Human Rights and the Rule of Law

Access to official documents held by public authorities: Council of Europe evaluates compliance with the Tromsø Convention in 11 states - First results are public! Today, the Council of Europe’s Access Info Group (AIG), an independent group of experts created to monitor the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents by its parties, published its first Baseline Evaluation Reports on 11 states: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Montenegro, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Sweden and Ukraine. The reports contain comprehensive analyses of the laws on freedom of information in these states and their compliance with the Tromsø Convention. In light of its findings, the AIG makes specific recommendations to each country on issues such as the exclusion of documents containing personal data or other content from the application of these laws, and limitations to the right to access official documents. Other recommendations concern excessive length of review proceedings in case of access denials and shortcomings in procedures for deciding on access requests, for example, excessive discretion provided to public authorities not to release the requested information or failure to provide assistance to applicants. The convention, in force since 1 December 2020, is the first-ever binding international legal instrument to recognise everyone’s right to access official documents held by public authorities upon request. It lays down minimum obligations for its parties to guarantee the right to access official documents, balancing the protection of the public interest in transparency with the protection of other legitimate interests, such as national security, defence and international relations. The treaty also establishes obligations on the procedures for handling requests for information and the review of denial decisions by an independent body or a court in case of request denials. 🔗 More about the Tromsø Convention: https://lnkd.in/e8YKZNjB 🔗 1st Baseline Reports on 11 countries are public: https://lnkd.in/ejmMCzsY

Interested in combating the impact of climate change on human rights? Mark your calendars: 📅 11 July 2024, 1.15 – 2.45 pm EDT Side Event “Charting the way forward: Combating the impact of climate change on human rights” at the 2024 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on SDGs 13 and 16, organised by the Council of Europe and Lithuania. Join live and help us find solutions how best to build a resilient, multi-stakeholder coalition to address the on-going challenges in Europe and beyond related to the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 and SDG 16. Don’t miss this unique chance to contribute along with high-level panellists from the Council of Europe, the current and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, the Vice-President of the Lithuanian Consumers Alliance, MPs, representatives of local and regional authorities, INGOs and young people. Join us on Zoom on 11 July 1.15 – 2.45 pm EDT: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g9jwF5FT Passcode: 085365 More about the event here: https://lnkd.in/gY4Trfjm #HLPF2024 #SDG13 #SDG16

📅 8-19 July, Liverpool, UK The 2nd Liverpool Summer School on “Council of Europe at 75: Protecting Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law in a Rapidly Changing World” will be organised by the School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool, in cooperation with the Council of Europe’s OCEAN programme and other partners. The Summer School will explore the role of the Council of Europe in addressing key challenges for human rights protection in the era of digital revolution and new technologies. In addition, the participants will consider how different bodies of the Council of Europe, such as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Social Rights Committee (SRC) and the Venice Commission, have been contributing to the fundamental aims of the organisation. The 45 participants from over 20 countries, will attend the course. 25 experts will give presentations, including Presidents of the European Court of Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly, Chairs of the CPT and the SRC as well as one of the Vice Presidents of the Venice Commission. Learn more here: https://go.coe.int/s5wvH

Let us remind you that the 2024 HELP Annual Network Conference starts tomorrow! (HELP = Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals Programme) 🗓️ Dates: 4-5 July 📍 Location: Strasbourg, Room 1, Palais de l’Europe Join us as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HELP, offering a unique opportunity to reflect on significant achievements, explore future directions and tendencies of human rights education, and discuss modern ways to: - Enhance human rights education for legal professionals - Implement European human rights standards at the national level - Improve co-operation among national and international institutions To date, the platform offers 54 courses on various human rights issues, available in 658 translated versions in 40+ languages, and has reached out to some 160,000 users. 📲 Join us online on 4 July at 09h30 : https://go.coe.int/gk64N #CoEHELP#HumanRights #LegalEducation #HELPProgramme  

📚 Boost Your Legal Knowledge with Council of Europe HELP Courses! HELP = Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals Programme Discover our top three most popular @CoE HELP courses on the Introduction to the European Convention of Human Rights, Violence against women and domestic violence and on Data protection and privacy rights , available in multiple languages and for free, anytime. Our courses are designed to fit your schedule with interactive exercises, case scenarios, and quizzes. Complete the course of your choice and earn an electronic certificate to showcase your expertise. Join our growing community of some 160.000 learners and advance your career with cutting-edge human rights education. 📲 Sign up now! [https://lnkd.in/da7K2Ah3] #CoEHELP#HELPConference #HumanRights #Cooperation 

🌐 Discover the Council of Europe HELP Courses!  HELP = Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals Programme 📚 As the main educational programme for legal professionals, HELP aims to train judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and other relevant experts on European human rights standards.  🔗 Explore the HELP online platform to access more than 50 free e-courses in English and other languages. From combating hate speech to personal data protection, our interactive courses empower legal professionals with essential knowledge. 💡💼     👉 Learn more about HELP courses here https://lnkd.in/da7K2Ah3. Enhance your legal expertise and get an official Council of Europe certificate!   #CoEHELP #HumanRights #FreeLegalEducation #HELPProgramme     

🗓 Mark your calendars! 4-5 July 2024, Strasbourg, Council of Europe: The HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals Programme) Annual Network Conference is just around the corner and it will be livestreamed, so join us!  🤝 As the main gathering of HELP Network members and partners, it's a hub for sharing the latest HELP courses and key projects. But that's not all! It's also a space to discuss how we can enhance human rights training impact and foster effective cooperation among all members and partners.  This year marks the 20th Anniversary of HELP, offering a unique opportunity to reflect on significant achievements and explore future directions. More on this on the Conference webpage: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsHbj2Hr

🎉 Celebrating 25 Years of combating corruption together! 🌟 Established in 1999 by the Council of Europe, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is a driving force in countering corruption in its 48 member States, including 46 states in Europe, in the United States of America and Kazakhstan.  🔍 Through rigorous peer review and evaluation processes, #GRECO identifies deficiencies in anti-corruption systems and policies, and issues recommendations leading to the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms. It also ensures that states comply with its recommendations and put swiftly into action commitments taken to implement Council of Europe anti-corruption standards.    At GRECO, we harness the power of collective expertise to create lasting barriers against corruption and ensure justice prevails for the benefit of society.  🌟 Let’s stand united against corruption!  📹 Explainer video about GRECO: https://lnkd.in/dKnW5TnP 🔗 Learn more about GRECO’s work: https://lnkd.in/dYFNEXNA #GRECO25 #AntiCorruption  

📢 Sofia conference tackles challenges in prison and probation services   Directors of European prison and probation services from the 46 Council of Europe’s member states are meeting in Sofia on 24 and 25 June to discuss ways to improve the autonomy and resocialisation of prisoners and combat organised crime groups in the prison and probation contexts, among other topics. The 29th Council of Europe´s Conference of Directors of Prison and Probations Services is held under the theme “Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law at the heart of prisons and probation”. The event, co-organised by the Council of Europe and the Bulgarian government, also gathers experienced European researchers, practitioners and NGOs. Participants will also discuss how to prevent the excessive use of probation measures resulting in an increasing number of people being supervised by the criminal justice system, managing terrorist returnees and their families, the role of victims in the rehabilitation process, and the evolution of high-risk prison regimes. In her keynote speech, the Bulgarian Minister of Justice, Maria Pavlova, stressed that ensuring that human rights are respected and protected in prisons and by probation services “is not only a legal obligation, but also a moral imperative, because human rights are the cornerstone of a just and humane society”, rights that “every person possesses, regardless of any circumstances”.   Council of Europe´s director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Hanne Juncher, underlined that demands on the prisons and probation sectors are complex and constantly increasing and presented the Council of Europe work to address these challenges, including the development of new standards. A Recommendation on the use of artificial intelligence by Prison and Probation Services is expected to be adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in the next months and work is ongoing to prepare a Recommendation on the promotion of mental health and the management of mental disorders of prisoners and probationers. The President of the Committee of the Prevention of Torture, Alan Mitchell, will speak at the closing session. 🔗 Additional information: https://go.coe.int/VyooI

📅 🚀 OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE ECtHR “EXECUTION CO-ORDINATORS NETWORK” (ExCN) The 4th Summit of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik in May 2023 defined priorities for the Organisation, the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) is one of them. The Heads of States and Governments recommitted to ensuring the full, effective, and prompt execution of the final judgments of the Court, and also affirmed the need for a co-operative and inclusive supervision process, based on dialogue. 👉 Reykjavik Declaration : https://lnkd.in/eVAQigjn   Execution of judgments of the Court: After the Court renders a judgment, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervises its execution. The Department for the Execution of Judgments (Directorate General for Human Rights and the Rule of Law) provides support, advice and assistance to both the Committee of Ministers and the member States in a common effort to execute the judgments of the Court. 👉 More on the supervision process here : https://lnkd.in/e5QMB8bv   Unique platform to improve the execution process: To address the need to cooperate, to exchange expertise, to discuss ways in which the execution process can be improved among the domestic authorities responsible for the execution of judgments, a unique network entitled the “Execution Co-ordinators Network” will be launched in Helsinki on 24 June 2024. In addition, on this occasion, the first Annual Meeting between the Execution Co-ordinators and the Department for the Execution of the judgments will take place. 👉 Learn more about the event: https://lnkd.in/esMMyZ_Q   Updates on this event will follow!