Malta Today: Platform for human rights organizations launched

Provides national forum to develop values of human dignity and equality

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/38307/platform_for_human_rights_organizations_launched#.U1pRYFWSy-k
23 April 2014, 3:53pm by James J. Piscopo


The Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta (PHROM) was launched today.

It consists of five NGOs each operating in different areas of the safeguarding and promotion of human rights, namely the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM), Din l-ArtĦelwa, Aditus, Richmond Foundation and Victim Support Malta.

On behalf of PHROM, human rights lawyer Neil Falzon said that its mission was to provide a national forum for human rights organisations to develop more effectively the values of human dignity and equality.

He said that the platform will take a broad definition of human rights and this will affect different groups of society, such as LGBTI persons, migrants, the elderly and persons with disabilities among others.

However, specific issues such as migration will be mainly tackled by the individual organisation within the platform which focuses on the issue.

Falzon said that being the only platform gathering human rights organisations in Malta, one of PHROM’s main activities will be the publication of Malta’s first-ever comprehensive Annual Human Rights Report.

PHROM will also provide capacity-building strategies, particularly for grassroots and upcoming NGO's, on the advocacy tools and skills needed to undertake target-oriented human rights activities.

The platform said it is open for other NGOs to join should they endorse the same mission statement, that of striving for human dignity and equality.

The platform will launch its own website, www.humanrightsplatform.org.mt in the near future, although one may already sign up for more information.