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Coalition of Human Rights Organizations Activity Report 2017

The Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (HROC) is a union of progressive organizations which protects human rights. It was created in 2011 and it includes the Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) community, the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights, the Center for Equality Advanement, LGL National LGBT Rights Organisation, Mental Health Perspectives, Roma Community Center, Tolerant Youth Association, Human Rights Monitoring Institute.

The mission of HROC is to seek effective implementation of human rights, equal opportunities and non-discrimination principles in Lithuania.

Goals of HROC:

to observe the implementation of human rights, equal opportunities and non-discrimination against age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, belief, language, origin, social status, beliefs or attitudes in Lithuania;

to reveal human rights violations, and bring public institutions and society‘s attention to the violation of socially vulnerable people rights;

we strive that public authorities would take responsibility for human rights violations, and every particular violation of human rights would be subject to legitimate assessment.

Activity of HROC in 2017

Project for strengthening the cooperation of non-governmental organizations

Project value – 47 626 EUR, source of funding – Ministry of Social Security of the Republic of Lithuania.

In 2017 the HROC prepared, won and implemented a project to strengthen the cooperation of non-governmental organizations funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The project:

  • created a strategy for advocacy in the field of public policy and communication;
  • formalized coalition activity. 2011 – 2017 The coalition of human rights organizations was an informal coalition that operated on the basis of a joint activity agreement. Activities formalized in 2017 at the end of the establishment of the HROC Association;
  • on the International Human Rights Day, the annual Human Rights Conference “Human Rights: Universal, but Is lithuanian?” was held to discuss human rights issues. Speeches were made by members of Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Dovile Sakaliene and Ausrine Armonaite, the Ombudsperson for Equal Opportunities in  Lithuania Agneta Skardžiuviene. In response to the human rights issues of 2017, read the following messages:

1)Human Rights Protection in Lithuania 2017: from the Istanbul Convention to the Law on Strengthening of the Family “, rapporteur: Birute Sabatauskaite, Lithuanian Center for Human Rights;

2) “Hate crime and hate speech in Lithuania: trends and recommendations for institutions”, rapporteur Kristina Normantaite, Human Rights Monitoring Institute;

3) “The Law on the Recognition of Sexual Identity: Delay, cannot be adopted, rapporteur Tomas Vytautas Raskevicius, LGL National LGBT Rights Organisation.

A joint photo of the members of the HROC before the conference “Human rights: universal, but not Lithuanian?”, Photo by A. Didzgalvis.

  • The experts of HROC prepared and published 8 articles and comments on the news portals DELFI.lt, 15min.lt and in the human rights portal manoteises.lt;
  • Participated and provided comments at more than ten governmental and municipal level working groups;
  • Initiated and, together with other non-governmental organizations, addressed the head of the country and the Seimas on the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) and on the Law on Strengthening of the Family.

Non-project activity

In 2017 HROC also carried out non-project activities:

  • in June, 2017 initiated and, together with other non-governmental organizations, appealed to the Head of State, the Seimas and the Government to ratify the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention);
  • in October, 2017 supported the National Poverty Reduction Organizations Network’s appeal to the Head of State, the Seimas and the government, which urged to reduce deductions from debtors’ remuneration and reduce the burden of debt administration.

An activity report in PDF format can be found here.