HRDN – Human Rights and Democracy Network Human Rights and Democracy Network
The Open Society European Policy Institute is the EU policy arm of the Open Society Foundations. We work to foster open societies inside and outside Europe by leveraging the EU’s policies, legislation, funding, and political influence. The institute brings into EU policy debates evidence, argument, and recommendations drawn from the work of the Open Society Foundations in more than 100 countries. The foundations’ priorities include human rights, justice, and accountability pursued through a wide range of policy areas including health, media, information, youth, and education.
The Open Society European Policy Institute’s role is to propose positive measures that will sustain those values within policies and widen the political constituency that supports them. We also work to provide warnings when European political actors are moving away from—or even undermining—the founding principles and fundamental values of the European Union.
We pursue both of these roles by:
• providing evidence and arguments to inform political debates and policy-making processes;
• linking the Open Society Foundations network with EU institutions and member states;
• engaging in the broader debates about the EU’s future institutions and policies in order to promote open society values within their operations; and
• building strong relationships with officials, politicians, NGOs, and other actors to keep civil liberties, rights, and justice on the EU’s agenda.
OSEPI works closely with the foundations and programs within the Open Society Foundations to help them expand their own capacity to do successful advocacy directed at the EU. We work with foundations and grantees to provide inputs to a range of EU processes including human rights dialogues, progress reports, legislative proposals and country programming.
For more information, please contact Kersty McCourt.
News from Open Society Foundations
- Les fondations Open Society et George Soros
Les fondations Open Society ont été fondées par George Soros, l’un des plus grands philanthropes au monde qui a fait don, depuis 1984, de plus de 13 milliards de dollars sur sa fortune personnelle. EnglishEspañolItaliano
- Gli Italiani Hanno Diritto ad un Governo Trasparente
Il primo Foia italiano è entrato in vigore lo scorso dicembre. Quindi, perché le Pubbliche amministrazioni in Italia continuano a non rispondere alle richieste di accesso dei loro cittadini? English
- Italians Have a Right to Accountable Government
Italy’s freedom of information law has been in force since December. So why are government officials still refusing to answer Italians’ basic questions? Italiano
- La Open Society Foundations e George Soros
La Open Society Foundations è stata fondata da George Soros, uno dei maggiori filantropi del mondo, il quale, dal 1984, ha donato oltre 13 miliardi di dollari del proprio patrimonio personale. EnglishEspañolFrançais
- Hungary’s New Law Targeting Civil Society Organizations Is an Attack on Democracy
The Hungarian parliament’s decision to pass a law targeting the funding of independent civil society groups is a serious attack on Hungarian democracy, unprecedented elsewhere in Europe.
- La Open Society Foundations in Italia
La Open Society Foundations ha iniziato a lavorare in Italia nel 2008, offrendo supporto a gruppi che stavano sfidando gli abusi di potere da parte del governo dell’allora primo ministro Silvio Berlusconi. English
- The Open Society Foundations in Italy
The Open Society Foundations first started working in Italy in 2008, offering support to groups who were challenging abuses of power by the government of the then prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Italiano
- The Roma Are Their Own Best Advocates
With the new European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture, there is finally a place where Roma can work together to promote their identity and self-esteem.
- France’s Biens Mal Acquis Affair: Lessons from a Decade of Legal Struggle
Teodorin Obiang, vice president of Equatorial Guinea, is facing trial in Paris on money laundering and corruption charges—due almost entirely to a 10-year legal campaign by French anti-corruption groups.
- The Trial of Bosco Ntaganda at the ICC
Background information about the decision of former Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda to take the witness stand in his own defense at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.