Human Rights and Transition Promotion Policy
Human rights are violated in many countries of the world: intimidation of journalists, silencing of human rights defenders, imprisonment for political reasons, and torture of prisoners or carrying out the death penalty. These and many other examples are the reason for the systematic work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the field of human rights.
The protection of fundamental rights and freedoms hand in hand with the support of democracy are one of the key goals of Czechia’s foreign policy. The Czech Republic promotes this goal in its relations with other states, at the EU level, and in international organizations, too. At the same time, Czechia contributes this way to security, stability and sustainable development in the world.
The Czech Republic is an active member of the international community regarding the promotion of human rights and of democracy. The Czech foreign policy ensures that international relations are based on rule of law, democracy and human rights. Expanding the possibilities of cooperation with partners in the region and around the globe who share the same values supports Czech political, security and economic interests.
The basic principles of the Czechia's foreign policy in the area of human rights are contained in the government declaration, the Concept of the Czech Republic’s Foreign Policy and the Human Rights and Transition Promotion Policy Concept of the Czech Republic. The Human Rights and Transition Policy Department is responsible for the human rights agenda within the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Transition promotion policy is a policy of supporting human rights and democracy that uses the specific Czech experience with the process of social transformation, democracy building, as well as non-violent resistance against the totalitarian regime that preceded the start of democratization. Czechia, along with other Central and Eastern European countries, had this experience in the 1980s and 1990s.
At the same time, transition promotion policy is based on the principles and values shared by the Euro-Atlantic community to which the Czech Republic belongs. These principles and values have universal validity. Transition promotion policy is a modern systemic approach based on the proven mutual connection and conditionality between democracy and human rights.
The Human Rights Department deals with issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the international community, especially in the relevant international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe (COE) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It is responsible for the participation of the Czech Republic in international conferences, seminars, meetings and other events in relation to human rights.
The department also monitors the development of international law in the field of human rights and ensures the Czech participation in its codification by negotiating and promoting discussion of international documents on human rights at national level.
Within the scope of its competence, the Human Rights Department maintains contacts and cooperates with state institutions dealing with human rights issues, in particular with the Government Commissioner for Human Rights, the Government Council for Human Rights and its expert committees, the Government Council for National Minorities, the Public Defender of Human Rights, ministries, bodies of the Parliament, but also with the Supreme Court or the Constitutional Court. It maintains contacts and cooperates with non-governmental organizations active in the field of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, both domestic and international.
Moreover, the Human Rights Department cooperates with other departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the Czech embassies abroad, especially with permanent representations to international organizations, such as the permanent missions in Strasbourg (COE), New York and Geneva (UN), as well as with the diplomatic missions in Brussels (EU) and Vienna (UN, OSCE), and with the embassy in Warsaw (OSCE).
Useful sources of information on human rights
Human rights in the Czech Republic:
Universal Periodic Review (Czechia)
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Non-governmental organizations and associations in the Czech Republic:
Czech Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
DEMAS – Association for Democracy Assistance and Human Rights
