Baltic Human Rights Society (BHRS) in collaboration with Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) has won a tender to join The European Union Agency’s for Fundamental Rights (FRA) multidisciplinary research network. For the next 4 years, BHRS together with the RGSL will offer independent research and data collection services on fundamental rights issues to facilitate FRA’s comparative analyses and EU institutions' awareness of the human rights situation in their member states.
FRA is an independent centre of reference and excellence for promoting and protecting fundamental rights in the EU. It provides independent, evidence-based advice to EU and national decision makers, thereby helping to make debates, policies and legislation on fundamental rights better informed and targeted. In order to achieve this, FRA consults and cooperates with its partners on collecting and analysing information and data through socio-legal research.
Joining the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) interdisciplinary research network is an important step in the development of the RGSL as an interdisciplinary research centre. Participation in the network will ensure linkage with the study outcomes of the programmes implemented by the RGSL, in particular the Master's programme "Public International Law and Human Rights", as both RGSL academic staff and students will be involved in the network activities, says Dr Inga Jēkabsone, researcher and member of the jointly formed team of experts.
Dr Arina Melse, Legal Director of BHRS and Manager of the FRA Consortium in Latvia, says: "Independent expertise is important in improving the human rights situation. We are honoured to take on this role in partnership with FRA and to play our part in promoting human rights in the EU and strengthening European integration." BHRS also recognises the cooperation with FRA as an excellent opportunity to increase the organisation's contribution to improving the human rights situation in Latvia and to strengthen cooperation with various partners at national and international level.