Europe, the cradle of human rights, does not always seem capable of ensuring protection for those living within its borders or those seeking to cross them in flight from situations of war or poverty. In an interview granted to the Aspen Institute Italia website team, Massimo Toschi of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (which advises European institutions on rights protection) explained that the challenge today is giving actual effect to the international legislative measures devised over recent decades, and that, in order to do so, innovative ideas are needed.
How would you describe the human rights situation in Europe?
In terms of what is happening on the human rights front, our big, beautiful, and wealthy Europe is, in some cases, reminiscent of what goes on in the poorest countries. The very serious migration pressures being witnessed in the Mediterranean are increasingly resembling a holocaust. I use this very harsh word deliberately, because I think it is necessary to convey how the deaths of a multitude of people are being met with so much indifference. The situation is particularly serious with regards to children, who are not being given adequate refuge, yet they should be the first to receive protection.
How can this situation be ameliorated?
I believe that coordination between the institutions of the different countries is essential and should be accompanied by improved and updated legislation. The reception of those arriving in Europe should be increasingly driven by a united approach. More incisive international cooperation efforts are also required. Simply dealing with the problems of those who arrive on our shores does not address the heart of the matter. The new Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, as well as the need to meet development funding targets, should inform Europe’s actions beyond its borders.
What, on the other hand, has been the effect of the economic crisis on the rights of Europeans?
I think there is a category of human rights – namely, socioeconomic rights – that is often forgotten or not given the attention it deserves. This problem stems partly from the fact that it concerns a very wide range of people who are not always easy to identify. However, cuts in welfare and public services have had a heavy impact, especially on the rights of children, whose socioeconomic protection often does not fall within any specific project or funding, except as an offshoot of interventions that target particular categories of people.
How important is public awareness for the improvement of human rights protection?
I believe that education efforts are one of the most important areas we should be investing in. Often, projects aimed at protecting victims of discrimination only involve the latter, when instead there is a need to sensitize the majority of the population, which in many cases bears some responsibility for, or is at least in some respect complicit in, such violations. It is crucial to start from schools: kids have a great deal of curiosity, but have few opportunities to come across clear and transparent information on human rights.
I think the next generation could play a very important role. With fundamental laws on human rights already in place, where we come up short today is on the enforcement side. The ideas of younger people will definitely contribute to the development of innovative solutions. We should look to the future role that such innovations could play in social enterprise and (why not as well?) in the field of human rights – making up for the shortcomings of the public sector at a time that sees an ever-diminishing reach for state action.
Massimo Toschi has been a Program Manager at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights since 2009, working on fostering cooperation with national human rights institutions and civil society, and on projects dealing with violence against women, and rights of children and Romani people. He has also worked for the United Nations and has served as a visiting lecturer on the rights of minors at various American and European universities.
