MINELRES: New HR watchdog in Lithuania

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Henrikas Mickevicius <henrikas@osf.lt>


Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I am pleased to announce the Human Rights Monitoring Institute (HRMI)
has been formally registered under Lithuanian law and commences its
activities with support from Open Society Institute and Open Society
Fund-Lithuania. 

The mission of this government performance watchdog is to promote the
advancement of an open, democratic society and the consolidation of
human rights principles in Lithuania.

HRMI aims to raise awareness of the cause and consequences of human
rights violations, strengthen the capacity of civil society to influence
governmental human rights policies and practices by creating
self-sustainable mechanisms for independent civil society scrutiny; and
motivate government to bring about tangible improvements in legislation,
programs and services intended to ensure and protect human dignity and
human rights.  

A key consideration in pursuit of these aims is to integrate permanent
civil society monitoring of government performance in human rights into
political discourse, with a view toward increasing government
accountability in policies and practices affecting human rights.

Following a general assessment on the state of human rights in
Lithuania, HRMI will concentrate its monitoring, advocacy and strategic
litigation activities in the following priority areas:
protection of the rights of individuals kept in closed institutions such
as prisons, psychiatric hospitals, orphanages and special educational
facilities; protection of the right to private life, with particular
emphasis on the illegal collection and use of information about the
private life of individuals; protection of the right to a fair trial,
with emphasis on lengthy trial proceedings and principles of equality
and impartiality in the courtroom; and cross-cutting issue: prohibition
of discrimination. Anti-discrimination underlies progress among many of
HRMI�s activities, as human rights are due all individuals equally,
without discrimination. This crosscutting theme is especially important
within the context of forthcoming EU membership.
HRMI seeks long-term and project-specific cooperation with foreign,
regional and international non-governmental and inter-governmental
organisations. 

Later this year look for a separate announcement on the launch of our
website. In the meantime, kindly direct inquiries to the coordinates
below.

With regards,

Henrikas Mickevicius
Executive Director
Human Rights Monitoring Institute
Didzioji g. 5
LT-2006 Vilnius, Lithuania
Tel. +370.5.266-1203
Fax: +370.5.268-5512
Email: henrikas@osf.lt