contains provisions regarding the composition and competence of the Hate Crimes Monitoring Working Group(Articles 16–19), the manner and nature of cooperation among competent authorities, and the other activities of these bodies. According to the protocol’s provisions, the Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities is the central body for collecting and publishing data on hate crimes. It is also the body responsible for strengthening the system for combating hate crimes and cooperating with civil society and international organisations. The Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities periodically submits statistical data on hate crimes to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of theOrganizationfor Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
View more |
National human rights structures navigator
Cooperation mechanisms
This section provides examples of how national human rights structures collaborate to implement EU law. The protection and promotion of human rights within the EU require collective action across various structures and mandates. The mapping offers practical cases of cooperation designed to facilitate peer learning, although it does not claim to be exhaustive. Effective national human rights frameworks depend on both formal and informal collaboration among key stakeholders, including human rights statutory bodies, civil society organisations, government bodies, and parliamentary committees. Such partnerships promote coordinated efforts and the exchange of expertise, enhance rights awareness, help operationalise human rights principles, address gaps in protection, and reduce unnecessary duplication. The Tool includes two examples for each country, with supplementary details and, when available, additional practices under "more information." The Practices section outlines mechanisms that support cooperation among stakeholders, such as formal and informal arrangements. These mechanisms include collaborative working relationships, joint initiatives, memoranda of understanding, protocols, and advisory councils.