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1170th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies
[10/05/2013]
At their 1170th meeting, the Ministers' Deputies continued to prepare the 123rd Ministerial Session that will take place in Strasbourg next week (16 May 2013). They also examined reports on the state of implementation of the commitments entered into by Armenia and Azerbaijan, prepared following the recent visits of a delegation of Ambassadors to those countries. The Deputies adopted
two sets of decisions in this respect.
Concerning the long-standing issue of the obligation of Bosnia-Herzegovina to abide by the judgment of the Court in the case of Sejdić and Finci, the Deputies stressed that failure to reach a consensus and to amend the necessary legislation would not only amount to a manifest breach of obligations under Article 46, paragraph 1, of the Convention but would also seriously undermine the legitimacy and the credibility of the country’s future elected bodies. They therefore strongly
urged the authorities and political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach a consensus and to amend the Constitution and the electoral legislation to bring them in conformity with the Convention requirements with no further delay.
Amongst other decisions, the Deputies adopted a
declaration welcoming the abolition of the death penalty in Maryland (USA).
- Meeting file
Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the abolition of the death penalty in Maryland (United States of America)
[07/05/2013]
The Committee of Ministers congratulates the State of Maryland on its recent decision passing legislation abolishing the death penalty.
The Committee of Ministers encourages other US States to follow the positive example of the State of Maryland and to reinforce the growing trend in international law and national practices towards the abolition of the death penalty.
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The Council of Europe, a death penalty free area
Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the recent executions in Japan and in the United States of America
[30/04/2013] The Committee of Ministers deplores the executions which have recently taken place in Japan and in the United States of America, observer States to the Council of Europe.
These executions run counter to the growing trend against the death penalty at the international level as shown by the latest resolution on the moratorium on the use of the death penalty adopted at the United Nations.
When granted the observer status to the Council of Europe, States have committed themselves to share Council of Europe values and to make a positive contribution to the work of the Organisation. The Committee of Ministers calls again on the Japanese and American authorities to put an end to this inhumane practice and to respect our values and principles.
The Committee of Ministers reiterates its unequivocal opposition to capital punishment in all places and in all circumstances. It remains determined to continue its efforts towards global abolition of this inhumane practice.
 "Education, Culture and Youth are part of the essence of the Council of Europe"
[22/04/2013] “Education, culture and youth correspond to the very essence of the Council’s role: democracy, rule of law and human rights are not established by decree”, highlighted Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, while addressing PACE on Monday.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra underlined the chairmanship’s main contributions to some of the strategic priorities identified by the Organisation: “living together in harmony in sustainable democratic and culturally diverse societies, focusing our activities on youth, education for democratic citizenship and human rights”.
Saboya Sunyé provided as well an up-date on the developments on the agenda of the Committee of Ministers, focusing on the partnership with the European Union for the Neighbourhood policy in the southern shores of the Mediterranean.
Moreover, in the framework of a brief overview of the Andorran initiatives during the semester, the Iberian politician emphasized the role of the
campaign Nurturing Human Rights launched to raise awareness on the Convention on Human Rights.
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Speech
- Video of
the speech
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Report by the Chair
Execution of the Court’s judgments: fewer repetitive cases but more files before the Committee of Ministers
[10/04/2013] The Committee of Ministers today made public the
annual report for 2012 on its supervision of the execution of judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. In accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, the Committee of Ministers is responsible for supervising the execution of the Court’s judgments by the states concerned.
The statistics reveal a steady decrease in the number of judgments brought before the Committee concerning repetitive cases which are well-founded. A the same time, the number of closed cases is up. This positive trend seems linked with various factors including the emphasis placed on the need to guarantee the effectiveness of domestic remedies as an integral part of every process of executing a judgment. (more)
Andorran Minister for Tourism and Environment Francesc Camp speaks at the 7th Council of Europe Conference on the European Landscape Convention
[27/03/2013] "The preservation and enhancement of the landscape are important factors in building up harmonious coexistence in our towns and regions, within societies which are increasingly culturally diverse", said Mr Francesc Camp, speaking on behalf of the Andorran Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. The Minister took this opportunity to present Andorra's National Landscape Strategy to the Conference.
Ms Maria José Festas, Chairperson of the Conference and Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP), Ms Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Ms Anne-Marie Chavanon, Chairperson of the Committee on Democracy, Social Cohesion and Global Challenges of the Council of Europe’s Conference of INGOs, took the floor alongside the Minister during the opening session of the Conference, held in Strasbourg on 26 and 27 March 2013.
The European Landscape Convention is the first ever international treaty exclusively devoted to all the dimensions of the European landscape. It thus covers not only landscapes which might be considered outstanding but also every day and degraded landscapes. The Conference informed all the parties involved of progress in the work of implementing the Convention, and addressed a number of practical questions raised in this connection.
 Committee of Ministers' Chairman addresses the Congress
[21/03/2013] Speaking before the Congress of Local and Regional authorities today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, underlined the importance for political representatives to demonstrate through vigilance and focused action that they are equal to the challenges facing them. He stressed that this was all the more important in times of crisis and called for particular attention to be given to the protection of democratic processes and social cohesion in the knowledge that these both can be victims of the negative consequences of the economic climate.
In this respect, the Minister highlighted the importance of education for democratic citizenship and human rights - one of the Chairmanship’s priorities, of fighting inequalities and exclusion as well as of promoting ethics and combating corruption.
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Speech
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Ministerial Session: democracy, human rights, and rule of law in Europe - strenghthening the Council of Europe's impact
