Europe Day: together for the universal respect of Human Rights
Today, May 9, is Europe Day, a date to commemorate peace and unity in the ancient continent. This day was marked as it coincides with the anniversary of the well-known Schuman Declaration of 1950, which was born as a new way to cooperate politically between nations and had the vision of avoiding possible future wars between European states. This year 2023 is considered the European Year of Skills, therefore, activities will be carried out to help people acquire the necessary skills to qualify for quality jobs and to assist companies in eliminating the skills gap.
This commemoration of Europe as a peace project recovers today more importance than ever after the weakening of peace and democracy that Europe is experiencing as a result of Brexit, the war in Ukraine, or conservative policies in different European countries.
However, despite these threats, the European Union and its institutions strive to continue to maintain unity and move towards a future that seeks the inclusion of all European citizens, trying to eliminate social inequality and promoting the defense of human rights.
One of the major European milestones that strengthen common democracy is the holding of European elections, considered the largest transnational elections in the world. The last ones took place in 2019, counting with a considerable increase in participation, exceeding 50% on average in the Union. In 2024 the next European elections will take place, and, from FIBGAR, we support initiatives aimed at raising awareness and informing about the importance of deciding who we want to defend our interests in the European Union.
Among the issues that most encouraged European citizens to vote in the 2019 elections were the fight against climate change and the promotion of human rights and democracy. Thus, it is worth highlighting the role of the European Parliament as a human rights body, especially in recent years, where important progress has been made in this regard.
The European Union Directive 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the “Protection of persons who report breaches of Union law” is a step forward in the fight against impunity for illegal activities and abuse of law, such as corruption, fraud or abusive practices of companies, as it provides a legal framework for the protection of whistleblowers of these breaches. Likewise, in 2022, the European Commission adopted the proposal for a Directive on corporate due diligence on sustainability, where they clarify the obligation of commercial companies to respect human rights and exercise due diligence.
In environmental matters, which never ceases to be a human rights issue, last Tuesday, March 21, 2023, the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament unanimously approved that the most serious environmental crimes be considered as “ecocide” and condemned in the legislation of the European Union. From FIBGAR, we have been pushing for years for the recognition of “ecocide” asan international crime, and this approval is a milestone in the history of the defense of our planet and our human rights.
FIBGAR has extensive experience in European projects that promote and protect the culture of human rights. Thus, through our PATFOx project, we train legal professionals, judicial officials or victims of legal actions against public participation, to address these abusive claims and put an end to the impunity they have enjoyed for years. Likewise, with the implementation of our DEC project, we empower young people to get involved in making decisions that affect them and accompany them in a learning process about digital tools, the environmental crisis and how to act in this regard.
Madrid, 09 / 05 / 2023
