Human Rights Comment
Shrinking space for freedom of peaceful assembly
Over the last year, protests have multiplied across the planet, from Chile to Hong-Kong. Europe is not left out of this wave of demonstrations. Protests are taking different forms, from large and repeated demonstrations to the occupation of public places and spontaneous assemblies. The use of...
Human Rights Comment
Language policies should accommodate diversity, protect minority rights and defuse tensions
Languages are immensely enriching. They enable us to communicate with more people, to be better understood and to better understand other perspectives. Unfortunately, however, in many countries of the Council of Europe, languages are still sometimes used as tools to pit people against each other....
Human Rights Comment
Time to deliver on commitments to protect people on the move from human trafficking and exploitation
Few human rights violations are so universally condemned by Council of Europe member states as the exploitation of the most vulnerable. As a result, year on year, the fight against trafficking in human beings or the eradication of what some call modern slavery is gaining in prominence on their...
Human Rights Comment
The independence of judges and the judiciary under threat
The independence of the judiciary underpins the rule of law and is essential to the functioning of democracy and the observance of human rights. The fundamental right to a ‘fair trial’ by an ‘independent and impartial tribunal established by law’ is enshrined in the European Convention on Human...
Human Rights Comment
Living in a clean environment: a neglected human rights concern for all of us
Tomorrow, 5 June, is World Environment Day. Initiated as an annual event by the United Nations to draw attention to pressing environmental problems, this year’s theme is air pollution. The urgency of the problem cannot be overstated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 9...
Recent posts
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Shrinking space for freedom of peaceful assembly
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Language policies should accommodate diversity, protect minority rights and defuse tensions
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Time to deliver on commitments to protect people on the move from human trafficking and exploitation
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The independence of judges and the judiciary under threat
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Living in a clean environment: a neglected human rights concern for all of us