We, the undersigned civil society and UN organizations, are concerned by proposals now under consideration as part of the ongoing reform of the Common European Asylum System which would allow the use of coercion to take the fingerprints and facial images of children.

Human rights are the field par excellence in which the EU can add value to the actions of individual Member States. This is the central argument in the position paper launched today by the UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR) on EU financing after 2020.

Human Rights Day is an opportunity to express our personal commitment to human rights, which begin in small places, close to home, as Eleanor Roosevelt said.

On 21 November 2017, a Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will hold hearings in a case on the meaning of the word “spouse” in the 2004 EU Freedom of Movement Directive and its application to same-sex couples.

The European Commission yesterday adopted a Recommendation and Renewed Action Plan for EU member states to consider in their procedures to return men, women and children staying irregularly in the EU to their countries of origin or transit. It encourages member states to undertake swift returns, which limit basic safeguards and rights that should be guaranteed to all migrants, including in cases involving children.

In remarks delivered at the occasion of Human Rights Day 2016, the Acting OHCHR Regional Representative of Europe, Paul d'Auchamp, spoke out against populism and demagogues that threaten hard-won human rights. In his speech, he emphasized the though challenge ahead in confronting a world whose political and societal realities have become more difficult.

The UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe expresses its serious concern at the attack against Krassimir Kanev, the chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) in the morning of 27 October. Mr. Kanev was attacked by unknown men in Sofia, allegedly in retaliation for his human rights work. BHC has been working actively to protect and advance human rights in Bulgaria, and Mr. Kanev has been a strong advocate for the rights of people in vulnerable situations, including Roma, Muslims, refugees, migrants and LGBT communities.

In the statement endorsed by UN Human Rights Office - Regional Office for Europe, the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) underlined the Polish Commissioner for Human Rights’ independence and its respected work to promote and protect human rights.