Zweden opent EU conferentie grondrechten 2009

82 per cent of respondents to the FRA’s EU-MIDIS survey who were discriminated against in the past 12 months did not report these cases anywhere. Only 16 per cent of all respondents knew of any organisation that can support people who have been discriminated against. (EU-MIDIS survey of 23,500 members of ethnic minority and immigrant groups)

Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender Equality, will open the Fundamental Rights Conference 2009, organised by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in cooperation with the Swedish Presidency of the EU.

The Conference is the European Union's key event on International Human Rights Day and aims to promote action to better protect people from violations of their rights. It further aims to support the social inclusion of marginalised groups, with the situation of the Roma as a prominent topic. Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson i, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg, FRA Director Morten Kjaerum and others, will address the Conference.

The theme of the conference will be “Making rights a reality for all”. The conference will discuss the place of rights, such as the right to non-discrimination, in times of economic crisis. A high-level panel debate will consider whether rights that are described as ‘fundamental’ can ever be deemed a luxury.

More than 200 representatives from EU Member State governments, EU institutions, intergovernmental organizations, local authorities, civil society, social partners, and national human rights bodies will participate in the conference.

The entire conference will be open to the press. The Plenary Session will take place in English and French.

For media accreditation, please contact media@fra.europa.eu. Please include your name, e-mail, media organisation and press credentials.

The conference will take place on 10-11 December 2009 at the Stockholm City Conference Centre, Barnhusgatan 12-14.

More information and the programme of the conference is available at: http://fra.europa.eu/fundamentalrightsconference/programme.html