Human Rights Monitoring Institute

Today, HRMI hosted a meeting of Lithuanian human rights NGOs with the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Morten Kjaerum. For the Agency’s Director, who has worked in the non-governmental sector for a number of years himself, the meeting was the first item on his agenda of working visit in Lithuania. Before meeting with Lithuanian politicians and State officials, Morten Kjaerum wanted to introduce the Agency to non-State human rights actors and to get first-hand information about the problems Lithuania is facing in the area of human rights.

Morten Kjaerum stressed that the Agency’s work is focused on systematic research and in-depth analysis of factual information. This feature of the Agency’s working style distinguishes it from other European human rights institutions, such as the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, who is more frequently seen reacting in the front line, next to the civil society. The Agency’s way of reacting to identified problems and crisis situations is not as immediate; it aims to provide evidence-based advice to EU institutions and Member States. That is why the role of non-governmental organisations is of particular importance: they provide valuable factual information through various networks (RAXEN, FRALEX, etc.) and via the Human Rights Platform, which was established specifically for communicating with the Agency. Morten Kjaerum actively encouraged Lithuanian NGOs to become members of the Platform.

The FRA Director stressed the importance of human rights work that is all-encompassing. According to him, work in the area of human rights has to be proactive and analytical, which is why it is particularly important to establish national human rights institutions (NHRI). They would ensure that, on the one hand, no gaps are left, and on the other – that the work of several institutions working in the same area does not overlap. Morten Kjaerum noted that the concept of NHRI is used increasingly frequently by various international human rights institutions, considering NHRI as strategic partners in ensuring the implementation of human rights conventions. According to the Agency, fragmented institutions that lack financial support, staff and influence are often ineffective. The multiplication of such institutions, particularly ones focused on complaint handling, is not an effective method of advancing human rights.

Representatives of Lithuanian NGOs raised a number of topical issues, including systematic violations of the rights of people with mental disabilities and related problem of flawed regulation and practice for stripping a person of his/her legal capacity; legislative gaps in regulating the protection of victims of violence in the family; inconsistencies in ethnic minority integration; lack of effectiveness in counteracting hatred in the media; unjustified obstacles for the enjoyment of the right to assembly; and other.

Summarising the discussion, Henrikas Mickevičius, Executive Director of HRMI, pointed out that Lithuania is currently in a situation where the façade creates a fairly good impression, with a number of conventions ratified, key laws adopted, and particular institutions established, but where, at the same time, the reality is a cause for concern: Lithuania still does not have any national human rights policy and human rights continue being absent on political agenda. In result, actual human rights situation in the country has been deteriorating.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights, Lithuanian Gay League, Centre for Equality Advancement, Centre of Ethnic Studies, Tolerant Youth Association, Institute for Social Integration, SOPA, Lithuanian Human Rights Association, Foundation for Support of Citizen Protection, Global Initiative on Psychiatry Vilnius Office, Transparency International Lithuanian Chapter, Roma Community Centre and the Jewish Community Association.

More information about the work of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights can be found in the attachment and the Agency’s website.