"The climate has worsened (...) Today, we see not only human rights violations, but the rejection of human rights protection systems as a whole.” It is with this serious tone that the statement by the Director of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), Michael O'Flaherty, began on Wednesday 24 October.
The declaration aims to reflect the essence of the discussions held at the Fundamental Rights Forum in Vienna at the end of September, but above all it calls for action to "make human rights a reality for all".
It proposes several concrete actions, with particular attention to the inclusion of people vulnerable to discrimination and gender equality. But there is also an urgent need to build trust in institutions, the statement said. "In view of the European elections in May 2019, it is high time to focus on factors of trust in public authorities, such as increasing public consultation, fighting corruption, maintaining the rule of law and improving the delivery of social services", reads the article.
Leading by example, the FRA has committed itself to a number of actions, including using its convening power to strengthen dialogue with human rights institutions and bodies and calling on the EU, national governments and civil society to do the same.
See the full statement: https://bit.ly/2JcDiAY. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)