EFSI - European Federation for Services to Individuals’ Post

In her first term, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen coined the term #UnionOfEquality, introducing the principle of #intersectionality as a policy guideline at the European level for the first time. Now, in her second term, she wants to stick to it, but what does this mean and how can #EqualityForAll be achieved across #Europe? For possible answers, see my latest article on Euractiv: https://lnkd.in/e5Q24gEJ

New European Commission composition proposal - Reaction by FEPS Secretary General László Andor 🔗 https://lnkd.in/evgnPtkZ 🔸 Five years ago, the S&D group opposed Von der Leyen's proposal to reduce the title of the Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner to just “Jobs,” and “Social Rights” were added as a result. This time, she tries to eliminate the words “social,” “employment,” and even “jobs” from the titles of Commissioners altogether. This sends a very bad message and calls for correction.    🔸It was predictable that Von der Leyen would have to disappoint on numerical gender parity in view of member state’s complete lack of cooperation. In terms of substantive equality, it is worth noting that 4 out of 6 Vice President posts were attributed to women but the disappearance of Equality as a standalone portfolio is truly regrettable. Time will soon tell us whether this translates into an agenda genuinely committed to equality across portfolios, or whether it has been relegated to the sidelines. 🔸Ursula von der Leyen has proposed some welcome improvements as compared to the Commission structure she introduced 5 years ago. The new Commission would be less hierarchical, and some of the funny titles ("European way of life”, "Democracy and Demography”, etc) have disappeared. At the same time, new buzzwords including "clean”, "simplification”, and "preparedness”, are bound to trigger debates about their actual meaning and resulting actions. 🔸Overlaps between various portfolio responsibilities, such as climate and green policies, raise questions about the Commission's and the EU's actual policy orientation. At the same time, one should be concerned about the way some responsibilities are organised within the new structure. 🔸The concentration of foreign, security and defence policies in the hands of a Baltic couple raises the possibility that EU policy does not represent the majority views of Europeans on critical international affairs. 🔸The abrupt departure of Commissioner Breton is a warning sign of the risk of autocratic tendencies under von der Leyen, which must be tamed. 🔸In some cases it is questionable whether there is a good match between the definition of the portfolio and the designated person. Until now, Ursula von der Leyen spoke about EU enlargement as a great priority, and now it is assigned to a last minute candidate who is not even confirmed by the sending country. The transfer of the incumbent Commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood to health and animal welfare is also unconvincing. The disappearance of the word "neighbourhood” should also be explained to avoid misunderstandings. Read the news ⬇ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/evgnPtkZ

Chances are, you won't see this on Euronews or national channels but this indeed is a great day for equality in Europe. These Directives have a massive potential to significantly strengthen Equality Bodies. What does that mean? For instance, this should lead to more independence, resources and legal powers for, and more awareness about these institutions. So equipped, Equality Bodies will be better placed to serve individuals and groups who have been discriminated or risk being discriminated. More than that, they will be better able to promote equality and prevent discrimination from happening in the first place. It is also a sign of much needed hope that making significant advances in EU equality legislation is, after all, possible (supported by the adoption, also today, of the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence). And finally, for me personally, having worked so much on standards for equality bodies, it is a mix of immense pleasure, relief and sense of achievement. A lot remains to be done, a lot depends on transposition and implementation - but this is a day to celebrate and thank all colleagues and partners who have helped us!

📢 Join the Global Campaign: 10, 100, 1000 #HumanRightsCities & Territories by 2030! 🤝🏾 In 2022, six cities—Barcelona, Grigny, Gwangju, Mexico City, Utrecht, and Vienna—came together under the our Committee to launch a transformative initiative. 🌍The Global Campaign “10, 100, 1000 Human Rights Cities & Territories by 2030” has since united nearly 120 local and regional governments #LRGs , forming a powerful network committed to embedding human rights in every aspect of local governance. 💜 Why Now? The Campaign has reached a pivotal 3rd wave, inviting even more cities and territories to reimagine #HumanRights policies that promote international solidarity and tackle inequality through caring, local public services. This new wave aligns with key global efforts like the upcoming 2025 #WorldSocialSummit, offering a unique opportunity to shape local action with a focus on dignity and rights for all. 🙌🏾 📄 Take Action by November 30, 2024! Download the form in the link in comments and send it to cisdp1@uclg.org 🔗 Find more information on the 3rd wave of the Global Campaign via the link below 📧 For further inquiries: Contact the UCLG-CSIPDHR Secretariat at cisdp1@uclg.org 🕊️ Together, let’s build a world where human rights are at the heart of every community. Join us in shaping a legacy of inclusivity, equality, and respect across borders. United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Hans Sakkers Raoul Wallenberg Institute Morten Kjaerum

🌍 Celebrating the Journey towards Stronger Equality Bodies in Europe 🌍 At the High Level & Networking Event celebrating the adoption of the #StandardsDirectivesForEqualityBodies, the first roundtable, “Looking back: reflecting on our achievements”, brought together key actors who played an instrumental role in advancing the negotiations. Moderated by Sandra Konstatzky, Director of the Austrian Ombud for Equal Treatment, the session focused on the legislative journey, the challenges, and the collaboration that led to this historic milestone. 🗣️ Marc Angel, MEP Co-Rapporteur, spoke of the significant steps forward for equality in Europe, praising the shared efforts between the European Parliament's EMPL and FEMM committees. 🗣️ Pablo López Pietsch from Spain's Ministry of Equality, reflected on Spain’s advancements and the importance of political will in bridging the gap between equality in law and practice. 🗣️ Bertil Cottier, Chair of ECRI, emphasized the alignment of the new standards with ECRI’s long-standing guidelines and the ongoing need to secure true independence for Equality Bodies. 🗣️ Isabelle Chopin, Director of the Migration Policy Group, shared early research insights, noting the key role of litigation powers and the continued challenges around independence and resources. The discussion was a powerful reminder of what we’ve achieved together and what lies ahead as we work towards ensuring a successful transposition of Standards for Equality Bodies across Europe. 💪 Special thanks to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (FADA) - Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes and Unia for making this insightful event possible 🤝 📸 Photo by Bea Borgers

Have you checked out the first issue of our 100th volume? 👀 Our special section includes articles on Latin American women's contributions to IR, the region's foreign policy, IPE, engagement b/w scholars and policy-makers and more. Read it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gsQuS_Vc

#Opinion: Today, the 1 for 8 Billion launches its campaign for a fair and inclusive process to select the next United Nations secretary-general in 2026. Natalie Samarasinghe writes, of the campaign, “As the UN prepares to hold the Summit of the Future on Sunday, our campaign wants to ensure that we find the best person to implement what member states agree on at the summit; make progress where they don’t; and deliver a better future for the world’s eight billion people.” #WomensLeadership #She4SG https://lnkd.in/geYbMVk7

As we head into the United Nations General Assembly #UNGA, where world leaders are convening to discuss the state of the world (spoiler alert: it's a hot mess), it's time to step up gear on the campaign for a woman feminist United Nations Secretary-General. The world order of male dominance that has led to the chaos in our world must change. The 80 years of male dominance at the UN must change. The next SG must be a woman. And I would go a step further, for the next 80 years, the UN Secretary-Generals must be women. Once we have recalibrated the imbalance, we can go back to a free for all. As you engage and monitor activities during this UNGA, take note how many events and panels have women speakers. We are currently at 7.5% of all speakers at UNGA being women. That's 10 speakers of 133. Some events have 20% women, which garnered commendations for "excellent gender balance" (true story). I am supporting campaigns for a woman SG because it's 80 years overdue. PassBlue GWL Voices Anne Marie Goetz Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy UN Women The Guardian International Crisis Group Mia Amor Mottley Global Fund for Women Ford Foundation #genderequality #womensrights #womensleadership #ceasefirenow #peace #humanrights #sheforSG #sheleads #1for8billion

Have your say regarding the implementation of the EU Roma strategic framework here: https://lnkd.in/eAuy44i5 The call is open until 2nd of February - please share in your networks! In 2020 the Commission adopted a new EU Roma strategic framework for the period up to 2030, which was followed by a Council Recommendation in 2021. This initiative is to report on implementation of the national Roma strategic frameworks. It will assess Member States’ measures to promote equality, inclusion and participation of Roma, with a focus on the areas for improvement identified in the Commission’s 2023 assessment.

🌐 Exciting News: The Council of the European Union Approves EU Priorities for UN Human Rights Fora in 2024! 🌍 Thrilled to share that the Council has greenlit the European Union's priorities for the United Nations Human Rights fora this year. 🤝 This decision underscores the EU's unwavering commitment to human rights, multilateralism, and the international criminal justice system amid global challenges like armed conflicts, authoritarianism, disinformation, and gender inequality pushbacks. 🤝 Key Highlights: Reiterating dedication to effective multilateralism at the Summit of the Future. Emphasizing cooperation with the UN human rights system and the OHCHR. 🌍 Global Initiatives: Expressing readiness to monitor global human rights situations. Firm stance against the death penalty and torture, advocating for global abolition. Calling for proper functioning of democratic institutions, fighting corruption, and protecting fundamental freedoms. 🌈 Inclusivity Matters: Determined to promote gender equality, combat discrimination, and eliminate racism. Building on the EU Anti-racism action plan 2020-2025. 🌐 International Collaboration: Pledging a leading role in human rights initiatives. Encouraging global partners to join efforts for human rights advancement. Collaborating with all regions, organizations, and stakeholders for the fulfillment of human rights. This decision is pivotal in addressing current global challenges, aligning with the EU's continuous commitment to champion human rights and combat various forms of injustice. 🌐✨ Here more info: https://lnkd.in/dkynwvkm #HumanRights #EU #UN #GlobalCollaboration #InclusionMatters #ChampioningChange