Speech
The fragility of human rights and the necessary strength of our determination
Statement at 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova President, Ministers, I join in condemning, without equivocation, the atrocities that continue to be perpetrated by the Russian Federation against the people of Ukraine. I join in insisting that all those...
Speech
A change of era: Commissioner O’Flaherty urges vigilance for the Convention system at a fragile moment
Presentation of the Commissioner's annual activity report 2025 at the Spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Madam President, thank you very much. Honourable members of the Assembly, it's a great pleasure to be back with you in this capacity to present you...
Speech
Building back better in Ukraine: a human rights-centred path to reconstruction and recovery
Speech by Michael O'Flaherty, delivered at the 50th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities: "Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine: A Strategic Approach to Supporting the Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine at Local and Regional Levels" President Members of...
Institutional statement
Social rights: Bridging the gap from policy to people
Institutional statement to the High-Level Conference on Social Rights, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova Madam President, Secretary General, Excellencies, good morning. In the course of my work, it is my distinct privilege to be welcomed into homes and community centres across the continent. In that...
Opening remarks
ON Forum: Commissioner O’Flaherty calls on NHRIs and Ombudspersons to be national ambassadors for the Convention and the Court
Opening remarks by michael O'Flaherty at the Council of Europe ON Forum: High-level conference with Ombudsperson institutions and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). President of the Court, Honourable Judges, Distinguished leaders and representatives of ombuds and national human rights...
Speech
Civil society under pressure: reversing the erosion of civic space and ensuring its vital role in Europe
Speech delivered by Michael O'Flaherty at the International Conference "Shaping democratic renewal: civic space and the path to a New Democratic Pact for Europe" in Strasbourg. Secretary General, Ambassador Cujbă, dear friends, thank you very much for the invitation to address this important...
Speech
Exchange of views with the Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Speech delivered at the Exchange of views with the Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Thank you very much Chairperson and members of the committee. It is a great pleasure. Just a word first about the way I work. I have got a very broad mandate and so within it I...
Speech
Wilton Park dialogue: carrying human rights forward into a new era
The following intervention was delivered by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, at the 20th Wilton Park annual human rights dialogue We can agree that we are proceeding through a change of era. We have no way of predicting what the future will look like in terms...
Speech
Daniel O'Connell's legacy as we confront a new era for human rights
Commemorative symposium for the 250th anniversary of Daniel O’Connell: “Finding the heart of his global legacy in the 21st Century.” Edited transcript of the keynote speech delivered by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty: “Daniel O'Connell's legacy as we confront...
Speech
Member states should protect and strengthen NHRIs and Ombudsperson institutions
Transcript of Michael O'Flaherty's speech delivered on the occasion of the Workshop on Ombudsperson Institutions and National Human Rights Institutions: Implementation of Committee of Ministers Recommendations and Other International Standards at the 103rd meeting of Steering Committee for Human...
Speech
The European human rights architecture: a roadmap for navigating volatile times
Transcript of the keynote address by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty at 16th Warsaw Human Rights Seminar "Human Rights and the Legal and Geopolitical Contexts of Migration and Asylum". Deputy Prime Minister, Minister, Your Excellencies, dear friends, Back in...
Speech
The Essential Role of Human Rights to Build a Better Future
Lecture delivered at Law school, Galway University, Ireland President of the University, Friends, Some 25 years ago, while travelling with Mary Robinson, the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, I asked her what she considered was the greatest catalyst for Ireland's social development. She...
Speech
The Commissioner and the Venice Commission: complementary human rights actors
Transcript of the speech delivered by Michael O’Flaherty at the 144th plenary session of the Venice Commission, in Venice, Italy. Merci beaucoup Madame la Présidente. Dear members of the Venice Commission, thank you for the invitation. I am very happy to be back. I was here some years ago in my...
Speech
A compass in the storm: multilateralism, human rights, and overcoming global dysphoria
Transcript of the keynote speech delivered by Commissioner O’Flaherty at the 2025 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference on 06 October 2025 Chairperson, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary-General, leadership of the OSCE, Excellencies, friends, Yesterday, I went to the new magnificent...
Speech
Tackling the challenges of digital cooperation in cross-border justice
Transcript of the speech delivered by Michael O'Flaherty on the occasion of the Informal conference of Ministers of Justice of Council of Europe, 'The strengthening of cooperation to counter transnational crimes'. Minister, I thank you very much and would like to express my warmest...
Speech
The essential role of a National Human Rights Institution in a country’s human rights architecture
Abridged transcript of the speech delivered by Michael O’Flaherty at the Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, at the conference “The role of National Human Rights Institutions in promoting rights and preventing rights-related litigation and conflicts” Good morning everybody. It is a great...
Speech
Embedding human rights in the stato di diritto – the challenge for Europe
The following speech was delivered by Michael O’Flaherty at the Conference on Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe, held at the Università Statale di Milano. Rector, Members of the University, Friends, Thank you very much for inviting me to deliver this lecture. I am delighted to be here. I...
Speech
The Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer is crucial to safeguard human rights and the rule of law in Europe and beyond
Speech by Michael O’Flaherty delivered at the conference to mark the adoption and opening for signature of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, organised by the European Committee on Legal Co-operation. On 17 January, in Russia, Igor Sergunin, Alexei...
Speech
The Commissioner focuses on democratic security and human rights based peace in Ukraine at Council of Europe Ministerial session
In his address at the 134th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Commissioner delivered two key messages. First, full adherence to human rights obligations in the field of democracy, including protection of civil society and freedoms of assembly, association and...
Speech
Commissioner presents his first year of activities to the Committee of Ministers
The Commissioner held today an exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers. Below is the published version of his introductory remarks: “Dear President, dear ambassadors, Let me begin by offering my deepest condolences to the Holy See on the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. With the...