What does the regional office for europe do?
Strategic priorities
The priorities of the Regional Office for Europe for the period 2024 - 2027 were decided following consultations with a broad range of stakeholders. They are based on the global priorities and theory of change of the UN Human Rights Office. The Regional Office for Europe is committed to achieving tangible results in the following areas:
- Supporting the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, and the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals
- Strengthening EU anti-discrimination legislations and the fight against inequalities and racism
- Supporting the rights of groups in focus: ethnic, racial and religious minorities, persons with disabilities, older persons, homeless persons, LGBTI, children and youth
- Advancing human rights protection
- Strengthening the Rule of Law
- Countering the shrinking of civil society space for national human rights institutions, the media, non-governmental organisations, national, ethnic and religious minorities
- Advocating for legal, regulatory, institutional and policy frameworks to protect and expand civic space offline and online
- Advocating for greater support and protection for human rights defenders
- Advocating for greater access to information and due process in migration procedures
- Advocating for alternatives to administrative detention in the context of migration
- Advocating for greater access for migrants to health services and justice
- Challenging divisive narratives
- Promoting engagement with the UN Human Rights Mechanisms (HRMs) and advising on the implementation of human rights recommendations
- Supporting the EU in its role as a global human rights actor
- Advocating for the integration of a human rights economy and policy coherence between EU internal and external policies
- Assisting the EU to incorporate a human rights-based approach, including through operationalizing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and the application of the Leave No One Behing principle
- Advocating for a human rights-based approach in the legislative and policy areas of corporate sustainability due diligence, AI and new technologies
- Supporting the investment in prevention, peace keeping and peace building in compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law
- Communication, media outreach and campaigning for human rights
- Nurture and upkeep partnerships with a variety of stakeholders
- Marking of milestones and relevant international days
- Outreach with and to non-traditional constituencies and rights-holders groups
How do We Work?
- Advises the EU and Governments in the region on the integration of human rights in legislation, policy, budgeting and programmes, and on engagement with the UN human rights mechanisms
- Increase awareness of human rights and mobilises people to stand up for human rights, particularly in the context of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Empowers human rights networks, national human rights institutions, equality bodies, civil society, and human rights defenders
- Monitors human rights in the region and issues public reports and position papers
- Conducts strategic litigation before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg
- Undertakes joint initiatives with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, the Council of Europe, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
- Advocates for a human rights-based approach to the EU’s external policies, migration management, and development cooperation
- Fosters the integration of human rights in UN Brussels Team’s engagement on the Sustainable Development Agenda
- Facilitates cooperation between other field presences and EU institutions, considering the relationship between the EU and the UN Human Rights Office globally
- Actively contributes to the EU – UN Partnership Visibility Strategy
- Provides support to thematic and country-specific Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council who seek to engage with EU institutions
