Warsaw, April 4 — Frontex’s Management Board endorsed the Agency’s Fundamental Rights Strategy during its most recent meeting, on March 31. The approved document sets out the objectives, legal and political context, operational implications and implementation plan for the strategy.
The strategy was developed through a consultative process involving active input from Member States as well as from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). Its endorsement represents a further important step in Frontex’s ongoing efforts to formalise an emphasis on fundamental rights at every level of its activities. This is part of a gradual process rather than a sudden change of policy.
Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen said: “Fundamental Rights and human dignity have always been at the heart of Frontex’s values. They are a founding principle of the EU itself and enshrined in the Lisbon treaty. It gives me great personal satisfaction to see the Member States, via the Management Board, so clearly endorse that commitment.”
The Fundamental Rights Strategy reflects Frontex’s firm commitment to the principle of respect for human dignity and represents the culmination of extensive past efforts in this field. It is intended to unify the wide range of initiatives both within the Agency itself and during Joint Operations by Member States. The strategy will complement an existing Code of Conduct for Frontex staff and operational personnel which was formally adopted by Ilkka Laitinen the previous week. It puts the Code of Conduct and other rights-related activities within a clearly defined context and is expected to be incorporated as an integral part of the Programme of Work for 2012.
The Frontex Management Board is comprised of representatives of all the Member States and Schengen-Associated Countries involved in Frontex activities, as well as representatives of the European Commission. As such, the unanimous support of the Agency’s strategy represents a formalised acceptance of the Member States’ and Frontex’s shared values.
While Member States themselves remain responsible for Fundamental Rights at their own borders, during Joint Operations it was felt necessary to formalise and unify the approaches of different Member States. Active promotion of its provisions at the level of national, institutional and civil society actors remains a role for National Border Management Services, while Frontex will focus its efforts on the EU and international level.
The new strategy will be elaborated into an Action Plan, which has been requested by the Management Board with a view to adopting it at the next meeting, scheduled for May 24.