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
Exchange with the Committee of Ministers: facing the hard winds to deliver human rights for all
Commissioner's introductory remarks at the exchange of views with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Deputies Merci Madame la Présidente, dear Ambassadors, Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity to be with you this afternoon to present my annual report for 2025. I hope you've all had a...
Honoring the past, shaping the present: the vital role of remembrance for Roma and Travellers
Thank you. It is a great pleasure to be here. I would like to greet everyone. I am very honoured that we are meeting in the presence of Mr Pfeil; it is a privilege for us all. I wish to echo what has already been said regarding the work of the Parliamentary Assembly in this area. I greatly...
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
Political leadership, adequate resources: implementing a human rights approach for Europe’s Roma and Travellers
Speech delivered online at the EU Roma Week – EU MFF Event: “Roma Equality and Social Investment in the Next EU Budget, organised by the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO Network). Good morning. It's a great pleasure. Apologies for not being with you physically. This is the...
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...
Oral intervention
Hearing of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Osman Kavala v Türkiye (no.2)
Thank you, Mr President, Distinguished members of the Court, This case, of course, concerns the rights of Mr Kavala as an individual. At the same time, it points to the ongoing structural challenges facing human rights defenders in Türkiye. I address the Court to share insight from my own work...
Speech
What would a human rights-based response to disinformation and information manipulation look like?
Speech dlivered at the High-Level Conference on Media Literacy and Information Integrity: Building Resilience to Disinformation and FIMI in Europe. Dear Friends, There have been three notable occurrences this week that I consider to be deeply relevant to our topic. The first is the death 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
Inauguration of the exhibition “The Unheard 12 million” during the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
Speech of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty delivered the following opening remarks at the presentation of the book and inauguration of the exhibition “The Unheard 12 million” at the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council. In cooperation with OHCHR and the Permanent...
Video address
Legal, factual, firm, and transparent: safeguarding the future of Europe’s human rights system – Commissioner to CDDH
Video address by Michael O’Flaherty at the 2nd extraordinary meeting of the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) Madam Chair, Dear CDDH members, participants, observers, I wish I could be physically with you in the room today. But this was, unfortunately, not possible due to prior...
Speech
Neither innovative nor smart: externalisation as a migration policy path of human rights risk
Introductory remarks on Externalised asylum and migration policies at European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) event in Brussels (Belgium) on the 24 February 2026 Chairperson, Honourable Members, Thank you for the invitation to engage with you today. Migration is a phenomenon as...
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
Holocaust Remembrance Day: paths of memory and action - preserving the past, protecting the future
Speech by Michael O'Flaherty, "Paths of Memory and Action: Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future", delivered at the event dedicated to the remembrance of the Holocaust and the prevention of crimes against humanity organised by Regards d’enfants in partnership with the Municipality of Rothau...
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
Universal rights, national duties: protecting the integrity of the ECHR
Speech delivered by Commissioner O’Flaherty at Universitá Roma Tre, Italy Magnifico Rettore, Head of the Department, distinguished professors, dear members of the Department, Friends, On January the 3rd, two deeply respected Holocaust survivors passed away, Josef Veselsky, who happened to be my...
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
AI: protecting human rights through smart oversight
Transcript of the keynote address delivered by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty at the Parliamentary Conference on Artificial Intelligence, organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the parliament of the United Kingdom House of...