Before any positive social impact can be achieved, people – whether an employee or director of a company, a government employee, or a member of civil society – must understand why there is a need to advocate for victims’ rights, and associated support services. People can only commit to change once they have understood the challenges, and solutions, that are involved.
Key players require practical information, tools, and guidance to help turn commitment into action. By developing, and sharing, knowledge and capacity, we can support them on this transition pathway.
VSE works with European and International Institutions to influence EU and international laws and policies on victims’ rights. We have a formal consultative status with the UN’s ECOSOC Committee and work closely with the European Commission, the European Parliament and various EU Agencies, such as the Fundamental Rights Agency.
Through our network of members and experts, through workshops and conferences and through government-level meetings, we gather information on laws and policies in place or planned. We provide advice to members on the compliance of national laws with EU laws and inform EU institutions of any concerns or best practices. Every year, we work on national reports on the state of implementation of victims’ rights in the EU Member States.
While VSE staff are regularly invited to share their expertise on EU victims’ rights and victim support policies, we intend to increase our capacity to monitor EU Member State compliance with international obligations.