"UN
Child Rights treaty 20 years: Implementation still not satisfactory"
says Commissioner Hammarberg
[16/11/09 11:00]
“The 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
should be a moment of reflection: many children still suffer grave
violations. Their concerns are seldom given top priority in politics"
said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights,
in his latest Viewpoint published today. “The Convention on the Rights
of the Child has become one of the most well-known and broadly supported
international human rights treaties. Yet, its actual implementation has
been less effective than we anticipated, mainly because of the absence
of a systematic, comprehensive approach to children’s rights as a
political priority.”
(more)
“Intelligence secrecy is no excuse for covering up human
rights violations” says Commissioner
[02/11/09 11:00]
“Intelligence
agencies have acquired new powers and resources - but they are not kept
under sufficient political and judicial control. Governments should
improve the oversight of these services” writes Commissioner Thomas
Hammarberg in his new Viewpoint article. In particular, he points out
the need to control co-operation between agencies in different
countries. “Investigations into human rights violations have been
prevented with the argument that such exposure would disturb the
inter-agency collaboration” he says.
“Climate change is also a human rights concern” says Commissioner
Hammarberg
[19/10/09 09:30]
“The daily lives of millions of people are already being affected by the
natural effects of global warming. Basic human rights - such as the
right to life, health, food, water, shelter or property - are also
threatened” said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in
his latest Viewpoint published today. Calling for a spirit of global
solidarity and the recognition of interdependence among countries, the
Commissioner stresses the need to develop a stronger focus on the
relationship between climate change and human rights.(more)
“The death
penalty is a fallacious idea of justice” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[05/10/09 09:30]
“Europe is
today close to being a death penalty free zone. However, more must be
done not only to abolish it, but also to persuade public opinion of the
need to protect the right to life in any circumstances” said Thomas
Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his
latest Viewpoint published today. “Our
position on the death penalty indicates the kind of society we want to
build. When the State itself kills a human being under its jurisdiction,
it sends a message that legitimises extreme violence. The death penalty
has a brutalising effect in society.”(more)
“Persons with mental disabilities should not be deprived of their human rights” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[21/09/09 09:30]
“Individuals with mental health or intellectual disabilities have been
treated as non-persons whose decisions are meaningless, even in recent
years. They have been deprived of basic human rights” said Thomas
Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his
latest Viewpoint published today. “Their mere existence has been seen as a problem and they have
sometimes been hidden away in remote institutions or in the backrooms of
family homes. Though much of this has changed with the progress of the
human rights cause, persons with mental health or intellectual
disabilities do still face problems relating to their right to take
decisions for themselves, also in important matters. Their legal
capacity is restricted or deprived completely, and they are placed under
the guardianship of someone else who is entitled to take all decisions
on their behalf.” (more)
“The stigmatising of persons with intellectual disabilities is a
neglected human rights crisis” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[14/09/09 14:30]
“Decision makers should fight harder against the marginalisation
and stigmatisation of people with intellectual disabilities and
ensure their participation and integration into society” said
Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights, in his latest Viewpoint published today. “Persons
with intellectual disabilities are rarely consulted or even
listened to and a great number of them continue to be kept in
old-style, inhuman institutions. Conditions in some of the
“social care homes” are appalling in many countries. In these
segregated institutions very little, if any, rehabilitation is
provided. Not infrequently, persons with intellectual
disabilities are placed together with persons having psychiatric
problems and unnecessarily given sedatives against their will.
They are in some cases deprived of their liberty and treated as
if they were dangerous.”
(more)
“Flawed enforcement of court decisions undermines the trust in
State justice” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[31/08/09 10:00]
“Court decisions are not fully respected in several European
countries. This must be seen as a refusal to accept the rule of
law and is a serious human rights problem” said Thomas
Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in
his latest Viewpoint published today. “Court decisions in these
countries are often enforced only partly or with long delays -
or sometimes not at all. This is a structural problem which
should require the national authorities to take priority
action.” Cases of non-enforcement of domestic judicial
decisions are raised in a great number of complaints to the
Strasbourg Court of human rights. Among countries with such
cases are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Russian
Federation, Serbia and Ukraine.
(more)
“Serious implementation of human rights standards requires defined
benchmarking indicators” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[17/08/09 10:30]
“Closing the implementation gap between the rights proclaimed in
human rights treaties and the reality in member states
requires a systematic approach and meaningful indicators”
said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights, in his latest Viewpoint
published today.Highlighting
models and categories of indicators adopted by international
organisations such as the Council of Europe, the European Union
and the United Nations, the Commissioner stresses that
“indicators make human rights planning and implementation
processes more efficient and transparent. They make it easier to
hold governments accountable for the realisation of human rights
and also help highlight success through accurate criteria.”(more)
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the Viewpoint
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(.pdf
or
.doc)
State budgets reveal whether the government is committed to human rights
[03/08/09 09:30]
“The
current economic crisis has made it particularly important to screen
state budgets for their compliance with human rights” said Thomas
Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his
latest
Viewpoint published today. “The allocation of resources will affect
human rights protection - including gender equality, children’s rights
and the situation of old or disabled persons, migrants and other groups
which risk being disadvantaged. The way state revenues are obtained will
also have an influence on justice and fairness in society; in this
regard no tax system is neutral.”
(more)
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the Viewpoint
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(.pdf
or
.doc)
“Ethnic and
religious profiling clashes with human rights standards” says Commissioner
Hammarberg
[20/07/09 09:30]
In his
latest Viewpoint published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for
Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, states that “members of minorities are
more often that others stopped by the police, asked for identity papers,
questioned and searched. They are victims of ‘ethnic profiling’, a form
of discrimination which is widespread in today’s Europe. Such methods
clash with agreed human rights standards. They tend also to be
counter-productive as they discourage people from cooperating with
police efforts to detect real crimes.”(more)
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.doc) Read
the Viewpoint
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.doc)
“States should put an end to Roma statelessness”
says Commissioner Hammarberg
[06/07/09 10:30]
“States should employ all possible means to end the
statelessness of Roma and provide them with a nationality”
said the
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, releasing
his
Viewpoint today.“There
are Roma in a number of European countries who have no nationality and live
outside social protection. They face a double jeopardy
as being stateless makes life even harder for those who are already stigmatized
and facing a plethora of serious, discrimination-related problems. For those who
happen to be migrants as well, their situation is even worse.“(more)
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the Viewpoint
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or .doc)
"The International Criminal Court should be defended and
strengthened" says Commissioner Hammarberg
[22/06/09 09:30]
“European
countries should defend the International Criminal Court and
request the withdrawal of impunity for US nationals” says the
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas
Hammarberg, releasing his latest Viewpoint today. “It is high
time that the US policies towards the International Criminal
Court are reviewed in the spirit of active and positive
cooperation with the Court. The new US administration should
contribute to making the Court an effective instrument of last
resort against impunity for crimes that have gone unpunished
despite their horrendous character”. The Commissioner
criticises, in particular, the full-scale campaign against the
Court, including the political and diplomatic pressure by former
US administrations on a number of Council of Europe members
states. He encourages European states which have still not
ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, to come on board. “An
effective and independent international justice mechanism is
still needed”(more)
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.doc) Read
the Viewpoint
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.doc)
"International organisations should be accountable
when they act as quasi governments" says Commissioner Hammarberg
[08/06/09 14:00]
“An international accountability deficit is no good for anyone, least of all the
local population. No-one, especially an international organisation, is above the
law” states
Commissioner
Hammarberg in his latest Viewpoint published today. The Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights underlines that “when international
organisations exercise executive and legislative control as a surrogate state
they must be bound by the same checks and balances as we require from a
democratic government. Lack of accountability may undermine public confidence in
the international organisation and thereby its moral authority to govern. It
also promotes a climate of impunity and sets a negative model for domestic
governments.” (more)
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(.pdf
or .doc)
Commissioner:
"Governments should welcome complaints about social rights"
[25/05/09 14:00]
“The protection of social rights is particularly critical during times of economic crisis”, writes Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg in his most recent fortnightly Viewpoint. He welcomes the new ratifications of the revised European Social Charter by Hungary and the Slovak Republic and urges states to become parties to a special procedure for collective complaints. This procedure allows for trade unions, employers' organizations and other civil society groups to file complaints to the European Committee of Social Rights. “It has already been shown that input from such bodies have made the Charter more relevant and effective”, stresses the Commissioner.
(more)
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(.pdf
or
.doc)
“The response to the economic crisis should lead to more
equality” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[11/05/09 11:00]
“A serious attempt
to address the enormous gaps between the wealthy and the
destitute is long overdue” commented the Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, today in his
latest Viewpoint.The Commissioner points out inequalities and
injustices which afflict European societies and calls for better
protection of vulnerable groups. “Measures against the economic
crisis should not only focus on restoring the banking system and
encouraging investment and more spending” he says. “There is
also an urgent need to protect the marginalised and restore
social justice.”(more...)
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(.pdf
or
.doc)
"Anti-gypsyism continues to be a major human rights problem in Europe" says Commissioner Hammarberg
[27/04/09 09:30]
“In spite of pledges made to combat anti-gypsyism,
Roma rights continue to be violated all over Europe” said today
Thomas Hammarberg in his
latest Viewpoint, stressing that the Roma population faces
long-lasting high levels of discrimination in the continent.The
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights therefore calls
on European governments to take more effective and inclusive
actions for the Roma. Furthermore, he reaffirms the importance
for leading politicians and other opinion makers to avoid
anti-Roma rhetoric and to stand up for principles of
non-discrimination, tolerance and respect for people from
different backgrounds. Read
the Viewpoint
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.doc)
"Racism: Europeans ought to be more self-critical and remain open to thorough and frank UN discussions"
[14/04/09 11:30] “Europe is not a
racism-free zone” points out Thomas Hammarberg in his Viewpoint
published today and goes on to say that “hate crimes must be stopped and action
taken against discrimination in employment, education, housing, sport and other
social contexts.” The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights urges all
governments to be self-critical and participate constructively in the UN
Conference which will meet in Geneva from 20-24 April to review the
implementation of the Durban Declaration and Plan of Action against racism and
intolerance adopted in 2001 in the framework of the first
World Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. Read
the Viewpoint
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.doc)
"Foreign policy should be based on a principled approach to
human rights"
[30/03/09 12:00] “The protection of
human rights is not only a national but also an international
concern and responsibility”, said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Viewpoint
published today. Pointing out
that European governments have an obvious self interest in
stability and peace, Commissioner Hammarberg encourages them to
have a meaningful and sincere dialogue on human rights to find
effective ways to implement active foreign policies based on
human rights. “Several governments in Europe are now guided by a
strategy directive for human rights in their foreign affairs
policy. This has proved to be an effective way of clarifying
basic principles and priorities. The adoption of such directives
and reports on their implementation has provided a sound basis for in-depth
discussions on human rights in foreign relations.” Read
the Viewpoint
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or .doc)
"After the human rights breakdown during the “war on terror”,
the damage must be assessed and corrective action taken"
[16/03/09 10:45] “Since 2001, many European governments have
allowed themselves to be rushed into hasty responses to terrorism that have
undermined basic values and violated human rights. They must now review their
own conduct and take corrective action” declared the Council
of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, in his latest
Viewpoint published today. Underlying that the exchange of intelligence
information is needed to prevent terrorist acts, Commissioner Hammarberg added
that inter-agency co-operation must respect the integrity of the international
human rights legal framework and in any case should not result in human rights
violations. “The work of intelligence agencies, including their international
co-operation, must be regulated in line with human rights standards”, he
concluded. Read
the Viewpoint
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or .doc)
"Think globally, act locally - for human rights"
[02/03/09 10:45] “Local politicians and public
officials should seize the opportunity to enhance the quality of life in their
communities by implementing human rights in their ordinary work” says
Commissioner Hammarberg in his latest Viewpoint.
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights stresses
that “authorities at local or regional level take key decisions in areas
extremely relevant for individuals’ human rights, such as education, housing,
health care, social services and policing. These decision-makers should
therefore apply European and international human rights standards when they
formulate their policies and ensure that their approach is rights-based.” Read
the Viewpoint
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or .doc)
"National parliaments can do more to promote human rights"
[16/02/09 10:30] “Parliamentarians have an important role to
play in building a sustainable human rights culture in their own
country. More concrete discussion is needed about how this
particular responsibility can be exercised” commented the
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas
Hammarberg, in his latest Viewpoint published today. “Law-making
is not the only aspect of parliamentary work with relevance to
human rights” says the Commissioner. “The adoption of a state’s
budget and action plans, for example, are examples of
parliamentary initiatives that can contribute to promoting and
protecting human rights. Moreover, their role is fundamental in
ensuring that a government’s human rights pledges are not
forgotten.” Read
the Viewpoint
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or .doc)
"Children should not be treated as criminals"
[02/02/09 10:30] “Children should
not be treated as criminals. Young offenders are children first
and foremost and should be protected by all the agreed relevant
human rights standards” says the Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, in his latest Viewpoint.
Analysing the “disturbing trend in Europe to lock up more
children at an earlier age” the Commissioner underlines the need
to find alternative solutions to children’s imprisonment and to
reinforce preventive measures. “Time has come to move the
argument away from fixing an arbitrary age for criminal
responsibility. Governments should now look for a holistic
solution to juvenile offending”. Read
the Viewpoint Read in Russian (.pdf
or
.doc)
Equal justice
under law
"Europe must open its doors to Guantanamo Bay detainees cleared
for release"
[19/01/09 11:00]
"While the
United States has created the Guantánamo problem and has the
primary responsibility for correcting the injustices, there are
strong arguments for European assistance in closing Guantánamo
Bay, writes Commissioner Hammarberg in his latest Viewpoint. To
achieve this goal, Council of Europe member states should stand
ready to receive some of those remaining detainees who cannot go
back home for fear of persecution and torture if returned.
Giving such an offer would be both the right thing to do, and of
critical importance in our attempts to push for the prompt
closure of Guantánamo Bay. Read
the Viewpoint Read in Russian
(.pdf
or
.doc)
"Discrimination against transgender persons must no longer be
tolerated"
[05/01/09 09:45]
"Transgender persons encounter
severe problems in their daily lives as their identity is met
with insensitivity, prejudice or outright rejection" says
Commissioner Hammarberg in his latest Viewpoint. Analysing the
various difficulties transgender people face, the Commissioner
underlines that "they are discriminated against in all member
states, in areas such as employment, health care and housing".
He concludes calling on member states to "take all necessary
concrete action to ensure that transphobia is stopped and that
transgender persons are no longer discriminated against in any
field." Read
the Viewpoint Read in Russian
(.pdf
or
.doc)
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