1030th meeting of the Committee of Ministers – 18 June 2008

Children’s rights in Europe should be enhanced through a strategy

How to protect and promote children’s rights and to improve the situation of children were at the focus for a thematic debate in the 1030th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies. After the Warsaw Summit in 2005, the Council of Europe launched a number of measures for combating violence against children and sexual exploitation of children.

Irma Ertman, Ambassador of Finland and the Ministers Deputies’ Thematic Co-ordinator on Children, underlined to need to develop the strategy. She pointed at the Swedish Chairmanship’s conference early September, where possible priorities for the future strategy will be examined. Main themes for the future work could be protection for children against violence, abuse and neglect, promotion of children’s participation in society and further mainstreaming of children’s rights into different policy areas.

Discussion with the Commissioner for Human Rights

Mr Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, presented his Annual Activity Report for 2007, as well as a Report on Albania’s human rights record following his visit to that country from 27 October to 2 November 2007. The discussion, which showed strong support for the work of the Commissioner, paid particular attention to the Commissioners co-operation with national human rights structures and support for human rights defenders.

Delegations commented also upon the Commissioner’s thematic priorities and the views he expressed on these matters. The Chair concluded that the dialogue with the Commissioner would be even more intense in the future.

Reinforcing the implementation of the Human Rights Convention

The Ministers' Deputies were also informed by the Chair of the high-level Colloquy held in Stockholm on 9 - 10 June on reinforcing the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level. The Swedish Chairmanship will in the autumn make proposals for follow-up of proposals that came out of the colloquy.

Catalyst effect of campaign against violence against women

Strong support was expressed by the Ministers Deputies’ for action to combat violence against women, including domestic violence. The Council of Europe’s campaign, which held its closing conference in Strasbourg from 10 – 11 June 2008, was seen as having had a clear impact in a number of member states and had created a catalyst effect on national action plans to combat domestic violence. The Committee of Ministers decided to consider in the autumn the possibility to elaborate a convention on violence against women. Site of the Campaign

Rapporteurs appointed for advancing the work in different fields

Within the Committee of Ministers, ambassadors share as rapporteurs or thematic co-ordinators for specific fields of activities the efforts to advance work and prepare decisions. The Ministers’ Deputies decided on the following appointments:

- Chair of the Rapporteur Group on Education, Culture, Sport, Youth and Environment (GR-C): Ambassador Guido Bellatti Ceccoli, Permanent Representative of San Marino.
- Chair of the Rapporteur Group on Legal Co-operation (GR-J): Ambassador Emil Kuchár, Permanent Representative of Slovakia.

- Chair of the Rapporteur Group on Social and Health Questions (GR-SOC): Ambassador Yevhen Perelygin, Permanent Representative of Ukraine, until the end of 2008.

- Chair of the Liaison Committee with the European Court of Human Rights (CL-CEDH): Ambassador Eleanor Fuller, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom.

- Thematic Co-ordinator on Equality between Women and Men (TC-EG): Ambassador Pēteris Kārlis Elferts, for one more year.