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Commissioner stresses the importance of solidarity with and among human rights defenders
"Human rights defenders need more solidarity from member states, their citizens and civil society, as well as solidarity among themselves", said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in a conference organised today in Oslo by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in...
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Addressing the rights of women with disabilities in Europe: observations and perspectives
Online intervention at the University Women of Europe webinar: "Addressing the rights of women with disabilities in Europe" Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Friends, It is an honour to be with you today. Allow me first to thank the organisers for inviting me to this important and timely event. It is...
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Speech at the European Anti-SLAPP Conference
Speech given at the Council of Europe European Anti-SLAPP Conference Dear President Metsola, Dear Vice-President Jurová, Dear Secretary General Pejčinović Burić, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, I can hardly see a better occasion than today’s conference to reinforce synergies to tackle SLAPPs,...
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Speech at European Parliament seminar on safeguarding media freedom in Europe
At the European Parliament seminar on media freedom organised for the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize 2022, the Council of Europe Commissioner for human rights gave the following speech: Dear Vice-President Picierno, Dear Matthew, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honour for me to be among the...
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Europride 2022 - closing remarks by Dunja Mijatović
At the closing session of the International Human Rights Conference held in Belgrade for Europride 2022, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, gave the following speech: "Dear colleagues, dear Europride organisers, dear activists, dear friends, This Europride has...
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At the crossroads – Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights pronounced the following keynote speech at the Solemn Hearing of the European Court of Human Rights on 25 June 2022. President Spano, President of the Hellenic Republic, Distinguished Judges, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, As Commissioner...
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Beyond the Horizon: A New Era for the Rights of the Child
Intervention at Rome High-level Launching Conference for the launching of the new Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2022 – 2027 Your excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Co-panelists, dear Chair, dear children present here today, I first want to thank the Italian Presidency of the...
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Combating violence against women in a digital age utilising the Istanbul Convention: GREVIO General Recommendation No.1 on the Digital Dimension of Violence against Women
Dear GREVIO members, Distinguished speakers, Colleagues and friends, Let me begin by congratulating GREVIO on the adoption of General Recommendation No.1 on the digital dimension of violence against women. I wish to extend my congratulations to all the experts and actors who worked on this...
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Climate change, human rights and environmental defenders – what role for the academia?
"Human Rights and Climate Change", International virtual symposium convened by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Professor Jaspars, Professor Zenner, Dear Dr Boyd -- dear David, Dear Friends, What a pleasure to be with...
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Meeting of the Parties of the Aarhus Convention
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Chair, Thank you for inviting me to speak. As Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, I am committed to raising awareness about the link between environment and human rights in its forty-seven member States. Environmental harm, pollution...
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60th Anniversary of the European Social Charter
High-level panel discussion, opening statement by Dunja Mijatović Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Co-panelists, dear Chair, I am very pleased and honoured to address you today to mark the 60th anniversary of the opening for signature of the European Social Charter. The European Social Charter and the...
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ECRI 2021 annual seminar with Equality Bodies
Joining Forces to Promote and Protect the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons. Opening statement by Dunja Mijatović. Dear all, dear friends, It is a real pleasure for me to be here this morning with you for this seminar organised by ECRI, an essential partner in the fight against all forms of...
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Hearing of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the cases of H.F. and M.F. v. France and J.D. and A.D. v. France
Mr President, Distinguished members of the Court, I have decided to intervene in these cases because they concern an urgent situation, demanding urgent action. The situation faced by nationals of Council of Europe member states detained in the camps in North-East Syria is continuously...
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Artificial Intelligence – Intelligent Politics. Challenges and opportunities for media and democracy
On-line keynote speech at the Council of Europe Conference, of Ministers responsible for Media and Information Society. Dear Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great pleasure to be with you today, even if only remotely. We would all have preferred to meet in person in Cyprus as originally...
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Alarm and Hope. 21st Century International Conference On the Centenary of the Birth of Dr Andrei Sakharov
Alarm and Hope. 21st Century International Conference On the Centenary of the Birth of Dr Andrei Sakharov - Plenary session Peace, progress and human rights are about choosing the right side. When you decide to defend and promote them, you choose to take the side of those who seek freedom. You...
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Exchange of views with the European Committee of Social Rights
Good afternoon to you all and thank you very much for the invitation to this exchange of views! This is the first time that we meet, and the timing is certainly good. Even though there are signs of relief now, at least in Europe, the Covid-19 pandemic has been much more than just a health crisis:...
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Exchange of views with the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
Ladies and Gentlemen, It is pleasure and honour for me to meet with you today. There is much to share, and I look forward to discussing how we can complement and reinforce each other’s work for increased impact. Our meeting takes place in special circumstances, which affect people across Europe...
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PACE Hearing on deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities
Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development Parliamentary Assembly "About two years ago, I had the privilege of addressing the Parliamentary Assembly on the issue of ending coercion in psychiatry and witnessed the unanimous adoption of its Resolution on this question. This...
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Human Rights in the Era of AI Europe as international Standard Setter for Artificial Intelligence
Dear Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ensuring that technological development works for and not against human rights, democracy and the rule of law is one of the biggest tasks that states face. Early on in my mandate I warned about the human rights implications of new technology, including AI...
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The impact of COVID-19 on human rights and how to move forward
2020 has been a disastrous year for human rights in Europe. While, increasingly, commitment to upholding human rights standards has been faltering all over the continent for several years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the erosion of the democratic fabric of our society, on which...