With just a week to go until the Fundamental Rights Forum 2021 begins, we are excited to announce our key speakers!
We will have the pleasure to welcome 500+ speakers - leading human rights defenders, decision makers, civil society, and church, business and youth representatives - and about 2000 participants at the Forum.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, United Nation Secretary General António Guterres, European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová and Mayor and Governor of Vienna Michael Ludwig will open the Forum together with Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and Chair of the Forum.
The opening plenary will bring together international and European voices:
- Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
- Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
- Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice
- Flavia Kleiner, Artistic director of Kosmos
- Silja Markkula, European Youth Forum
Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola and Othmar Karas will host sessions at the Forum. European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioners Ylva Johansson and Helena Dalli will also take part.
Representatives of the world’s leading tech companies, such as Facebook, Twitter or the Mozilla Foundation, will discuss how they can better protect and promote human rights.
Author Ferdinand von Schirach will urge for new rights adapted for the 21st century, high-level representatives of UEFA will talk about human rights and sports, and slam poets Carmien Michels and Omar Khir Alanam will rhyme about the synergies between arts and human rights.
The closing session will aim to chart a clear way forward for the protection of human rights in Europe, featuring contributions from:
- Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe
- Eamon Gilmore, European Union Special Representative for Human Rights
- Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International
- Emily O’ Reilly, European Ombudsman
- Christos Giakoumopoulos, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe
And there will be dozens of other speakers from very diverse backgrounds – from politics to business, from civil society to faith communities – speaking at this leading human rights event.
Check out all the speakers and browse the programme to choose among more than 140 different sessions, workshops and debates.
Register now to be part of the Fundamental Rights Forum 2021 on 11 and 12 October.