Catalan rights charter

A document setting out the main rights deficits, containing a list of policies to be implemented to address these shortcomings, and setting out how these rights can be defended in the long term, is planned for Catalonia. Developed according to the UN’s so-called “Paris Principles”, this project is being driven by the Catalan Ombudsman and the Human Rights Institute of Catalonia (IDHC). The collaboration between these two organisations dates back to 2017, and is chaired by the leader of the Ombudsman, Rafael Ribó, who oversees the board of the project, which consists of members from Amnesty International, the Association of Journalists, the Advocacy Council, the Catalan Commission for Refugee Aid, and the Catalan Board of Third Sector Organisations. In addition to assessing the current rights situation, the project board asserts that it will write periodic reports on rights issues here, to be submitted to international bodies for the protection of human rights. The formal launch of the project will take place at 5pm this afternoon in Barcelona, at an event featuring actress Sílvia Bel and journalist Ramon Pellicer, among others. They will present the working documents on the rights identified as a starting point, to be debated by the citizenry, in a consultation stage. There will be a variety of ways in which the public can participate, such as workshops or online questionnaires. Consultation will continue until June of this year, culminating in a final document being presented for the consideration of Parliament in September, in order to guide its action in the short, medium and long terms, through specific laws and policies.