Les 21 et 22 octobre 2026, l’Association des Ombudsmans et Médiateurs de la Francophonie (AOMF) et l’Association Internationale des Procureurs et Poursuivants Francophones (AIPPF), l’Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) et l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) se sont réunis à Dakar, dans le cadre d’un séminaire sur le thème : « Lanceurs d’alerte : quel cadre juridique efficient et protecteur des droits ? Réflexions croisées des médiateurs et des procureurs ».

Faisant suite aux travaux menés à Tirana en 2025, ce séminaire a permis aux médiateurs, magistrats, parlementaires et experts francophones de partager et croiser leurs expériences respectives et bonnes pratiques sur différents sujets tels que la définition de l’alerte et du lanceur d’alerte, l’effectivité des mécanismes de protection, la conduite de l’enquête, l’anonymat ou encore la question de la rémunération du lanceur d’alerte.

Cette rencontre, accueillie par le Médiateur du Sénégal, s’est conclue par l’adoption de la Déclaration de Dakar.

The following statement is attributable to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty:

“The latest escalation of Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine has brought terror and devastation, leaving many without heating, water, and shelter, but above all, a rising human toll measured in shattered lives.

I strongly condemn the Russian attack on a school building in Komyshuvakha, where civilians had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance. At least 43 people have been reported killed, and over 33 are missing, likely still under the rubble. This is one of the deadliest single attacks on civilians in the entire Russian war against Ukraine. According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission, the aid distribution at this school had been publicly announced, and the attack appears to have violated the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.

The local authorities indicated that the school building was hit by nine heavy aerial glide bombs carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives. Reports that the site was hit in two waves are disturbing: subsequent strikes killed rescue workers and civilians who had taken shelter in the basement. I note Russia’s repeated use of “double tap” strikes - striking one target multiple times within a short period of time. When deliberately directed against civilian targets in violation of international humanitarian law, such strikes amount to war crimes.

The attack on Komyshuvakha reflects an unprecedented surge in civilian deaths and the ongoing targeting of civilian infrastructure. In recent days, for example, strikes have hit a hospice for terminally ill people in Dnipro, a hospital in Kharkiv, and railway facilities. In Dnipro alone, an attack on a railway station killed at least 15 civilians and injured 14 others over the weekend.

Russia is also intensifying attacks on civilian energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Recent strikes across most regions of Ukraine have disrupted electricity, water and heating supplies. In Kyiv, water and energy were cut off and public transport suspended. While Kyiv has been particularly affected, attacks have hit communities across Ukraine and nowhere is truly safe.

These attacks not only expose civilians to immediate danger but deprive them of essential means of survival, as winter approaches. The continuing attacks make already difficult conditions even more dangerous for civilians, particularly the most vulnerable, among whom are children, older persons, people with disabilities and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

With prospects for peace uncertain and a harsh winter looming, I have five urgent calls to action for Council of Europe member states:

1. Maintain solidarity with Ukraine. Attention to the human suffering caused by Russia’s war must not diminish. In fact, at this critical juncture, attention must increase to maintain focus on the urgency of the situation. Support for Ukraine and its people must remain a priority.
2. Provide urgent assistance. The UN estimates that more than 10 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance, a number rapidly rising due to damage to civilian infrastructure. Member states should continue and step up humanitarian and other support to ensure that Ukraine can protect its population and their human rights. This includes stepping up concrete assistance ahead of winter such as the provision of resources to repair the energy infrastructure and medical care on their territories for survivors who cannot be treated in Ukraine.
3. Strengthen support for displaced people. The escalation of the war is causing further displacement inside Ukraine. Regions receiving displaced people face severe housing shortages, which can lead to secondary displacement across borders. Member states should support Ukraine and international organisations in providing safe accommodation, social support and essential services to IDPs. I also urge renewing their solidarity and removing protection barriers for displaced Ukrainians already in or arriving in their countries.
4. Accelerate accountability and reparations efforts. Member states should join the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and ratify the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine to make these accountability mechanisms fully operational as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I also observe that provisional reparations may be urgently needed for victims who are severely injured or who have lost their homes.
5. Sustain efforts towards peace based on the principles of international law. Diplomatic efforts to urgently end the war and civilian suffering must continue. A peace grounded in international law and integrating respect for human rights remains a necessity.

At this pivotal moment, solidarity, support and accountability are critical. Civilians must be protected, and the suffering caused by this war must never be normalised.”

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Commission have published an updated handbook on guardianship for unaccompanied children in migration and asylum procedures. The update reflects the stronger guardianship rules introduced by the Pact on Migration and Asylum and offers practical guidance on applying them. The handbook explains how guardianship systems are organised and operate. It also covers the appointment and qualifications of guardians, and their role in protecting children’s rights and supporting their access to protection.

Every year, thousands of children arrive in the EU along migration routes without a parent or responsible adult to support them. EU law provides for the appointment of guardians to safeguard their rights and best interests. To help guardians support the children in their care, FRA and the European Commission have published a revised edition of ‘Guardianship for Unaccompanied Children – A handbook to reinforce the protection of unaccompanied children under EU law’.

The update reflects legal changes up to October 2026. It helps guardians navigate the complex procedures and decisions affecting unaccompanied children and strengthens their ability to protect and promote their rights and well-being. It also formulates recommendations to EU Member States on how to improve guardianship systems, setting forth the core principles, design and management of such systems.

The handbook is structured in three parts, covering:

• Legal framework and terminology. The handbook outlines the applicable EU legal framework and highlights requirements introduced by the Pact on Migration and Asylum. These include ensuring a trained person is there to support unaccompanied children from the earliest stage of identification, as well as deadlines for Member States to appoint guardians, and limits on the number of children each guardian may be responsible for.
• Principles and guidance for guardianship systems. The handbook presents the fundamental principles for establishing well-functioning guardianship systems and provides guidance to national authorities on how to strengthen them.
• Practical guidance for guardians. The handbook outlines the tasks of guardians and those supervising them, and provides practical guidance to help them safeguard children’s wellbeing and effectively represent their best interests.

FRA has been supporting guardianship systems since 2014 having delivered training of trainers on guardianship for unaccompanied children. Together with the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), FRA has also developed four practical Tools to help guardians carry out their responsibilities and safeguard the rights and best interests of children.

European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho has said the European Commission’s refusal to give public access to documents related to the application by a lithium mining project in Serbia for fast-track status under the Critical Raw Materials Act is unreasonable and found maladministration.

The finding follows two complaints by individuals seeking transparency about how the project in the Jadar Valley of Serbia was assessed and selected to be a ‘strategic project’.

The Commission refused access to the seven documents it identified on the grounds that there should be a general presumption of non-disclosure due to the potential risk to the commercial interests of the mining company concerned. This meant the Commission did not individually examine the documents in question before refusing access.

The Ombudswoman’s inquiry showed that much of the information contained in the documents was not commercially sensitive. The documents did, however, contain significant environmental information, which is subject to higher transparency requirements.

The Ombudswoman underlined that, as the mining project will have a major impact on the environment, the Commission should be able to explain to the public why it considers that this impact will be sufficiently monitored and addressed.

In addition, the fact that the project has been the subject of controversy makes it even more important that the public can scrutinise the Commission’s decision on its strategic importance.

Similar case

This is the second time the Ombudswoman has found maladministration for how the Commission handled an access request related to strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act.

Relying on similar arguments, the Commission refused to give access to documents related to other projects that had applied for strategic status, in particular to their accompanying environmental compliance documents.

Background

Under the Critical Raw Materials Act, certain mining processing and recycling projects can be recognised as ‘strategic projects’, which means permits to carry out the project should be granted as quickly as possible.

In 2025, the Commission designated 60 projects as strategic projects of which 13 were located outside the EU, including the lithium extraction project in Serbia.

To be designated strategic,  a project must comply with certain criteria, including making a meaningful contribution to the EU’s supply of strategic raw materials and being implemented sustainably.