Systems

Support for human rights systems and defenders

Many organisations work to defend your rights. We help their efforts with independent evidence, advice and expertise.

We support their frontline work. And we shine a light on potential risks and priority areas. Together we make your rights a reality.

Highlights

  • Periodic updates / Series
    18
    October
    2023
    Civil society organisations struggle to maintain an environment safe from threats and attacks. FRA’s sixth annual update on civic space explores the challenges for organisations across the EU. While there has been significant development since FRA began monitoring the situation in 2018, civil society organisations remain under immense pressure. Abusive lawsuits and attacks against those involved in migrant search and rescue at sea are just some of the challenges identified. This report presents ways forward to protect civil society and human rights.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    11
    October
    2021
    This report proposes a framework for becoming, and functioning as, a ‘human rights city’ in the EU. It includes ‘foundations’, ‘structures’ and ‘tools’ for mayors, local administrations and grassroots organisations to reinforce fundamental rights locally. It is based on existing good practice and expert input by representatives of human rights cities in the EU, academic experts, international organisations and city networks.
  • Page
    The European Union Fundamental Rights Information System EFRIS is a Human Rights Gateway, bringing together data and information from existing human rights databases, and enables viewing and analysis of relevant assessments of fundamental rights in the EU.
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    23
    October
    2018
    As a very modern human rights catalogue containing many rights not found in established bills of rights, the Charter indeed looks good on paper. Those familiar with the main principles of EU law can usually quickly recite that the Charter is always binding on the EU, and binding on Member States only when they are "implementing EU law". But what does this often-quoted language from Article 51 of the Charter actually mean?
Products
The nine EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies are marking the 10-year anniversary of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights by pledging to continue to respect and promote fundamental rights throughout the work.
The Ethical Journalism Network and FRA provided face-to-face media training at the Thomson Foundation in London on 21 October.
On 3 October, FRA presented the guidelines on improving the collection and use of equality data at a national stakeholder conference organised in Dublin by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
If you are old, chances are you have been discriminated against. It is so common in fact that, across the EU, over 40% of Europeans feel that discrimination towards older people is widespread in their country. Marking International Day for Older People, FRA calls on EU institutions and Member States to fully respect the rights of older people.
Practitioners are often unsure whether or not the Charter of Fundamental Rights applies to a given situation, and how it adds value.
On 12 September, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty presented the Fundamental Rights Report 2019 to the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in Brussels.
FRA participated in the EEA and Norway Grants Financial Mechanism Office’s second International Partner Organisation coordination meeting in Brussels on 27 June.
FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2019 provides insights into the main issues shaping fundamental rights debates across the EU.
FRA’s Director presented the key findings of its Fundamental Rights Report 2019 at the Council of the EU’s Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens’ Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP) on 24 June.
FRA took part in the UN OHCHR meeting on local governments and human rights on 17 June in Geneva.
On 20 June in Geneva, FRA presented its European Union Fundamental Rights Information Tool (EFRIS) to the annual meeting of United Nations Special Procedures and Mandate Holders.
FRA co-hosted a session on cybercrime and fundamental rights with the EU’s drugs agency (EMCDDA).
The independent member appointed by the Council of Europe to FRA’s Management Board, Rainer Hofmann, gave a presentation to the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights on 20 June in Strasbourg.
During the European Commission’s General Data Protection Regulation event, ‘One year of GDPR application: taking stock in the EU and beyond’, FRA launched the ‘General Data Protection Regulation – one year on’ focus paper.
Help is at hand for media professionals seeking to enhance the quality of their work when reporting about migration, as FRA releases a new e-learning platform developed by journalists for journalists to mark World Refugee Day on 20 June.
The International Press Institute World Congress took place in Geneva from 4 to 5 June. While there, FRA alongside France TV, Google and Twitter, took part in a panel debate on ‘Stopping hacks, data abuse and disinformation in Europe: what works and who’s responsible’.
FRA took part at the second meeting of the Education and Training 2020 Working Group on Promoting Common Values and Inclusive Education.
On 1 December this year it will be 10 years that the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights entered into legal force. To mark a decade of human rights protection through a written bill of rights at EU level, FRA has put the anniversary branding on its website.
FRA hosted a workshop on 30 May on empowering socially excluded people to participate in designing, implementing and monitoring policies.
FRA met with the Czech Public Defender of Rights, Anna Šabatová, on 22 May in Brno to assess cooperation.
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FRA will take part in a conference discussing various issues linked to security research.
On 14 November, a group of people of all ages and different backgrounds living in Vienna will visit FRA.
FRA will take part in the meeting of the Subgroup on data and evidence of the European Commission’s interservice group on integration of non-EU nationals.
On 13 November, FRA’s Director will be part of a Citizens’ Dialogue at the European Commission’s representation in Luxembourg.
FRA will speak to the European and International Affairs Committee of the Vienna City Council on 6 November about the relevance of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter for regional and local authorities, as well as about its cooperation with the City of Vienna.
FRA will speak at a joint meeting of the working group of the Council of the EU’s Working Parties on Fundamental Rights, Citizens Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP) and on Human rights (COHOM).
The FRA Director will take part in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting in Luxembourg on 24 October.
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On 24 October in Stockholm, Heads of EU Agencies will come together to discuss issues of common interest.
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FRA will host the annual meeting of the European Coordination Committee of Human Rights Documentation.
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The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regularly invites regional offices responsible for promoting and protecting human rights to consultations on how to coordinate their work better.
To celebrate 10 years since the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter became legally binding, FRA, the European Commission and the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU are hosting a conference in Brussels on 12 November.
On 24 October, FRA will present the key findings of the Fundamental Rights Report 2019 in the field of non-discrimination racism, xenophobia and related intolerances in a workshop which will take place in Rome.
On 18 October, a delegation led by the Deputy Ombudsman, Maija Sakslin of the office of the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland and the Human Rights Centre, Sirpa Rautio, will visit FRA.
On 16 October in Vienna, the FRA Director, Michael O’Flaherty, will deliver the opening speech at an event on ‘Democracy, human rights and the rule of law: how best to protect and promote the founding values of the EU’.
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FRA will join a conference on ‘Protecting Civic Space in the European Union’, which is being organised by the UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (OHRHC).
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The agency’s National Liaison Officers (NLOs) will meet in Vienna from 14 to 15 October to discuss FRA’s cooperation with EU Member States.
A delegation of FRA’s Management team will meet the Council of Europe on 10 and 11 October in Strasbourg to discuss how to further strengthen cooperation.
The Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU has invited FRA’s Director to address the EU Council’s Working Party on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Brussels on 9 October.
The Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU has invited FRA’s Director to address EU Justice Ministers during the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 7 October.
FRA will take part in a national stakeholder conference convened by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission on 3 October in Dublin.