La adjunta segunda del Defensor del Pueblo, Patricia Bárcena, ha asistido a la entrega de los Premios UNICEF España 2023 que ha tenido lugar en la sede del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.
El acto ha estado presidido por la Reina y en él han intervenido la presidenta del CSIC, Eloísa del Pino; el presidente de UNICEF España, Gustavo Suárez Pertierra; la ministra de Ciencia e Innovación en funciones, Diana Morant, y el presidente del jurado, Federico Mayor Zaragoza.
En esta edición han sido premiados: la Unidad de Cardiopatías Congénitas del Hospital La Paz de Madrid, en la categoría Transforma; la periodista Alexia Columba Jerez, por el reportaje “Los orfanatos ucranianos: Los descargan como cadáveres, y se quedan toda la vida, es su destino”, publicado en el diario ABC, en la categoría Comunica, y Shabana Basij-Rasikh, activista afgana cofundadora de School of Leadership of Afghanistan, en la categoría Joaquín Ruiz-Giménez.
Estos premios tienen como objetivo reconocer el compromiso de personas, instituciones o colectivos que contribuyen a cambiar la vida de los niños y niñas más vulnerables y a avanzar en la defensa de los derechos de la infancia.
Online public services can make it easier to get social benefits or find information. But older people sometimes lack the necessary digital skills to use them. This is a potential barrier to their fundamental rights. It can put them at a disadvantage and risks excluding them from our digitalised societies, warns a report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). EU countries need to ensure access to public services for everyone. Older people should be able to choose how they access public services and receive support to learn digital skills.
Europe’s ageing population is ever-increasing, and our societies are becoming more digitalised. Many public services are available online, with many more services being digitalised.
But EU data show that only 1 in 4 people in the EU aged 65 to 74 have at least basic digital skills. So, older people may be deprived of their fundamental rights, such as access to healthcare or pensions, in our digital societies.
To ensure access to public services for all, EU countries should:
Equal access – access to public services, such as pensions or social benefits, is a fundamental right. As more of these services become digital, countries should guarantee that older people can access them.
Full participation – older people are not always involved in the design and development of digital services. EU countries should ensure older people feed into the design of digital public services to address their needs.
New digital skills – not everyone has the necessary skills or resources to use digital tools. To avoid digital exclusion, countries could use EU funds to help older people improve their digital literacy.
Combat ageism – ageism affects people’s willingness and ability to engage with modern technologies. Countries should foster peer learning, intragenerational training, and avoid ageist language.
Inclusive data collection – there is no EU-wide data on the digital literacy of people over 74, even though this group will represent 20% of the EU population by 2050. Data on this age group should be collected systematically.
“Access to public services is a fundamental right. But the digital transformation risks leaving older people behind. We need to close the digital divide, improve digital literacy and make sure that older people can also benefit from technological advances.”
This roundtable will present the findings of the Equinet commissioned research paper developing an equality assessment of the EU Green Deal and defining the role of Equality Bodies for climate action, policies, and legislation. The roundtable also includes presentations of good practices from Equality Bodies working on cases related to climate justice and a panel discussion with equality experts on the effects of climate change on different marginalized groups.
This Conference will bring together Equality Bodies’ legal experts, national and European legislators, and civil society organisations to discuss the enforcement of existing equality and non-discrimination legislation through sanctions and remedies.
This workshop, organized in collaboration with rights-holders organizations, aims to explore the role Equality Bodies may take in supporting de-institutionalization through an intersectional lens, taking into consideration persons with disabilities, older persons, and other vulnerable groups living in institutional facilities.
Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia: Ensuring Equality in the Access to Health Insurance
In June, the Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia, Tena Šimonović Einwalter, submitted a constitutional review of certain provisions of the amendments to the Mandatory Health Insurance Act to the Constitutional Court. According to such provisions, some citizens are required to personally visit the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance every three months to maintain their health insurance coverage. The law does not specify any exceptions, for instance, people with mobility issues, undergoing treatment in healthcare facilities or living in areas without public transportation. These people risk being discriminated against based on disability, health condition, and financial status.
Ombudsperson Institution (Kosovo): Annual Report
The Ombudsperson institution recently published its 2022 annual report, which describes the situation of human rights in Kosovo and the activities carried out by the Ombudsperson to protect and promote human rights throughout the year. The Report also contains recommendations, opinions, and proposals for undertaking measures to enhance the respect of human rights.
Public Defender of Rights (Czech Republic): Defending the Rights of Children with Disabilities in Education
The Czech Ombursperson submitted a comment to the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the Souchopovi v. the Czech Republic case, which concerns discrimination in education for children with disabilities. In particular, the Czech Republic was called before the Court for the (non)provision of support measures for children with disabilities, specifically children with an autism spectrum disorder.
Unia (Belgium): Amendments to the Belgian Legislation Recognise Multiple and Intersectional Discrimination
In June, the Belgian Federal Parliament passed a law that expands anti-discrimination legislation by recognizing multiple and intersectional discrimination and introducing more favourable measures regarding compensation for discriminatory treatment. Unia welcomes these changes that improve the Belgian legislative framework to reduce discrimination.
Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination (North Macedonia): Opinion on discrimination against the Romani community
The Commission has recently delivered an opinion on a petition undertaken by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) on behalf of the Romani community in the country. The Commission ruled that the Ministry of Interiors' policies on identification constitute indirect discrimination on the basis of property status and ethnicity. According to such policies, Romani individuals living in informal settlements and thus lacking a registered address, do not have access to basic services such as identification cards, and social protections. The Commission has given a strict deadline of maximum three months to initiate changes in the law that would facilitate access to identification cards for people who do not own property or have lease agreements.
Intersections: The LGBTI II Survey
ILGA-Europe’s Intersections series dives deeper into the data from the European Fundamental Rights Agency 2019 LGBTI Survey. In partnership with various organisations, the Intersections reports analyse the experience of intersectional marginalisation in Europe.
Applications for the Access City Award 2024 are Open
The European Access City Award, organised by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum, recognises those cities that stand out for their work to become more accessible for persons with disabilities. In this edition, there will be a special focus on cities whose work on accessibility is aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusiveness.
The application deadline is 18 September 2023 at 12:00 CEST (noon).Celebrations of the Web Accessibility Directive Third Anniversary
On 21 September 2023, from 9.00 to 17.00, IAAP and the European Disability Forum are hosting an online event to celebrate the anniversary of the Web Accessibility Directive. The event will bring together accessibility experts, end-user representatives, public and private sectors, researchers, monitoring agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share knowledge and discuss best practices for improving digital accessibility. Register now at the link in the title!
New Legislative Proposal on the European Disability and Parking Card
On 6 September, the European Commission presented a legislative proposal introducing the European Disability Card, which grants equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment in public and private services for persons with disabilities throughout Europe. The proposal also improves the European Parking Card, which will allow persons with disabilities to access the same parking rights available in another Member State.
The Revised Regulation on Rail Passenger Rights Enters into Force – What’s New for Persons with Disabilities?
In June, the revised Regulation on Rail Passenger Rights entered into force, strengthening and updating the rights of passengers travelling by train. In this article, the European Disability Forum dives into the main characteristics of this regulation, focusing on the provisions that are more relevant to passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility.
The Secretariat of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance recently published a factsheet on ECRI’s recommendations to the Council of Europe member states for preventing and combating antigypsyism and discrimination against Roma and Travellers.
In its latest position paper, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) analyses the European Semester, highlighting the policy priorities for a socially just European Semester and giving recommendations on how to fight social exclusion and poverty through a rights-based approach. According to EAPN, the European Semester should encourage Member States to better combine social fairness, inclusion, and equity to benefit the most vulnerable.
70th Anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights
On 3 September 1953, the European Convention on Human Rights entered into force. 70 years later, the Council of Europe has collected around 200 examples of how the Convention changed people’s lives across Europe.
In June, the European Commission released a plan for a comprehensive approach to mental health in Europe. The plan includes 20 flagship initiatives and EU funding to support Member States in prioritising the mental health of their citizens. The EU’s efforts will focus on adequate and effective prevention, access to high-quality and affordable mental healthcare and treatment, and reintegration into society after recovery.
FRA will present the Slovene translation of FRA's Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration in Ljubljana on 11 and 12 September.
It will also be an opportunity for FRA to present its EU Charter tools to different authorities in Slovenia. These include the Ombudsman, the Advocate of the Principle of Equality, and possibly the Ministry of Justice and the Bar Association.
FRA will also take part in the European Judicial Training Network’s meeting of the Working Group on Human Rights.
Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and Secretary General of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen conveyed a heartfelt message of support to Mr Mohammed Benalilou, the Mediator of the Kingdom of Morocco, following the tragic earthquake in Marrakech.
In his letter, the Ombudsman extended his sympathies and emphasised the importance of unity, understanding, and mutual assistance during such challenging times. He assured the Moroccan Ombudsman Office of Malta’s readiness to offer support in any capacity beneficial to the people of Morocco.
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