National human rights institutions – in Croatia represented solely by the Ombudswoman’s Office – play a key role in upholding the fundamental rights of citizens and in promoting the core values of the European Union: fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
This role was recognised and further strengthened through the project “Support to National Human Rights Institutions in Monitoring Human Rights and the Rule of Law.”
The project aimed to enhance the implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union—one of the Union’s core documents in the field of human rights and rule of law. We carried it out in partnership with the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), alongside national institutions from Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, and Cyprus, as well as the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions.
The project concluded with an international conference held on 21 and 22 February 2024 in Brussels. The Ombudswoman, Tena Šimonović Einwalter, spoke during the first panel, addressing “The Role of National Human Rights Institutions in Implementing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
“Independent national human rights institutions play a critical role in encouraging the implementation of the Charter in our countries,” said the Ombudswoman, “as highlighted by the EU Strategy to Strengthen the Application of the Charter, which recognises our role in closing the ‘gap’ between citizens’ rights and state responsibilities. We use the Charter throughout our broad mandate—in monitoring the human rights situation and reporting to the Croatian Parliament, in handling individual complaints, in the human rights education and training we deliver, and in raising awareness about human rights.”
She also reminded participants that adequate working conditions and appropriate environments for national human rights institutions are among the indicators of rule of law in the European Commission’s reports, and are a focus of its recommendations to Member States. For example, the Commission’s fourth annual Rule of Law Report recommended that Croatia further improve the implementation of recommendations and respond more systematically to the Ombudswoman’s information requests.
The Ombudswoman drew a parallel with equality bodies—a mandate also entrusted to our institution in Croatia—noting the imminent entry into force of two EU directives that will set standards for their functioning. “Standards at the European level are vital to securing the position of independent institutions within Member States,” she emphasised.
This point resonated strongly with conference participants, who agreed that the past year had presented new challenges for human rights and the rule of law at the EU level. “These challenges demand closer cross-border exchange of information and good practice. Cooperation can strengthen national human rights institutions by pooling resources, expertise and influence,” said Ragna Fidjestøl, Director of the EEA and Norway Grants—through which the project was funded.
One key outcome of the project was the joint declaration “Strengthening the Implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union: Strong and Effective National Human Rights Institutions in the EU,” offering the European Commission and Member States concrete suggestions for future steps. The declaration is available here (in Croatian) or here (in English).
In Croatia, as part of the project, we organised a series of activities: trainings on the application of the Charter for Ombudswoman’s advisors, civil servants working with EU funds, and civil society organisations. We also held public discussions in Osijek, Rijeka, Split and Zagreb focused on various aspects of the Commission’s latest Rule of Law Report for Croatia.
These efforts contributed to strengthening the capacity of civil servants involved in public policy development and the use of EU funds. At the conference, Deputy Ombudswoman Tatjana Vlašić presented this activity, highlighting the strong attendance and the practical value participants found in the real-life examples of applying the Charter.
The project reaffirmed the importance of collaboration and the value of an open, ongoing dialogue on human rights among national stakeholders, executive authorities, us as the national human rights institution, and civil society. Throughout the process, our Office acted as a bridge—bringing together different actors in pursuit of stronger protection and promotion of human rights and the rule of law in Croatia.
In the spirit of that cooperation, the final conference was attended by representatives of Croatian public authorities and civil society, including Dragana Milunić Pakozdi from the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, Gordana Obradović Dragišić from the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Klaudija Kregar Orešković from the Government Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities, Marina Škrabalo from the Solidarna Foundation, Ivan Novosel from the Human Rights House Zagreb, and Natalija Havelka from the Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights in Osijek. The day before the conference, a workshop was held on aligning EU funds with fundamental rights, attended by many of the same Croatian representatives as well as Natalija Šimunović from the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.
