Rights in motion: Embracing human rights for Europe’s future

The Fundamental Rights Forum unites thinkers, makers, creators, and doers with a simple goal: to shape Europe’s rights-based future.

A unique space for dialogue, the Forum is a place to explore the pressing human rights challenges that we face in Europe today. The Forum will focus on the rights challenges related to three overarching themes - climate change, technological advances and the threats to democracy and civic space.

The Forum is an opportunity for participants to connect, reflect, and act through the three pillars that will underpin the activities taking place at the event:

  • The Marketplace of Connection is the place for participants to meet, share, pitch ideas and build meaningful partnerships.
  • The Forum Stage where global leaders and change-makers will deliver high-level panel debates and talks offering insightful reflections on the challenges we face, and what needs to be done to move forward.
  • The Human Rights Lab where masterclasses, immersive tech presentations, and a podcast studio will offer further inspiration and opportunities for participants to upskill and gain knowledge that they can put into practice later.

The Forum will give a seat at the human rights table to traditional and non-traditional actors, bringing together representatives of EU institutions, governments, human rights bodies, academia and civil society, alongside leaders and experts from the worlds of business, arts, entertainment, sports, and faith communities. The Forum will engage all participants to spark fresh thinking and work on solutions together.

To highlight the unique connection between arts and human rights, the Forum will also host artistic performances. Art can evoke powerful emotions, tell compelling stories, and inspire us to overcome barriers. That is why musicians, poets, and performers will take centre stage at the Forum.

We must find ways to involve the diverse voices of the younger generation in decision-making processes, and to develop the instinct to systematically considering the rights of future generations. A large contingent of young people will also take an active role in the event.

There is a deep interconnectedness of the challenges and crises we face. The Forum will enable us to embrace the potential of inter-disciplinary responses to these challenges.

Different sectors of society need to play a role in enabling positive rights-based change. Responsibility for such change must go beyond states and the human rights community and extend to businesses, including tech companies, media and journalists, the world of culture, sports, and entertainment.

Only together can we deliver solutions to these challenges shaping the critical human rights agenda.

Organised by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, under the patronage of the Austrian President, the Fundamental Rights Forum 2024 is a hybrid event that will be held on 11-12 March 2024 at Vienna’s City Hall, and hubs in other cities.

The Forum 2024 builds on previous fora in 2021, 2018 and 2016.

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