[Eutrp-meeting-2026] 🌟 The EUTRP Link: Bilbao 2026 Meeting Report, Lines of Action & What Comes Next - July 2026

Thu Jul 16 16:30:54 CEST 2026

Dear all,

Apologies if you're receiving this email more than once. We're forwarding our latest newsletter to make sure everyone who participated in the event receives the report, results, and other follow-up information.

Sorry for any cross-posting or duplicate email, but we thought it was better to be safe than sorry,

We hope you enjoy the report and all the insights :)

I wish you a lovely day

The EUTRP Coordination Team

------- Forwarded Message -------
From: EUTRP Coordination via EUTRP <eutrp at lists.protectdefenders.eu>
Date: On Thursday, July 16th, 2026 at 15:30
Subject: [EUTRP] 🌟 The EUTRP Link: Bilbao 2026 Meeting Report, Lines of Action & What Comes Next - July 2026
To: eutrp at lists.protectdefenders.eu <eutrp at lists.protectdefenders.eu>

> Bilbao 2026 meeting report, our four Lines of Action, and what comes next for the platform.
>
> The EUTRP Link
>
> A space to connect, inform and share across the EU Temporary Relocation Platform
>
> July 2026
>
> Welcome to the July edition of the EUTRP newsletter!
>
> This edition is a special one, dedicated almost entirely to our Annual Meeting, which took place in Bilbao in early June. It was three days of collective reflection, honest exchange and shared ambition, and we are still energised by everything that came out of it.
>
> In this edition, you will find the full meeting report, a summary of the key conclusions and the four Lines of Action that emerged as the principal outcome of our time together. These lines of action,on narratives, coordination, mobility and advocacy, represent our shared roadmap for the period ahead, and we hope they will serve as a reference and an invitation to get involved.
> We are proud of what we built together in Bilbao, and we look forward to turning those conversations into concrete action, with all of you.
>
> In the meantime, we wish everyone a restful and restorative couple of months. Take care of yourselves, and see you on the other side! ☀️
>
> Warm regards,
> The EUTRP Coordination Team
>
> A SMALL RECAP:
>
> 📄 Meeting Report, Executive Summary and Lines of Actions
> They are available in:
>
> - [English](https://us.list-manage.com/yC4yUeSUg4H?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)
> - [French](https://us.list-manage.com/gx2uvwPiTQg?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)
> - [Spanish](https://us.list-manage.com/vWLnTBw_KBd?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)
>
> They document the discussions, conclusions and shared commitments that emerged from the meeting.
>
> 🗣️ Steering Committees and Contributors
>
> - Steering Committees will be established to guide the implementation of each Line of Action,
> - broader group of contributors will support specific initiatives.
>
> Do you want to be part and join a a Steering Committee or becoming a contributor to one or more Lines of Action?
> 📌 Fill in the form [here ](https://us.list-manage.com/OhEcRA16q9P?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)
>
> What happened at the EUTRP Annual Meeting 2026
>
> Last month, we gathered in Bilbao, Spain, for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the European Union Temporary Relocation Platform. The theme said it all: Network of Networks: From Fragmentation to Collective Power.
>
> This meeting was organised in partnership with the Spanish network ProTEJER and the Basque host organisation NARE.
>
> [Three days. 125 participants.](https://us.list-manage.com/OW2sqniE7fB?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)One shared question: how do we work together to better protect human rights defenders ?
>
> Why this meeting mattered
>
> The context could not be more urgent.
>
> Threats against defenders are growing more complex, more transnational, and harder to address through isolated interventions. Civic space is shrinking, funding models are struggling to keep pace and the organisations doing this work are themselves under increasing pressure.
>
> No single programme or network can respond to this alone. That was the starting point.
>
> A different kind of meeting
>
> One of the most significant novelties of this year's gathering was the introduction of regional and thematic clusters at the very start.
>
> Rather than jumping straight into strategy, participants first reconnected with peers working in similar contexts, across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as with colleagues specialising in university-based protection programmes and psychosocial support.
>
> It was a deliberate choice.
>
> Before analysing, reflecting, prioritising and committing, the meeting invested in something often overlooked: relationships.
>
> Because ultimately, the strength of a protection ecosystem is only as good as the trust that runs through it.
>
> What was discussed 🌱
>
> Four themes anchored the working sessions: funding and donor narratives, care and psychosocial support, coordination and referrals, and mobility and protection pathways.
>
> What became clear very quickly is that these themes cannot be addressed in isolation. A funding model that ignores wellbeing undermines the defenders it is meant to support. Mobility without holistic accompaniment is incomplete protection.
>
> 👏 Coordination commitments without intentional articulation is just good intentions 👏
>
> The road ahead:
> Four Lines of Action
>
> Out of these conversations emerged four shared priorities that will guide the platform's work in the coming period:
>
> 1. Changing narratives, not as a communications exercise, but as the foundational layer that shapes how protection is funded, understood and implemented.
>
> 2. Building a connected platform, investing in the connective tissue of the network: a shared knowledge hub, a living directory of members, regional focal points, thematic exchanges, and a psychosocial support network for defenders and practitioners alike.
>
> 3. Expanding protection pathways, moving beyond a narrow focus on European relocation to embrace inter-regional, regional and local mechanisms, long-term accompaniment, and the meaningful inclusion of exiled defenders as active contributors.
>
> 4. Shaping an enabling environment,because operational responses are not enough. The political, financial and institutional conditions in which protection work happens must also change, through collective advocacy, flexible funding models and strategic partnerships.
>
> Taking ownership
>
> For each of these lines of action to move forward, active participation and distributed leadership from members across regions and thematic areas will be required.
>
> Steering Committees will be established to guide implementation and identify priorities, while a broader group of contributors will commit to supporting specific initiatives.
>
> Members of the platform who participated to the meeting or not are invited to express their interest in joining a steering committee or becoming a contributor in one or more line of actions by filling [this form📌](https://us.list-manage.com/uG3FR2i8l2h?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)[.](https://us.list-manage.com/duGGc3APaG6?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36)
>
> What stayed in the room?
>
> Perhaps the most important outcome of Bilbao was not any single decision or document. It was the shared recognition that stronger protection is ultimately relational, built on trust, solidarity and the willingness to show up for one another across regions and sectors.
> The meeting ended not with closure, but with a beginning.
> The four Lines of Action from Bilbao are a roadmap – the real work starts now!
>
> Want to go deeper? The full report from the 2026 EUTRP Annual Meeting, the Executive Summary and the Lines of Actions are available in [English](https://us.list-manage.com/1CSSVVIw417?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36),[French](https://us.list-manage.com/ccDWn2xyF09?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36) and [Spanish](https://us.list-manage.com/153KBgMLoOo?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36) 🔗, with detailed reflections, priority actions and lessons learned from three days of collective thinking in Bilbao.
>
> https://us.list-manage.com/10bW0hLMkoL?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36
> You can check some highlights on our [Instagram](https://us.list-manage.com/uf3zh4G3EE6?e=50fd80e03f&c2id=6c54e0ed414b3a9e84aeaf41fe98dc36) 🔗 !
>
> If you’d like to contribute to this newsletter or get in touch with the coordination team of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform, don’t hesitate to reach out — we’d love to hear from you!
>
> [Get in Touch](mailto:eutrp-contact at protectdefenders.eu?subject=From%20EUTRP%20newsletter)
>
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