From 23 to 25 March 2026 in Pisa, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, under the auspices of EUTI – European Union Training Initiative, held the Training of Trainers (ToT) for Human Rights Advisors (HRA): Mainstreaming Human Rights into Civilian Crisis Management Missions’ Internal and External Activities: using a HRBA approach.
The program brought together nine Human Rights Advisors (HRAs) from civilian CSDP missions, along with one Brussels-based capacity. The initiative directly addressed a critical need: bridging the gap between high-level policy and the practical application of human rights standards on the ground. The primary goal of the training was to equip HRAs to act as the primary trainers within their respective missions.
While substantial progress has been made in policy development of human right standards, a significant gap remains in the practical application of these standards.To bridge this gap, the course enhanced participants’ competencies in presenting complex human rights concepts, facilitating learning, and guiding mission members in applying a human rights-based approach to programming. The curriculum moved beyond theoretical definitions, focusing on the HOW of human rights mainstreaming through practical exercises, including situational analysis, elaborating Theories of Change, and designing monitoring frameworks.
As a result of the training, Human Rights Advisors can now more effectively design and deliver mission‑specific activities that strengthen the integration of human rights across all operational areas. The “agile package” they received—containing tailored tools and documents based on the course materials—enhances their ability to translate human rights guidelines into practical actions and train other mission members.
This improved capacity enables HRAs to more confidently implement the 2021 Civilian Operations Commander Operational Guidelines on Human Rights Mainstreaming and Human Rights Due Diligence, ensuring that mission personnel are better equipped to identify, prevent, and address human rights risks. Ultimately, this elevates the mission’s overall performance by embedding consistent, informed, and proactive human rights practices in daily operations.