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
    11
    June
    2020
    Now available in Macedonian and Serbian
    13 November 2020
    The year 2019 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. In so doing, it provides a compact but informative overview of the main fundamental rights challenges confronting the EU and its Member States.
    11
    June
    2020
    FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field in 2019, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. This year’s focus chapter explores how to unlock the full potential of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
    Greece needs solid, sustained support and solidarity as it faces great migration challenges, says FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty after 2 days of meetings in Athens with authorities.
    February
    2020
    In today’s media landscape the way in which journalists and editors receive, process and publish news is constantly changing. Journalists face immense time pressure, as news frequently breaks online To facilitate training on the coverage of migration news, this Trainer’s Manual is a tool to be used together with the e-Media Toolkit.
    In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty speaks about the importance and power of hope accompanying the work of FRA in 2020. Particularly after a troubled start of the year.
    Check out the EU's modern human rights catalogue and its chapter about Freedoms.
    Check out the EU's modern human rights catalogue and its chapter about Equality.
    Check out the EU's modern human rights catalogue and its chapter about Solidarity.
    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.
    Improve law and policies by always checking the applicability of the Charter!
    Check out the EU's modern human rights catalogue and its chapters starting with Dignity.
    Check out the EU's modern human rights catalogue! The Charter celebrates this year its 10th anniversary since it became legally binding!
    12
    November
    2019
    The Charter is most effective, and has a real impact on people’s lives, when parliaments, governments and courts at local, regional and national levels all actively apply it. The national sphere is particularly relevant. A strong fundamental rights architecture and committed national governments and parliaments are key to letting the Charter unfold its potential at this level. Civil society organisations (CSOs) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs) are also crucial given their contributions to the protection and promotion of Charter rights.
    This video, shot at the recent Human Rights Communicators' Network Workshop, highlights many comments from the inspirational discussions on how elements of FRA's 10 keys to effectively communicate human rights can influence our day-to-day work.
    Talk by Sarah Wishart of Rights Info at the Human Rights Communicators' Workshop held at FRA on 3-4 October 2019.
    Talk by Szczepan Orlowski of Animorph at the Human Rights Communicators' Workshop held at FRA on 3-4 October 2019.
    Talk by Flavia Kleiner of Operation Libero to the Human Rights Communicators' Workshop held at FRA on 3-4 October 2019.
    FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty gave the opening talk at the Human Rights Communicators' Workshop held at the Agency on 3-4 October 2019.
    In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty focuses on the migration situation in the Mediterranean Sea and makes three proposals.
    Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Ten years after the UN’s Disability Convention entered into force, 2018 saw it continue
    to drive advances in disability rights across the EU.
    The FRA Director visited the Council of Europe from 4 to 6 October.
    FRA presented an overview of civic space challenges in the EU at the conference ‘Where do we stand with the European civil society strategy?’.
    On 18 September, FRA took part in roundtable discussions on establishing a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) in Czechia.
    On 11 September, the Secretariat of the Council of the EU hosted a training session on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights for Justice and Home Affairs Councillors.
    FRA took part in the Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases Expert Roundtable online. The Geneva Human Rights Platform held the meeting on 14 and 15 September.
    FRA joined the OECD’s Civic Space Advisory Group meeting on 8 September.
    FRA took part in a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies’ Network at EU Asylum Agency in Valetta on 5 September.
    FRA contributed to the OSCE’s human dimension committee meeting on 12 September.
    FRA spoke at a seminar on civil society policy on 12 September.
    The newly-appointed Scientific Committee of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency elected John Morijn as its Chair and Kirsten Roberts Lyer as its Vice-Chair for a term of one year.
    FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty presented two new FRA reports to the European Parliament and the Council.
    Across the world, human rights defenders take action to protect and promote human rights. But many of them face persecution in their home countries due to their human rights work. As there is no common, consistent EU approach, it is often difficult for them to find safety in the EU. Lack of information and obstacles in obtaining visa are some of the main challenges they face, finds an EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report. More flexible relocation programmes and practical support would help.
    FRA organised an information session on its data explorers. The session provided an overview of available datasets, and explained how to search, visualise or export the data. More than 40 representatives of national authorities across the EU joined the presentation.
    On 8 and 9 June, the FRA Director met with Spanish government officials in the run-up to the Presidency of the Council of the EU in Madrid.
    The European Commission and FRA hosted a seminar on ‘Supporting civil society organisations and human rights defenders through funding’ on 19 June in Brussels.
    FRA launched a major new version of its European Fundamental Rights Information System – EFRIS.
    FRA presented its ongoing work on a report on human rights defenders’ access to the EU at the annual meeting of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform.
    Fundamental rights have weathered multiple storms recently as various crises impact Europe and the wider world. Participants at a high-level conference drew lessons from crises, past and present, and charted a way forward to make human rights structures more resilient.
    FRA took part in the regular meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Heads of Communication
    FRA had its annual Directors level meeting with the EEA and Norway Grants in Oslo on 5 June.
    FRA will give an online presentation on its work and activities to a delegation of Turkish authorities on 25 January.
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    The next Fundamental Rights Forum will take place in Vienna on 11 and 12 March 2024. It will unite policymakers, thought leaders, human rights defenders, corporate executives, artists, and other influential figures with a simple goal: to embrace human rights for Europe’s brighter future.
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    The CharterXchange is a forum for legal practitioners and stakeholders to explore current and potential applications of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and its role in driving positive changes for people’s rights. It will convene annually in December.
    On 21 November, the representatives of the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies’ Network will meet in Malta.
    On 17 November, FRA will conduct a pilot foresight exercise to identify emerging issues, trends, opportunities, and risks associated with safeguarding fundamental rights related to climate change and environmental protection.
    FRA will speak at the opening panel of the European Commission’s conference on ‘A thriving civic space for upholding fundamental rights in the EU: a framework for future action’.
    FRA will host an expert meeting for its new project on ensuring the right to environmental protection.
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    On 9 and 10 November, FRA will organise a meeting of its National Liaison Officers in Vienna. The meeting will bring together government representatives from 27 Member States and three Candidates Countries (Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia).
    The Vice Chair of FRA's Management Board, Rick Lawson, will speak on behalf of the FRA Director at the 10-years Anniversary event of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions.
    The Annual General Meeting of FRA’s Fundamental Rights Platform will take place online on 2 October.
    FRA Director will visit the Council of Europe on 5 October in Strasbourg.
    FRA Director will be a keynote speaker at the 2023 OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference Council on 2 October in Warsaw.
    FRA's Executive Board and Management Board will convene on 29 September.
    The meeting will take place online on Monday 2 October 2023 from 11:00-15:30 CEST.
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    FRA will present the Slovene translation of FRA's Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration in Ljubljana on 11 and 12 September.
    The Council of Europe Programme for human rights education for legal professionals (HELP) will host a hybrid conference on 6 July.
    On 3 July, FRA will run a webinar for the Fundamental Rights Platform to present and discuss the key highlights, opinions and findings from FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023.
    FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty will present FRA’s upcoming report on protecting human rights defenders at risk to the European Parliament’s Human Rights subcommittee (DROI) on 28 June.
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    The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU will convene experts from Member States, EU institutions and other stakeholders for the Stockholm Symposium on Democracy and the Rule of Law.
    On 21 June, FRA will welcome a delegation from the Serbian judiciary.