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
On 27 May, FRA participated in the annual EEA and Norway Grants International Partner Organisations meeting.
The UN’s Human Rights Regional Office for Europe launched its report 'The case for a human rights approach to the rule of law in the European Union' at a webinar on 14 May.
Intergovernmental organisations, and EU institutions and agencies, met online on 17 April to discuss the impact of COVID measures for human rights defenders in Europe, and what the implications are for their work.
Many people in Europe have been strongly affected by COVID-19 and the measures in place to stop its spread.
Five EU Member States volunteered to review implementation of the sustainable development goals in their countries in 2020.
The large earthquake that hit Croatia on 22 March adds further strain to stretched emergency services already fighting the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. FRA offers its solidarity to Croatia and particularly to Ombudswoman Lora Vidović whose offices were badly damaged in the earthquake.
While recognising the very real threat to health and life that the COVID-19 virus poses, and the duty of the State to ensure the public’s health, FRA is undertaking a rapid research exercise on the impact of responses to the virus with respect to people’s fundamental rights - such as freedom of movement and assembly.
FRA joined discussions at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee on how commitments in OGP national action plans could better support an enabling environment for civil society.
The Netherlands Helsinki Committee hosted a workshop on communicating rights in a post-truth area.
The new-look, modern FRA website allows users to quickly and simply find the key fundamental rights information they need.
A book launch looking at FRA’s impact took place at the European Commission on 22 January in Brussels.
This year FRA looks forward to a new decade for fundamental human rights across Europe, as the new European Parliament and Commission hit the ground running with a raft of new strategies promoting and protecting rights.
Today marks human rights day, a day that celebrates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what it means to all of us. But it should be a cause for celebration every day.
There is a vast array of human rights information. The trouble is, you often have to search through so many different places online. Much of it is relevant for the EU and its Member States. Now, help is at hand with FRA’s European Union Fundamental Rights Information System, EFRIS. It draws together information from these various sources, providing a much-needed single entry point.
Ten years ago on 1 December, the full force of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter came into play. This landmark bill of rights for the EU has the power to make a difference. One decade on, it is yet to reach its full potential. This is changing, slowly but surely.
The European Judicial Training Network recently signed a Letter of Intent with FRA.
On 14 November, FRA’s Director spoke at the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions’ 2019 Annual Conference ‘Realising Economic and Social Rights in Europe: the role of National Human Rights Institutions’.
What does effective human rights communications really mean? And how should we do it? Participants at FRA’s recent workshop share their views.
FRA joined an online seminar on fundamental rights in forced returns.
-
FRA’s Executive Board and Management Board will convene on 8 and 9 June via video conference.
The FRA Director will join a Facebook live meeting on 26 May to discuss the situation of fundamental rights in Europe.
-
On 24 and 25 June, FRA will host interactive online sessions to mark the launch of the report ‘What do fundamental rights mean for people in the EU?’
The FRA Director will address the Bureau of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on 19 May.
-
FRA will join Europe Day events in Vienna and worldwide on 7 and 9 May 2020.
Representatives from intergovernmental organisations and EU institutions responsible for cooperation with civil society and for supporting human rights defenders in Europe will meet online for an internal exchange on 17 April .
FRA supports the European Commission with ongoing consultations as part of the upcoming strategy on the application of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter.
FRA will give a presentation on the agency's work to develop human rights indicators at a seminar in Helsinki.
-
FRA will join the Council of Europe’s steering committee for human rights (CDDH) meeting.
FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty will visit the Council of Europe on 4 March in Strasbourg.
The agency’s Scientific Committee will meet on 10 February at FRA.
How can we strengthen citizen involvement in the EU’s cohesion funds?
FRA’s Director and a delegation of its Management Team will meet the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 7 February in Geneva.
-
The Advisory Panel of the FRA’s Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) will discuss the platform’s future development.
-
FRA's online international human rights tool, the European Union Fundamental Rights Information System, will be presented and discussed in Strasbourg from 16 to 17 January.
FRA will take part in the 9th meeting of its collaborative platform on social and economic rights.
On 19 November the Annual Rule of law dialogue - as established by the Council and the Member States end of 2014 - takes place in a General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
-
FRA is the current chair of the EU Agencies Network on Scientific Advice (ANSA).