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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
    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.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    18
    January
    2018
    Civil society organisations in the European Union play a crucial role in promoting fundamental rights, but it has become harder for them to do so – due to both legal and practical restrictions. This report looks at the different types and patterns of challenges faced by civil society organisations working on human 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.
    FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty speaks about the role of civil society and the FRA’s mechanism for cooperation with civil society, the Fundamental Rights Platform. “A healthy civil society is vital for the protection and promotion of fundamental rights. (…) Without civil society, we are not able to achieve our goals, we are not able to deliver our results. (…) We can cooperate to ensure that our Europe of values remains and gets ever stronger.”
    This video message by Ulrike Lunacek, Vice-President of the European Parliament, was recorded on the occasion of FRA's 10th anniversary.
    In 2017 and beyond, the Fundamental Rights Agency will focus on today’s most urgent human rights quandaries, from migration and asylum, through xenophobia and discrimination, to the very contemporary challenges of privacy, surveillance and hate speech in the digital age.
    FRA held an online webinar on 5 May with its National Liaison Officers on its upcoming Framework of Commitments for Human Rights cities.
    FRA exchanged views on civil society space with the European Parliament’s LIBE Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG).
    The summary of FRA’s Fundamental Rights Survey report on What do fundamental rights mean for people in the EU? is now available in all EU languages, except German, plus Macedonian and Serbian. The German version will follow soon.
    The Fundamental Rights Report’s focus chapter on unlocking the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter’s full potential is now also available online in Polish, Portuguese and Slovenian.
    Last week, FRA's Director visited Ljubljana from 15 to 18 March to discuss assistance during the upcoming EU Presidency of Slovenia.
    FRA has just released key findings from its consultation with its Fundamental Rights Platform on the impact of COVID-19 measures on the work of human rights civil society.
    FRA seeks feedback from users on a range of its products, such as reports, datasets and handbooks.
    FRA presented findings from its COVID-19 impact bulletins during a conference on the state of EU citizens’ rights. It drew attention to the impact of the pandemic on the fundamental right to family life for citizens moving about the EU.
    Six EU Member States volunteered to review the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in their countries in 2021. These countries are Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Spain and Sweden.
    FRA’s Director attended a Frontex Management Board meeting on 10 November which addressed key fundamental rights issues.
    The EU’s Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies are stepping up their mutual cooperation on digitalisation. Earlier today, the Heads of JHA Agencies came together for a virtual annual meeting, chaired by Eurojust, where they had a first exchange on Artificial Intelligence and digital capacity building, training tools and innovative learning. With the COVID-19 pandemic having served as a catalyst for teleworking and videoconferencing, the agencies agreed to explore avenues for closer cooperation in order to shape the digital future of law enforcement, border management and justice that respects fundamental rights.
    On 3 November, the FRA Director met Ambassador Nuno Brito virtually, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the EU, to discuss FRA’s support to the upcoming Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU.
    The EEA and Norway Grants and FRA discussed online their cooperation at their annual meeting on 20 October.
    The EU’s newly established Sustainable Finance Platform held its first meeting from 15 to 16 October. The Platform, based on a new EU regulation, consists of experts on environmental, sustainable finance and human rights.
    On 29 September, international organisations exchanged information on business and human rights-related activities.
    Staff from intergovernmental organisations and EU institutions responsible for cooperation with civil society and for supporting human rights defenders met online on 28 September to exchange information about ongoing and upcoming activities.
    EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies exchanged experiences on 24 September on how they apply the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter.
    On 24 September 2020, FRA’s Management Board formally decided to extend the contract of Michael O’Flaherty as Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) for another three years.
    FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty gave a keynote speech in Salzburg on 28 August on fundamental rights during the COVID 19 pandemic.
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    Over two days, human rights communicators will gather for their annual network meeting to share know-how and expertise. This year, the focus will be on tackling disinformation.
    FRA will speak at the German Child and Youth Welfare Congress (Deutscher Jugendhilfetag), Europe’s biggest child and youth welfare summit, on 18 May.
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    FRA will take part in the Council of Europe’s discussions on the central role National Human Rights Institutions play in promoting and protecting human rights in Europe.
    On 21 April, the Association of Polish cities will host a virtual event for mayors and vice-mayors.
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    On 22 and 23 March, FRA’s National Liaison Officers (NLOs) will come together via video conference to discuss FRA’s cooperation with EU Member States.
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    UNECE will hold an online workshop on poverty measurement from 25 to 26 March. FRA will present innovative approaches put into practice by various EU Member States. The workshop aims to provide hands-on training and address the capacity-building needs expressed by countries on adapting their surveys.
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    FRA will present findings from its recent artificial intelligence and fundamental rights report during a two-day training webinar.
    On 17 March, FRA will present selected findings from its surveys during the European Forum for Urban Security (EFUS) General Assembly and Annual Conference.
    FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty will be one of the inaugural speakers at an event to discuss challenges and the future for civil society organisations during and after COVID-19.
    FRA will present findings from its work on the impact of COVID-19 on fundamental rights during the UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. It will be part of discussions on 10 March on how human rights can guide sustainable recovery. FRA will also draw on its work on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in the EU. The event focuses on how to ensure that the principle of leaving no-one behind is entrenched in COVID-19 recovery strategies and plans.
    FRA will give a presentation during a meeting on victims’ participation in criminal proceedings and access to justice. FRA will draw on its recently-published results from the Fundamental Rights Survey, as well as other FRA research.
    FRA Director, Michael O’Flaherty, will address the online high-level international conference on ‘Human Rights Go Local: What Works’ on 9 February. He will join discussions on building bridges with local governments on human rights.
    On 23 February, the Fundamental Rights Agency’s Director, Michael O’Flaherty, listened to fundamental rights concerns and discussed ways to solve them. The second Fundamental Rights Dialogue invited young people to participate in shaping our societies, placing human rights centre stage.
    The Agency’s Scientific Committee will meet on 5 February.
    On 1 February, editorial committee of FRA’s annual Fundamental Rights Report will meet virtually. The committee members will elect a chairperson.
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    FRA will contribute to the first edition of the online ‘Human rights go local: what works’ event Winter Academy. It will bring expertise from its work on Roma indicators, equality data and cooperation with human rights cities. The event will look at how to base policy-making at the local level on scientific evidence through tailored human rights research. It aims at building bridges between all governance levels, disciplines and regions. It allows knowledge sharing among human rights researchers, local authorities, representatives of International, European and EU organisations, and policy-makers across regions.
    On 28 January, FRA will meet Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. It forms part of his visit to the EU Institutions. It will focus on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It will also look at whether the funds will be used in line with human rights and address vulnerable groups. The Special Rapporteur will examine the impact of EU policies on the eradication of poverty in the region. He will present the report to the Human Rights Council session in June 2021.
    On 1 February, FRA’s Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) will offer civil society organisations the possibility to connect with FRA experts, policy-makers and international organisations. They will discuss solutions to the most pressing human rights concerns experienced by civil society across the EU.
    FRA's Director will speak at an event dealing with National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) hosted by FRA’s Italian Management Board member. He will draw on the Agency's 2020 report on NHRIs.