On 18-19 February 2020, in Warsaw, the Special Representative on Migration and Refugees of the Secretary General (SRSG), Drahoslav Štefánek, participated in the Frontex Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights. The participants discussed the latest developments and priorities for the year ahead. The forum discussed forms of co-operation to ensure the respect of fundamental rights in Frontex operations, considering its new standing corps. From less than 300 border guards on the ground in 2014, the European Border and Coast Guard will have a 10,000-strong standing corps available for deployment by 2027. The SRSG noted that it was important to engage with Frontex given its role in border protection.
On 14 February 2020, in Brussels, the Special Representative opened the conference “Taking young refugees and asylum seekers seriously”, which discussed how constructive it is to look at young refugees as young people, with resources and potential, and not just as refugees in need. The meeting highlighted the importance of social inclusion of refugees through inter alia youth work, volunteer work and sports activities.
On 4 February 2020, the Special Representative participated in an exchange of views with the new Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF). He underlined the importance of the forum to engage with member states on the protection of children in migration. He presented the achievements of the Action Plan on protecting refugee and migrant children in Europe and outlined that effort on implementing those achievements is still needed.
Ambassador Štefánek also had several bilateral meetings during this period:
In Strasbourg, a meeting with Mr Abdullah Ayaz, Director General for Migration Management of Turkey focused on strengthening co-operation on the field of migration. They also discussed possible ways on how to follow up on the Special Representative´s report on Turkey.
In Brussels, the Special Representative met with Birgit van Hout, Regional Representative for Europe, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). They discussed how Council of Europe can support the implementation of UN objectives through concrete co-operation, such as the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the Special Representative has actively followed and participated in both Global Compacts and is ready to support its implementation.
In Warsaw, the Special Representative met with the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR), Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. They explored areas of common interest and synergies between the Council of Europe and the ODHIR in defending rights of refugees and migrants.
He also exchanged views with a delegation from the office of the Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia within their Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers and with Ms Christiane Feral-Schuhl, President of the French National Bar Council.