INTEGRIS Project: Integrated Support for Human Rights

On April 1st, the project titled "INTEGRIS - Integrated Support for Human Rights'', coordinated by ACTEDO and implemented in partnership with the Centre for Legal Resources (CRJ), was launched. The project aims to support and strengthen the capacity of vulnerable groups to exercise and defend their fundamental rights and to combat discrimination.

The main beneficiaries of the project are people belonging to groups vulnerable to discrimination, especially women, Roma and LGBT+ people, from all over the country. The project is also aimed at lawyers and legal specialists, representatives of NGOs working with people belonging to vulnerable groups, public authorities providing support services, as well as the general public.

In Romania, groups vulnerable to discrimination have limited access to justice due to multiple economic barriers, inaccessibility or lack of information on available legal tools, lack of trust in authorities, discrimination, homophobic, sexist, racist norms and attitudes, as well as the fact that pro bono legal assistance is not formally regulated in Romania. They also do not benefit from integrated support services, adapted to individual needs.

INTEGRIS aims to help address these issues by facilitating access to support services for vulnerable people, by training lawyers, support providers and judicial authorities, encouraging multisectoral collaboration, informing and mobilizing NGOs working with vulnerable groups, and by influencing public policies to support them.

Coordinator: Equality and Human Rights Action Centre (ACTEDO)

Partner: Centre for Legal Resources (CRJ) 

Funder: Active Citizens Fund Romania through the EEA Grants 2014-2021

Budget: 214,018.41 Euro of which 197,716.41 euro non-reimbursable financing

Starting date: 01.04.2021

Closing date: 31.09.2023

Duration: 30 months

Central objective:

Exercising and protecting the fundamental rights of persons vulnerable to discrimination and facilitating their access to justice and integrated support services, by developing multisectoral collaborations and by influencing policy makers.

Main activities:

1. Providing free and/or pro bono legal assistance and legal representation to vulnerable people.
2. Organizing workshops with NGOs, social services and informal groups working with vulnerable groups.
3. Organizing a National Forum for Human Rights, dedicated to pro bono legal assistance and the defense of the fundamental rights of vulnerable groups.
4. Organizing working groups with public authorities and other support service providers (psychological counseling, social assistance, shelter, medical aid etc.) in Cluj County in order to strengthen multisectoral collaboration.
5. Training of lawyers, support providers and judicial authorities in the field of anti-discrimination.
6. Implementing campaigns to inform the general public about human rights, non-discrimination, encouraging active citizenship and creating an online platform for this purpose.
7. Implementing an advocacy campaign on access to justice for vulnerable groups, which will include:
   • a national report on access to justice for vulnerable groups;
   • a public policy proposal on the same topic;
   • two regional debates with experts, practitioners and decision makers.
8. Organizational development and project team training activities.

Expected results:

1. The presence of a high degree of awareness and understanding of human rights and non-discrimination among the general public, but also practitioners.
2. The presence of an increased degree of understanding and awareness of human rights issues and discrimination among vulnerable groups.
3. Identification and mapping of support services for people whose fundamental rights have been violated.
4. Providing improved services and protection to persons belonging to vulnerable groups by lawyers, representatives of service providers and judicial authorities.
5. Consultation and involvement of decision makers in advocacy efforts on access to justice for vulnerable groups.
6. In-depth understanding by decision-makers of the importance of encouraging and regulating pro bono legal practices, as well as measures to facilitate access to justice for groups vulnerable to discrimination.
7. Expansion of the Pro Bono Network for Human Rights in counties where it currently has no collaborators.

Project implemented by:

With the support of:

Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. 

The project is implemented by Equality and Human Rights Action Centre (ACTEDO) in partnership with the Centre for Legal Resources (CRJ) and benefits from a 197,716.41 euro non-reimbursable grant from Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants Grants 2014-2021. The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the official position of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021; for more information visit www.eeagrants.org. More details about Active Citizens Fund Romania are available at www.activecitizensfund.ro.