The passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948 led to the creation of an international human rights ecosystem of universal standards, norms, laws, mechanisms, institutions, and actors. Today’s world faces a new set of challenges testing this ecosystem’s legitimacy and the relevancy of the human rights agenda, including rising economic inequality and climate change, weakening conditions for democracy, and rapidly advancing technology.  While remaining focused on addressing conflict, abuse of power, and reversals in areas such as women’s rights, freedom of expression, and assembly, global human rights actors must find contributing ways to resolve these compounding global crises.

Michael O’Flaherty, the former Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and current Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, has made a case for renewing the global human rights agenda in his 2023 keynote address at the high-level Protection of Fundamental Rights Conference organised by the Swedish EU Presidency. This moment of multiple crises coincides with a time when the [human rights] system, notwithstanding achievements, is under-performing and, at least with regard to certain issues, is marginalised or overlooked …  the crises we face today must be confronted by a resilient human rights system that never ceases to learn, grow, and adapt.

In this spirit, The Pasaj Forum is designed as a space for commemorating Human Rights Day and reimagining the future of the human rights agenda in terms of scope, strategy, methods, and tactics.  It served as a passageway for integrating the experience and views of the rights-based ecosystem in Türkiye into the global discussion.