“I am very keen to take up this new function. FRA’s activities on fundamental rights in Europe are extremely important and we need to support it and make it even stronger during these difficult times in Europe,” says FRA Management Board Chairperson, Sirpa Rautio.
Sirpa Rautio, the Finnish member of the FRA Management Board, has over 25 years of experience in human rights organisations and institutions (e.g. the World Bank Nordic Trust Fund, the Council of Europe, the OSCE/ODIHR, the UN and the EU). She has been the director of the Finnish Human Rights Centre since 2012. The Centre, together with the Finnish Parliamentary Ombudsman Office is Finland’s A-rated National Human Rights Institution. Ms Rautio has extensive experience working in post-conflict settings and countries in transition, including former Yugoslavia. She is a lawyer by profession.
Filippo di Robilant from Italy was elected as member of the Executive Board. He has held various senior positions in public service, both at EU and Italian level, as well as having extensive experience on the field related to protection of human rights. In 1994 he co-founded the international NGO No Peace Without Justice. He is currently an independent human rights consultant and teaches international humanitarian law in various institutions.
The FRA Management Board is the agency’s independent oversight body. It is responsible for adopting the agency’s multiannual Programming Document, and its annual Fundamental Rights Report. It also adopts the agency’s budget, monitors the agency’s operations, and appoints the Agency’s Director, as well as the members of FRA’s Scientific Committee.
Every Member State appoints one independent expert, nominated for five years. FRA Management Board members have high level responsibilities in national human rights institutions or other public or private sector organisations. Two representatives of the European Commission and one independent person appointed by the Council of Europe also sit on the Board. For a complete list of members see the FRA website.
For further information please contact: media@fra.europa.eu
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