MRG Europe's Programmes

1. Promoting Development Policy in EU New Member States

The programme 'From Needs to Rights: Promoting More Effective Development Policies in Europe' is the second phase of MRG's work for the promotion of human rights-based approaches (HRBA) to development in the new EU Member States. In the first phase, between 2008 and 2009, MRG successfully implemented a series of awareness-raising activities with local NGOs on international development assistance. As a continuation, MRG started a two-year advocacy programme in 2010, to sensitise government officials of the relationship between human rights and development, and to promote the benefits of the rights-based approach (RBA) to development in designing and implementing effective development policies.

The 'From Needs to Rights: Promoting More Effective Development Policies in Europe' project (DCI-NSAED/2009/210) is financed by the European Comission (EuropAid).

Our local partners in Cyprus, Hungary and Poland are the Cyprus NGDO Platform, the African-Hungarian Union (AHU) and the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) respectively. Through this programme, MRG aims to provide the governments of new EU Member States with the RBA methodology to improve their national development policies and make a sustainable change through the involvement of grassroots civil society organisations in the South. Therefore, we are implementing our programme with the active participation of two partners from Kenya: the Centre for Indigenous Women and Children (CIWOCH) and the Endorois Welfare Council (EWC).

Activities

1. Roundtables on the rights-based approach to development for decision-makers (1 day of roundtables in Poland, Hungary, Cyprus)
2. Advocacy materials for decision-makers  (3 policy papers)
3. Advocacy (ongoing advocacy at the national level, in each country, and at the European level ) and media work
4. Resource materials for decision-makers on the rights-based approach to development (1 toolkit )
5. Conference for an exchange between decision makers, NGOs and journalists from Cyprus, Hungary and  Poland  in Budapest, 15-16 September 2011

Project news

Activity 1: Presentation at the British Embassy, 16 September 2010, Budapest, Hungary

Minorities and indigenous peoples are among the most needy, but have so far benefited the least from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), stated MRG in this meeting organised by the British Embassy. The event took place a few days prior to the UN Summit of September 2010 in New York, when world leaders gathered to discuss further steps to eradicate global poverty by 2015. MRG insists an immediate change is needed in the implementation of development policies: otherwise the MDGs will be missed for these vulnerable groups.

Read our press release in English, in Hungarian or in Polish.

Download our briefing: Facts and figures: minorities and the MDGs.

Activity 2: roundtable for Hungarian development officials, 13 October 2010, Budapest, Hungary

Fifteen key development officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed the challenges for the use of the RBS during the implementation of Hungarian Development Policy. Participants were introduced to the development work of grassroot community organizations in Africa, through a case study on  the right to water, presented by Kenyan partner Esther Somoire (CIWOCH), a women and children's rights organization working among the Maasai community in Kenya.

Development expert Samia Khan introduced the concept, history and principles of HRBA, supported by case studies on UN, SIDA, World Bank and WaterAid HRBA projects. Neil Clarke and Zsófia Farkas, MRG Europe, illustrated the HRBA approach, along with best practices from MRG's experience. Officials from the Department of Development Cooperation, the Department of Human Rights, the Department of Strategic Planning and the Department of Africa and Middle East participated in the discussion.

Read our press release, Hungary should keep cooperation with African states on its agenda while presiding over the EU, in English or in Hungarian.

Activity 3: roundtable for NGO workers and the greater public, 15 October 2010, Budapest, Hungary

Kenyan partner Esther Somoire (CIWOCH) illustrated how the water crisis in Kenya affects the life of the Maasai community. Esther also introduced the relation between human rights, lack of water and broader social issues, with special regard to the situation of women and children. Esther's speech about the human right to development followed Ermel Chavez from Ecuador's presentation on environmental justice. The activity was implemented together with Védegylet: Protect the Future, and the Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights (DemNet).

Activity4: roundtable for Polish development officials, 17 November 2010, Warsaw, Poland

The mainstreaming of the human rights based approach to Polish development policy and programming was the main focus of the second roundtable of the project. Decision-makers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dicussed the challenges for and expertise of Poland (including experience in transition and democratization), with regards to development and its policy implications. Experts stated that Poland has a comparatively good relationship with human rights issues, including social, cultural and economic rights, and this should be more at the forefront of development policy. The Kenyan partner, Esther Somoire (CIWOCH), introduced the relation between human rights and lack of water, with special regard to women and children, and Samia Khan introduced the HRBA to development in a roundtable discussion, attended by five development officials. The human rights based approach was also illustrated by discussion of the Polish partner's (PAH's) sanitation campaign in Palestine, generating in-depth  discussion on the added valueof RBA.

Activity 5: capacity building on the HRBA, 28-29 January 2011, Nicosia, Cyprus

MRG conducted a 2-day training on the HRBA to development for local development NGOs in Cyprus. On the first day, participants were introduced to the concept, history and principles of HRBA, while, on the second day, participants elaborated on ideas about the adoption of the HRBA to their actual projects. MRG's toolkit, Human rights-based approaches to development education: A toolkit for activists in new EU member states, developed in the first phase of the programme, was used as a supporting material during the training and was disseminated among the participants.

Activity 6: photo exhibition, Reflections, 28 February-27 March 2010, Budapest, Hungary

The Zimbabwe Europe Network (ZEN) visited Budapest on the 28th February. Also stopping by in Geneva and Brussels, as part of its European-wide advocacy tour, the network aimed to ensure that progressive policies and actions were taken by the European Union concerning Zimbabwe. Together with the Hungarian partner, the African-Hungarian Union, MRG hosted Reflections, ZEN's photo exhibition on the 2008 post-election violence.

Read an interview with ZEN delegate Kucaca Phulu, a member of the Ndbele minority community.

Activity 7: Capacity-building Seminar on EU-ACP relations, 13 May 2011, Budapest, Hungary

This capacity-building seminar, organized by MRG together with the Cotonou Aid Working Group of CONCORD, the European NGO Confederation for Development and Relief and with HAND, Hungarian Association of NGOs for Development, was integrated with a series of other NGO events in the context of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union and the 21th ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. We invited 40 CSO representatives (both Hungarian and other Joint Parliamentary Assembly participants) to learn and exchange on several important issues regarding EU-ACP relations. Speakers were experts from CONCORD and representatives of Minority Rights Group Europe.

Activity 8: Africa Festival, 14 May 2011, Budapest, Hungary

As part of this awareness-raising, cultural event, MRG’s Director Neil Clarke gave an introduction into the lives of the Endorois community in Kenya and a project carried out together with the Endorois Welfare Council implementing the human-rights-based approach. Endorois land was originally appropriated by the Kenyan government in the 1970s to create the Lake Bogoria National Reserve. After the roundtable, we screened the documentary Rightful Place produced by MRG in cooperation with Witness and Centre for Minority Rights and Development (CEMIRIDE) on the land evictions of the Endorois people.

Activity 9: 21st ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), 16-17 May 2011, Budapest, Hungary

MRG’s Kenyan partner Esther Somoire, Director of Centre for Indigenous Women and Children (CIWOCH) spoke about the benefits of the human-rights-based approach at a lunch debate organized by MRG on the first day of the JPA. Secretary-General of the ACP Group, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas and Member of the European Parliament, Dr Zita Gurmai were among the attendees. At the same event, Programmes Officer Zsófia Farkas launched MRG’s new policy paper on the HRBA to development.

Download the policy paper: The Human Rights-based Approach: A More Effective Framework for International Development Policies in New EU Member States.

Watch this video on a Kenyan activist talking about the Human Rights-Based Approach to Development in practice. 

Activity 10: Challenges and Responses - Hungary for the Success of Africa, VI. Africa Summit, 20 May 2011, Budapest, Hungary

MRG’s Kenya partner Esther Somoire, Director of Centre for Indigenous Women and Children (CIWOCH), and MRG Europe’s Director Neil Clarke gave presentations on the right to water, the scarcity of water and its impact on the lives of minorities. The summit was organized in the framework of the Hungarian Presidency. One of the Presidency priorities was to finalise and adopt the European Danube Strategy, which encompasses transboundary cooperation, climate change mitigation strategies, flood prevention and measures against droughts. MRG has stated that Hungary should share these experiences as an integral part of its development assistance activities in Africa.

Activity 11: Global Development and the New EU Member states – time for re-launch?, 26-28 May 2011, Warsaw, Poland

This conference organized by MRG’s partner Polish Humanitarian Action (PHA) touched upon issues such as the prospects of development studies in Central and Eastern Europe, climate change, aid effectiveness and policy coherence for development. The event gave us a good opportunity to launch our new policy paper The Human Rights-based Approach: A More Effective Framework for International Development Policies in New EU Member States in Poland.

Download the policy paper: The Human Rights-based Approach: A More Effective Framework for International Development Policies in New EU Member States.

Activity 12: Roundtable for Cypriot development practitioners in Cyprus, 12 September 2011, Nicosia, Cyprus

The Kenyan partner, Esther Somoire (CIWOCH) introduced MRG’s landmark publication ‘Integration of the Human Rights Based Approach into Development Policies and Programmes: A guide for the New EU Member States’, and discussed with local NGOs the added value of the HRBA to development cooperation.

Activity 13: ‘Challenges of development cooperation in EU New Member States’, Reflections on the Presidency experiences and the future of development policy, British Embassy Budapest, 15-16 September, 2011

Activity 13: ‘Challenges of development cooperation in EU New Member States’, Reflections on the Presidency experiences and the future of development policy, British Embassy Budapest, 15-16 September, 2011

Watch a short video on the conference and HRBA here.

Esther Somoire, Director, HM Ambassador Greg Dorey and Zsolt Németh, Minister of State at the Challenges of Development Conference

On the occasion of two New EU Member States holding the EU Presidency in 2011, followed by Cyprus in 2012 and Lithuania in 2013, the conference aim was to provide opportunities for New EU Member States decision makers, experts and NGOs to exchange experiences about the EU Presidencies on the field of development cooperation and reflect on the new approaches and challenges in development policy and programming.

Invited speakers from Hungary, Poland and Cyprus and Lithuania discussed the lessons learnt from development cooperation during the Presidency and give an insight about the future of development cooperation in the countries. The conference introduced the Human Rights Based Approach as a new approach for effective and pragmatic development cooperation while being in line with international and EU obligations. To enrich the discussion development experts from the Global South, decision makers from Old EU Member States and old donors introduced examples of the integration and application of Human Rights Based Approach to development.

View photos from the conference on our flickr page.

Download the follow materials from the conference:

• Programme
• Opening Speeches by HM Ambassador Greg Dorey, the British Embassy in Hungary and Zsolt Németh, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hungary

Here are details about each of the panels, and you can download the Powerpoint presentations from each Panel below: 

Panel I. Development Cooperation Policy in New EU Member States and the its role in the Presidency period (Experiences of the Hungarian, Polish, Cypriot and Lithuanian EU Presidencies)

Panel I drew conclusions on the experiences of the Presidency period in Hungary and Poland regarding international development cooperation and European development policy and provide opportunities to share lessons learnt with the upcoming two New EU Member States holding EU Presidency in 2012 an 2013. In the panel, the representatives of the Development Cooperation Departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and national NGDO Platforms will share their experiences. Download the Powerpoint presentations from this Panel:

• Ádám Kirchknopf, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hungary
• Barbara Erős, Hungarian Association for NGOs for Development and Humanitarian Aid
• Mrs. Agata Zajega, Embassy of the Republic of Poland
• Monika Matus, Zagranica Group, Poland
• Niovi Georgiades, Secretariat of Cyprus EU Presidency
• Nadia Karayianni, Cyprus Islandwide NGO Development Platform (CYINDEP)
• Tomas Irnius, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania
• Vaidotas Ilgius, National Platform of Development NGOs, Lithuania

Panel II. New approaches and new challenges in Development Cooperation Policy in New EU Member States

The panel II introduces the challenges and opportunities to improve development cooperation and increase aid efficiency through mainstreaming Human Rights Based Approach. The section will demonstrate the value added of this new approach and provide examples and entry points to integrate HRBA into development cooperation in New EU Member States. Download the Powerpoint presentations from this Panel:

• Maxi Ussar, Independent development expert
• Jan Hofmokl, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Poland
• Zsófia Farkas, Minority Rights Group Europe

Panel III. Experiences of the application of the Human Rights Based Approach

Examples from aid agencies and ministries, NGOs and partners from the Global South show the utility and practice of the Human Rights Based Approach to development. Download the Powerpoint presentations from this Panel:

• Helena Lagerlof, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
• Louisa Hrabowy, Department of International Development (DfID), UK
• DfID case studies and success stories
• Elena de Louise Romero, University Carlos III, Spain
• Wilson Kipkazi, Endoroi Welfare Council, Kenya
• Esther Somoire, CIWOCH, Kenya
• Kordian Kochanowicz, Institute of Global Responsibility, Poland
• Aurele Destree, Glopolis, Czech Republic

Panel IV: Human Rights, Development and awareness raising

In New EU Member States, the low level of awareness about development issues is a challenging problem. The panel explores how linking public awareness-raising campaigns on development cooperation to human rights can make them more effective. Download the Powerpoint presentations from this Panel:

• Kőműves Anita, Népszabadság, Hungary
• Wojciech Cegielski, Polish Radio News Agency (IAR)
• George Kakouris, Politis Newspaper, Cyprus
• Mehmet Erdogan, Independent Media Center, Cyprus

Closing remarks - download the speeches below:

• Virág Kaufer, Member of the Hungarian Parliament
• Zita Gurmai, Member of the European Parliament, Substitute to the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

2. Promoting Development in Europe: Towards a Critical Mass and Beyond

This was a two-year programme started in 2008, to increase public support in the new EU member states for their governments’ international development assistance, by raising public awareness of development issues in the South and by promoting the adoption of rights based approaches to development. The project was implemented through local national partners in Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia and supported by contributions from MRGs partners in Africa. Visit the programme's website... 

3. Advancing Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in Southeast Europe: Minority Rights Advocacy in the EU Accession Process

This is a three-year project started in 2007 aiming to eliminate discrimination and ensure minority protection in the Western Balkans by contributing to the inclusion and effective participation of South East European minorities in the economic and social development processes. The project is taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia with the purpose of utilizing the opportunities provided by the EU accession process to combat the exclusion and poverty faced by minority communities through the mainstreaming of effective minority participation in political and development processes in South East Europe (SEE).

Activities and Monitoring

The programme includes three annual strategic advocacy planning meetings designed to develop a Programme Advocacy Plan’s with specific aims and deliverables for each country. The first meeting took place in Budapest in July 2007, the second in Sarajevo in February in 2008 and the third meeting in Montenegro in February 2009.

To improve the capacity of minority groups to utilize the opportunities created by the EU accession process, MRG organized a regional seminar on the structure of the EU and its decision-making processess, its engagement with SEE, minority issues within the EU accession process, gender mainstreaming and the rights-based approach. The seminar took place in Ohrid, Macedonia, between October 22 and 27, 2007.

To ensure the sustainability of the project, each partner replicated this regional seminar within its own in-country setting throughout 2008. The seminars were held in the local language and targeted minority rights activists at the local level.

Another major activity has been the translation of the MRG publication: Minority Rights Advocacy in the European Union: A Guide for NGOs in South Eastern Europe . The Guide was translated by partners into five of the working languages of the region: Albanian, Croatian, Macedonian, Romany and Serbian.

As part of the program’s advocacy activities, each partner is responsible for publishing a shadow report on a chosen treaty or convention within the program period. Shadow reports are particularly important since the EU, lacking a minority acquis of its own, relies on the UN, Council of Europe and OSCE legal framework for human and minority rights protection in assessing the compliance of candidate and potential candidate countries and their fulfilment of the Copenhagen political criteria (see our shadow reports on Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia).

In addition to producing shadow reports, each partner organization is responsible for attending at least two international events per year. The relevant fora include UN treaty body meetings as appropriate, Council of Europe events, meetings organized within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and in particular its annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, events organized in Brussels by the European Commission, Parliament or civil society organizations.

As a part of this, an advocacy event in Brussels was organized on November 20th 2007 following the launch of the progress reports, providing an opportunity for our partner organizations to publicly assess the inclusion of minority issues in the reports.

Besides international advocacy, local in-country advocacy campaigns are carried out by partners throughout the programme period, providing an opportunity for partners to engage on specific issues with relevant national and local decision-makers.

Linked to EU advocacy, two regional analyses were to be prepared, published and launched in Brussels with the participation of local partners, representatives of national governments and EU officials. Both studies will be published in English and in languages spoken in the region.

The first regional study, on the application of the Copenhagen political criteria, and an analysis of the EU political discourse on minorities in the SEE accession process was published and launched in Brussels in June 2008.
A second regional study will examine the EU pre-accession and development aid flows into SEE and analyse national budgets to see how minorities’ needs have been considered in the process of allocating funds, designing the programs and how these communities have ultimately benefited. This report will be launched in June 2009.
In addition, partner-led national studies on relevant development issues will be also prepared, published in English and the local language and accompanied by a national launch event. The specific topic will be decided by partners prior to the implementation of this activity, to ensure that it is relevant and timely.

Project Monitoring

Successful project implementation and sharing of learning is ensured by diligent joint monitoring and evaluation. The programme implementation is monitored through semi-annual reports prepared by the implementing partners, semi-annual evaluation meetings and MRG staff site visits in each country. Each the MRG staff visits, is also accompanied by partners from a different country. An external evaluator will be engaged at the end of the programme to conduct an impact and process evaluation.