Council of Europe ON Forum

High-level Conference with Ombudsperson Institutions and National Human Rights Institutions

Strasbourg    12-13 March 2026

About the conference Programme Photo gallery

The second edition of the Council of Europe High-level Conference with Ombudsperson Institutions and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), henceforth named “Council of Europe ON Forum” will take place on 12 - 13 March 2026 (2 days), at the Council of Europe premises in Strasbourg, France.

This year’s CoE ON Forum will be held under the auspices of the Moldovan Presidency of the Committee of Ministers and co-organised by the European Court of Human Rights and the Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law, within the framework of the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe.

The Council of Europe ON Forum will focus on the vital role of Ombudspersons institutions and NHRIs in protecting democracy, exploring inter alia their role in addressing actions that undermine democratic processes such as foreign interference and erosion of checks and balances, and the connection between fundamental rights and democracy with special attention to freedom of expression, opinion and assembly.

The working languages will be English and French, with simultaneous interpretation provided.

Thursday 12 March - Palais de l’Europe, room 1

09:00 – 09:20 Welcome coffee / Registration 
09:20 – 09:45 Welcoming addresses / Introduction
  • Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
  • Daniela Cujbă, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova, President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

Video message from Gianluca Esposito,
Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe

09:45 – 10:05 Keynote speech
  • Egils Levits, Former President of Latvia, Former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights

Video message from Egils Levits,
Former President of Latvia, Former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights

10:05 – 12:05 Session n°1 – Foreign interference in democratic processes

Moderator: Alexis Fricker, Journalist, ARTE 

  • Ceslav Panico, People's Advocate (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Moldova
  • Alyson Kilpatrick, GANHRI Secretary, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
  • Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Hanne Juncher, Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, DGI, Council of Europe 

Young challenger, Orlando Moore, LLM student at the University of Liverpool

Video message from Hanne Juncher,
Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe

12:05 – 14:00 Family picture + Lunch

Lunch provided by the Council of Europe, Blue Restaurant

14:00 – 15:30 Session n°2 – Erosion of checks and balances

Moderator: Clare Ovey, Director of Human Rights, DGI, Council of Europe 

  • Sirpa Rautio, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 
  • Rafael Bustos Gisbert, member in respect of Spain, Venice Commission, Council of Europe 
  • Louise Holck, ENNHRI Chair, Director of the Danish Institute of Human Rights
  • Reinier Van Zutphen, Regional Director of International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) Europe, National Ombudsman of the Netherlands

Young challenger, Isaac Clark, LLB student at the University of Liverpool

Video message Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC)

15:30 – 15:45 Break
15:45 – 17:15 Session n°3 – Youth involvement

Moderator: Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Youth Department, DGII, Council of Europe 

  • Claire Hédon, Defender of rights, France 
  • Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) 
  • Maurizio Cuttin, Vice-Chairperson of the Advisory Council on Youth, Council of Europe 
  • Tigran Manukyan, Coordinator of the Public Council on Children’s and Youth Rights adjunct to the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia

Young challenger: Maja-Magdalena Klein, Winner of the Council of Europe hackathon “Outsmart disinformation, protect free speech”

Video message from Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy at the Council of Europe

Video message from Claire Hédon,
Defender of rights

Video message from Maja-Magdalena Klein,
Winner of the 2025 Council of Europe hackathon

17:15 – 17:30 Concluding remarks of the first day
  • Clare Ovey, Director of Human Rights, DGI, Council of Europe

Clare Ovey, Director of Human Rights, DGI, Council of Europe

18:00 – 19:30 Reception

Committee of Ministers foyer, Palais de l’Europe

Friday 13 March - European Court of Human Rights, Seminar room

09:30 – 10:10 Opening remarks
  • Mattias Guyomar, President of the European Court of Human Rights 
  • Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe 
  • Louise Holck, ENNHRI Chair, Director of the Danish Institute of Human Rights
  • Marialena Tsirli, Registrar, European Court of Human Rights

Video message from Michael O’Flaherty,
Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe

10:10 – 11:10 Session n°1 – ECtHR caselaw on Freedom of expression with a particular focus on the role of NHRIs and Ombuds Institutions

Moderator: Judge Diana Kovatcheva, European Court of Human Rights

  • Judge Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir, European Court of Human Rights 
  • Rick Lawson, President of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights
  • Anahit Manasyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia
11:10 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:30 Session n°2 – Third party interventions before the Court and the role of NHRIs and Ombuds Institutions

Moderator: Michael O’Neill, Head of Legal, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission

  • Judge Vasilka Sancin, European Court of Human Rights
  • Andreas Pottakis, Greek Ombudsman
  • John Darcy, Grand Chamber Registrar, European Court of Human Rights
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:00 Session n°3 – Dissemination of the caselaw of the ECtHR, the Execution of judgments and the role of NHRIs and Ombuds Institutions

Moderator: Debbie Kohner, ENNHRI Secretary General

  • Judge Mykola Gnatovskyy, European Court of Human Rights
  • Simona Drenik Bavdek, Human Rights Ombudswoman of the Republic of Slovenia
  • Frédéric Dolt, Head of the Department for the Execution of Judgments, DGI, Council of Europe
15:00 – 15:15 Closing remarks
  • Judge Diana Kovatcheva, European Court of Human Rights

 Media Gallery