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
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.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: The Charter of Fundamental Rights is the EU’s bill of human rights. These rights and principles have to be respected and promoted by EU institutions and Member States whenever they act within EU law. Approaching the Charter’s 10th anniversary, Member States do not yet make full use of the potential it offers.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Implementing fundamental and human rights helps create a sustainable future.
Here the EU plays a key role.
19
June
2019
In 2018, some 2,299 people are estimated to have died or gone missing at sea while crossing the sea to reach Europe to escape war or persecution or to pursue a better life. This is on average more than six people per day. Before mid-2017, a significant share of migrants in distress at sea have been rescued by civil society vessels deployed with a humanitarian mandate to reduce fatalities and bring rescued migrants to safety. In 2018, however, authorities in some Member States viewed civil society-deployed rescue vessels with hostility. As a reaction, they seized rescue vessels, arrested crew members, and initiated legal procedures against them (more than a dozen altogether). In some cases, rescue vessels were blocked in harbours due to flag issues.
On 7 December, FRA contributed to annual Human Rights celebration organised by the municipality of Vienna and the Vienna Human Rights Office.
FRA provided training on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to law drafters in Finland. It was part of a training course on fundamental and human rights when drafting laws.
FRA contributed to a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue conference on civic space.
On 22 and 23 November, the FRA Director met with Swedish government officials in Stockholm in the run-up to the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
On 5 December representatives from the EEA and Norway Grants and FRA had their annual cooperation meeting in Vienna.
The nine EU Agencies active in the field of freedom, security and justice convened today in Budapest for a high-level meeting, chaired by CEPOL, to take stock of the main achievements in 2022, which includes the ongoing engagement with Ukraine and Moldova.
On 17 November, the FRA Director had bilateral meetings at the European Parliament.
On 22 November, the Council of the EU hosted a training session on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights for Justice and Home Affairs Councillors.
On 10 November, FRA hosted the annual meeting of the Fundamental Rights Platform.
On 24 – 25 October, FRA took part in the EIGE Gender Equality Forum, organised by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in Brussels.
On 21 October, FRA presented the interim findings of its project on the role of national bodies with a human rights remit in the monitoring of EU funds at an Equinet workshop.
On 20 October, FRA Director delivered a keynote speech at a joint meeting of Ariadne and Assifero, the Italian network of foundations of non-banking origin. The event aimed at bringing human rights issues to the attention of Italian foundations and encouraging them to engage with these concerns at national, European, or international levels.
FRA spoke at a hearing of a European Parliament working group on access to funding for civil society.
FRA, together with OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), hosted a meeting for intergovernmental organisations and EU institutions on civil society cooperation and support for human rights defenders.
The heads of ENNHRI, Equinet and FRA met on 12 October in Brussels. They discussed current and upcoming priorities.
The European Network of Equality Bodies, Equinet, held an online round table on 11 October.
The FRA Director joined the EU’s Justice Council in Luxembourg on 13 October.
FRA joined the 10th Strategic Meeting of Mechanisms and Programmes for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
FRA shared key findings from its civic space work with the Finish Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE).
The FRA Director visited The Hague on 4 and 5 October.
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FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty will meet State Secretaries and staff of the German Justice and Interior Ministries on 31 May.
On 16 May, FRA will welcome a delegation of fellows from the Western Balkans Fellowship Programme.
FRA and the CIVEX Commission of the European Committee of the Regions will host on online training event on 19 May.
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The agency’s Executive Board and Management Board will convene on 19 and 20 May in Vienna.
FRA will provide training on the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter for staff of several Croatian ministries.
On 16 May, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty will meet the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media Teresa Ribeiro.
FRA will speak on 6 May at the first of a series of webinars organised by the Association of Polish Municipalities.
On 7 May, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) organises the fourth Fundamental Rights Dialogue – a live debate that gives young people an opportunity to voice their fundamental rights concerns and discussed ways to solve them. The event will take place in Paris and will be live-streamed.
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FRA will join the Council of Europe conference ‘Speaking Human Rights Online’ in Brussels.
On 12 April, FRA will meet a group of 30 students from the French National Institute for local Studies (INET).
On 6 April, FRA will run a webinar on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) and how civil society organisations can make use of it.
What is the future for business and human rights?
FRA’s Executive Board will meet on 11 March via videoconference.
On 28 February, FRA Scientific Committee will meet for its 56th meeting (online).
On 24 February, FRA’s Director will speak during the opening panel of the UN-EU high-level policy dialogue ‘Protecting the safety of journalists, media freedom and pluralism in the European Union: challenges and opportunities’.
On 8 February, FRA will contribute to a high-level panel discussion during the closing of the Winter Academy.
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FRA will speak at the 2022 Winter Academy on ‘human rights go local: what works’.
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FRA will take part in two European Commission workshops that aim to help prepare a legislative proposal on binding standards for Equality Bodies.
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FRA’s Executive Board and Management Board will meet via videoconference on 16 and 17 December.