Andorra La Vella, 17/2/2012 – “The Andorran authorities intend to respect their obligations to ensure human rights protection in the country. However, further efforts are needed, for example to prevent domestic violence, protect against discrimination, and promote national independent monitoring of human rights standards”, said Council of Europe Commissioner for human rights, Thomas Hammarberg, at the end of a two-day visit to Andorra.

The Commissioner recommends that the authorities continue to give priority to extending assistance to victims of domestic violence and to allowing longer stays in shelters. On discrimination issues, the Commissioner called upon the Andorran government to ease application requirements for Andorran citizenship.

Discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, education, in access to health care, or in the provision of other state services is prohibited. However, non-governmental organisations have pointed out that there is a gap between what is written in law and the situation in reality.

Andorra will take up the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in November 2012. Commissioner Hammarberg recommends the ratification of several treaties, including the Council of Europe conventions on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (more...)