75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: CERV stands up for human rights!

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the UDHR was the first legal document to set out that fundamental human rights must be universally protected. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status.

The UDHR is a foundational blueprint for taking concrete actions to stand up for human rights and tackle pressing global issues today. The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV), inspired by this landmark document, was created to protect and promote rights and values as enshrined in the EU Treaties and the Charter on Fundamental Rights, recognising and defending the universality of human rights. Launched in 2021, CERV is the biggest-ever EU fund for promoting and protecting fundamental rights inside the EU.

The programme supports a wide range of stakeholders, from civil society organisations active at local, regional, national and transnational levels to educational, cultural or research institutions and universities, human rights bodies, and regional and local authorities.

Projects supported by the CERV programme include:

• Citizens’ engagement on fundamental rights through arts (chARTer)
• Combating gender-based violence through the European network of Family Justice Centres Alliance (EFJCA)
• Sporting Cities Opposing Racism in Europe (SCORE)
• The European Observatory on memories (EUROM): Preserving Europe’s collective memory for a brighter future
• Town Twinning in times of solidarity
• Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe (PROTEUS)
• Unlocking the Power of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights: Safeguarding Digital Rights (DigiRISE)
• Minorities, Accountability, Rights, Independence, and Organisational Development (MARIO)