Human rights

What the EU does

The EU is based on the values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These include the right of children and the protection of persons belonging to minorities.

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees these rights of everyone in the EU, binding the EU institutions and bodies, and national authorities when implementing EU law.

To ensure no one is left behind, the EU has also joined key international conventions, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention).

Human rights are central to the EU’s relations with other countries and regions. The EU actively promotes and defends human rights and democracy across the world, integrating these principles into trade, cooperation and dialogue.

The key objectives of this policy are

promoting the rights of women, children, persons with disabilities, Roma people, other minorities and displaced persons
opposing the death penalty, torture, human trafficking and discrimination
defending civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights
inclusion of human rights clauses in all trade and cooperation agreements
supporting civil society organisations and human rights defenders.

Happy pupils laughing and sitting on stairs_illustration

Areas of action

Your fundamental rights in the EU

Guaranteeing everyone’s fundamental rights in the EU

Equality and inclusion

Building a union of equality where people can live free from discrimination

Rights of the child

Protecting and promoting children’s rights

External action on human rights

Promoting democracy and human rights worldwide

Key achievements

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, adopted in 2000 and incorporated into EU law in 2009, brings together civil, political, economic, and social rights in one document. It applies to all EU institutions and Member States when implementing EU law.
The EU has strong laws to stop discrimination based on gender, race, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation, helping make Europe fairer and more inclusive.
The EU supports women's rights and gender equality. It has created policies and programmes to promote these values, including adopting the Istanbul Convention to prevent and fight violence against women.
The EU is committed to improve the lives of persons with disabilities through the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The EU has a strong framework to promote and protect children’s rights, including measures to protect them from violence.

In focus

EU's accession to the Istanbul Convention

In October 2023, the EU became a party to the Istanbul Convention, a comprehensive treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The EU is now bound by ambitious and comprehensive standards to prevent and combat violence against women in the area of judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement and with regard to its public administration. This includes funding, policy, and legislative measures.