Members of the armed forces
The Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) was entrusted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe with the task of conducting work on the protection and the promotion of human rights within the armed forces and, in this context, to consider, in particular, the issue of conscientious objection.
Following, in particular, texts adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the CDDH elaborated Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4 on human rights of members of armed forces. It was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 24th February 2010.
The activity was conducted from 2007 to 2009 via the Group on human rights of members of armed forces (DH-DEV-FA).
Chair: Camilla BUSCK-NIELSEN (Finland)
24-25 September 2009
6th meeting
13-15 May 2009
5th meeting
15-17 October 2008
4th meeting
9-11 April 2008
3rd meeting
Meeting report
3-4 December 2007
2nd meeting
Meeting report
14-15 June 2007
1st meeting
Meeting report
Recommendation CM/Rec (2010) 4
Conscientious objection
This booklet is designed to make the authorities and the public at large aware of the problems currently raised in Europe by conscientious objection to compulsory military service and of the solutions needed at international and national level.
Replies to the questionnaire on the implementation of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4
At their 1147th meeting of July 2012, the Ministers’ Deputies instructed the CDDH to prepare a questionnaire on the implementation of its Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4 on human rights of members of the armed forces and to transmit it to member states and to other relevant stakeholders. The CDDH collected the replies to the questionnaire until 15 December 2012. On the basis of the information below, the CDDH finalised the report on the implementation of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4 at its 77th meeting from 19 to 22 March 2013 and transmitted it to the Ministers’ Deputies according to their request.
Please note that replies to the questionnaire are available only in either English or French.
Download the Compilation of replies of the member States answers to the questionnaire
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
The CDDH held a workshop on human rights of members of the armed forces to raise awareness on this subject and ensure better protection of human and social rights in the military forces, with reference to Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4. Stakeholders discussed current challenges in protecting the rights of military personnel and identified ways to enhance protection of their human rights in light of international standards.
Information on the support available from the Council of Europe in this field was also provided, including in relation to the Project “Fostering Human Rights in the Armed Forces in Armenia”, implemented by the Council of Europe within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.
