Civil and Political Rights

As the EP elections approach, ICT present both opportunities and challenges for election campaigns. While a European regulatory framework for ICT usage is emerging, its adequacy is yet to be tested in the forthcoming elections. European human rights standards serve as a guide for the integration of ICT, allowing to leverage ICT's potential for democracy.

Surrogacy is becoming a more and more popular way of having offspring. The lack of proper standards of children’s rights in national law raises the risk of their violation. It is worth looking at how relevant monitoring bodies have addressed such a challenge.

Political participation is often a difficult threshold for migrants to cross in their adopted countries. The 2023 Argentinian elections showed their engagement is fundamental to deepening democracy and public debate. It is worth examining obstacles, myths and truths of a disputed right.

Academic freedom is under threat throughout Europe and beyond. Recent EU debate highlights the need for a protective legal framework while human rights law principles provide a nourishing context.

After 12 years of social and democratic erosion under previous regimes, Xiomara Castro´s government has the chance to make structural transformations in Honduras. It is worth exploring three main axes to analyse what the new government has done and what needs to be done.

Global technology giants are shaping the future of African politics in complex and myriad ways. Big tech offers powerful tools to engage citizens and enhance democracy. However, tighter regulation and greater accountability is needed to combat voter manipulation, misinformation and privacy concerns.

For years, transgender people have battled traditional norms in order to gain social acceptance. Now, North Macedonia is faced with an international obligation which will hopefully provide the push to take much-needed steps to enable legal gender recognition.

A series of attempts to ban LGBTIQ+ events and content in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina hinder freedoms of assembly and expression. Upholding democratic values of tolerance and inclusivity is vital to combat exclusionary politics and ensure equality for all.

The context and dynamics of suffrage and the overall ability of citizens to claim their rights have changed. Inequality, which the COVID-19 pandemic magnified, and extreme polarisation deter citizens from meaningful participation. A rights-based approach to address these problems is imperative.

The rise of Islamophobia in Europe specifically affects covered Muslim women. Legal restrictions and social hostility towards headscarves impede their right to express their faith, identity, and access to other human rights. These prohibitions must be approached as oppressive policies that limit the freedom of women to make their own decisions.