A conference on the “Subsidiarity principle: national implementation of the ECHR” was held on 4 May (in Strasbourg and online). It was organised by the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, with the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s Department for the implementation of human rights, justice and legal co-operation standards.
The Conference focused on the support offered by the Council of Europe to member States in the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level, most particularly through co-operation projects.
It notably gave the opportunity to discuss progress in the implementation of a multilateral project on “Enhancing Subsidiarity: Support to the ECHR Knowledge-sharing and Superior Courts Dialogue”.
A new co-operation project on "Support to efficient domestic capacity for the execution of ECtHR judgments (Phase 1)" was also launched on this occasion.
Conference participants were greeted by Benedikt Bogason, President of the Supreme Court of Iceland, who reiterated that the event is “very timely as it offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the support offered by the Council of Europe, its cooperation projects, and specific tools to support Member States in their national implementation”.
Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), said in her opening address that “The implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level is a fundamental issue and is essential to ensure the effectiveness and overall credibility of the Convention system, particularly at a time when its legitimacy is subject to attacks”, while Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe, stressed that the Council of Europe remains “ardently committed to supporting its member States in fulfilling their primary responsibility to secure the rights and freedoms set out in the Convention”.
Speakers included representatives from the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), the ECtHR, the Department for the Execution of ECtHR Judgments, the Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation Standards as well as representatives of the Superior Courts Network, members of national judiciaries and government agents before the ECtHR.
More information:
- Speech by Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights
- Programme of the conference
- Conference webpage
- Human Rights National Implementation
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