Fundamental rights are one of the basic components of every democratic society. The effective exercise of fundamental rights requires not only an adequate legal framework, but also an established institutional infrastructure and an active civil society. To contribute to the better protection of fundamental rights the Law Program initiated and worked actively for the establishment of the ombudsman institution in Bulgaria, drafting a concept paper and a draft law and developing the web-based Ombudsman Information Network. The Law Program has also monitored the level of ethnic discrimination in Bulgaria and the efforts of the government to ensure equal treatment of all ethnic groups in the country. The respect for the rights of specific vulnerable groups such as children, victims of crime, asylum seekers and prisoners are also in the focus of the Law Program’s activities.