At their 1516th meeting, on 15 January 2025, the Ministers’ Deputies discussed current political affairs, including following the Secretary General’s recent visit to Georgia.
The Deputies adopted a Declaration on the protection of judges of the European Court of Human Rights from threats and reprisals and on the recognition of their service. The Declaration emphasises the need to: protect judges during and after their mandates from threats and reprisals; maintain their independence and impartiality; and recognise their service to attract highly qualified candidates. Additionally, it calls on member States to ensure judges' stability in their national pension systems and facilitate their career progression after serving at the Court. These measures aim to uphold the authority and credibility of the Court in protecting human rights across Europe.
They also took note of the following documents concerning civil society:
- Guidance note on civil society participation in the intergovernmental work of the Council of Europe, which will be used as a basis for ensuring a coherent framework for civil society participation within all the Council of Europe's structures;
- Current work and implementation plan of the Road map on the Council of Europe’s engagement with civil society 2024-2027. The Secretariat will continue to follow-up the road map and report to the Deputies’ Rapporteur Group on Democracy (GR-DEM) before the end of 2025.
The other items examined by the Deputies appear in the Agenda and the decisions adopted are available in the meeting file.