20/04/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 19 April, the Brussels office of the United Nations High-Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament of a resolution demanding the establishment of a financial instrument to back civil society organisations working to promote basic values within the European Union (see EUROPE 12005). In a press release, Birgit Van Hout, UNHCHR representative for Europe, said the EU should finance civil society human rights organisations within the EU to the same degree that it supports such organisations outside the EU. She said, however, that while such an instrument is crucial, it is only one aspect of European Union financing for human rights, recommending an over-arching approach. (MF)