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

  • Report / Paper / Summary
    19
    December
    2023
    All EU funds must be spent in a way that respect fundamental rights. The EU spends billions of euros on creating jobs, economic growth, sustainable development and improving people’s lives. To prevent funds from being spent in ways that directly violate people’s fundamental rights, the EU strengthened the conditions how funds can be spent in 2021. This report looks at how the newly introduced conditions related to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be upheld in practice. It analyses the potential role of national human rights institutions, ombudsperson institutions and equality bodies. These safeguards can advance compliance with fundamental rights.
  • Periodic updates / Series
    6
    February
    2024
    The 2024 update on NHRIs accreditation status and mandates also covers their engagement in the monitoring of fundamental rights compliance in the use of EU funds at national level. Moreover, the update also shows how NHRIs make use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in their work when advising government or in education, training and awareness raising activities. Since its 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions – challenges, promising practices and opportunities', the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has been regularly tracking the accreditation status and mandates of NHRIs.
  • 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.
Products
The FRA Director will take part in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting in Luxembourg on 24 October.
-
On 24 October in Stockholm, Heads of EU Agencies will come together to discuss issues of common interest.
-
FRA will host the annual meeting of the European Coordination Committee of Human Rights Documentation.
-
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’.
-
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).
-
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.
-
Leading human rights communicators will gather at FRA from 3 to 4 October to discuss and seek solutions for the challenges and opportunities arising from the pace of change in the world around us.
FRA will welcome representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission of Norway to the International Organizations in Vienna and the Financial Mechanism Office on 24 September.
The FRA Executive Board will meet at the Agency on 27 September.
-
FRA will take part in a meeting on the protection of human rights defenders.
On 18 September in Helsinki, the FRA Director will speak at a high-level conference on ‘the Economy of Wellbeing’.
The FRA Director will present its Fundamental Rights Report 2019 to the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee on 12 September in Brussels.