Each child in need should grow up in a safe and stable environment
[28/12/09
10:00] “The process of de-institutionalisation
of large-scale institutions for orphans and children with
disabilities must continue, but it has to be pursued with care
in the best interests of the child”, declared Commissioner
Hammarberg in his latest Viewpoint. Stating that suitable
alternatives must be developed and supported by the authorities
– also in a period of economic crisis he calls governments to
enhance the process of supporting children at risk with a strong
political backing and sufficient budget resources. Analysing the
existing gaps, he considers that public policies should combine
step-by-step closure of the old residential care institutions,
determined efforts to support vulnerable families and creation
of support services such as foster families. “We know now what
to do to protect children in need. What is needed is the
political will to turn appropriate programmes into reality”,
he concluded.
Read the Viewpoint
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or .doc)
Drawing given by a child, Home Rainbow for children with
mental disabilities, Sofia.
Commissioner Hammarberg: Andrei Sakharov still an inspiration
for human rights activists
[14/12/09 10:00]
“The example and thoughts of Andrei Sakharov
remain acutely relevant,” said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his Viewpoint published
today, twenty years after Andrei Sakharov’s death on December
14, 1989. “Sakharov presented a universal vision for a peaceful
and progressive society based on human rights standards.”
Commissioner Hammarberg is also participating in the conference
‘Andrei Sakharov’s Ideas Today’ which is held in Moscow on 14-15
December. The conference is arranged by the Andrei Sakharov
Museum and Public Center with the support of the Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in cooperation with the
Information Office of the Council of Europe in Moscow. A video
on Andrei Sakharov has also been released for this occasion.
(more) [The press release is also
available
in Russian]
“Europe should embrace multiculturalism and avoid narrow
definitions of national identities” says Commissioner Hammarberg
[30/11/09 10:00]
“Europe is still not free from racism, xenophobia and
discrimination. Minorities are made targets of hate speech,
violence and systematic discrimination, not least in the job
market”, said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights, in his latest Viewpoint published today. He
asked politicians to take such negative tendencies more
seriously. “There is a need to analyse and address the very root
causes of these human and political failures. Our ability to
interact positively with one another will affect the future of
Europe.” (more)
"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)
Read the Viewpoint
Read the Viewpoint in Russian (.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)
Read the Viewpoint
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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)
Read in Russian (.pdf
or
.doc)
Read the Viewpoint
Read the Viewpoint in Russian (.pdf
or
.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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or .doc) Read the Viewpoint
Read the Viewpoint in Russian (.pdf
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)
Read in Russian (.pdf
or
.doc)
Read the Viewpoint
Read the Viewpoint in Russian (.pdf
or
.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)
Read in Russian (.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)
Read in Russian (.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...)
Read in Russian (.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
Read in Russian (.pdf
or
.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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or
.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.”
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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
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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
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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."
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or
.doc)
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