Speech

Presentation of the 2023 Annual Activity Report of the Commissioner for Human Rights to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

22/01/2024 Strasbourg

Dear Mr. President, esteemed members of PACE, As I stand before you today to present my final annual report as Commissioner for Human Rights, I feel a profound sense of honour and responsibility. It has been, and it is still, a privilege to serve at the helm of this Institution, championing the...

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Speech

Reconquering Lost Ground: A Reflection on 75 Years of the UDHR in Europe

22/12/2023 Paris

Speech (delivered online) at the Conference organised by the Université Paris Nanterre to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Excellencies, Dear participants, It is a great honour for me to be...

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Speech

Let us keep doing our utmost to bring all Ukrainian children back home

08/12/2023 Kyiv

Speech (delivered via video message) by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović for the Conference “Joint Steps to Bring Kids Back UA”, organised by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Kyiv on 8 December 2023 Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,...

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Speech

The resilience of the Ukrainian people stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of freedom

07/12/2023 Kyiv

Speech by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović (delivered via video message) for the International conference "Freedom or Fear" dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, organised by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for...

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Speech

Europe 75 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A journey of progress, setbacks and persistence

30/11/2023 Berlin

Speech by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, at the event organised by the German Institute for Human Rights (Deutsches Institute für Menschenrechte) and Evangelical Academy of Berlin (Evangelische Akademie zu Berlin) to mark the 75th Anniversary of the...

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Speech

ILGA Europe Annual Conference 2023: the resilience of the movement for LGBTI equality hinges on solidarity

27/10/2023 Strasbourg

Opening speech by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović at ILGA Europe Annual Conference Ljubljana 2023 “Rising to the moment” - Plenary and panel discussion: The practice of solidarity – Reflections on unity, trust and true connections. Good morning, it is a...

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Speech

ENNHRI at 10: strengthening national human rights institutions

10/10/2023 Strasbourg

Opening remarks by Dunja Mijatović at ENNHRI's 10th anniversary conference: "Advancing human rights, democracy and rule of law at a critical time in Europe: the role of NHRIs and ENNHRI". "Dear all, dear friends, I am sorry that I cannot be with you in person to celebrate the 10th anniversary of...

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Speech

Member states must act now to strengthen journalists’ safety

05/10/2023 Riga, Latvia

Speech delivered on behalf of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, at the Conference “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword? Meeting today’s challenges to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists”, organised under the Latvian presidency of the Committee of...

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Oral submission

Hearing of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Others

27/09/2023 Strasbourg

Oral submission by Dunja Mijatović "Madam President, Distinguished members of the Court, I decided to intervene in this case concerning climate change because of its special importance for the protection of human rights and the environment, a priority of my mandate. There is no doubt that climate...

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Speech

Encryption in the age of surveillance

26/09/2023 Strasbourg

Opening intervention at European Digital Rights Association (EDRi) event: "Encryption in the age of surveillance", by Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights "First of all, I want to thank the organisers, our partners at EDRi, for inviting me to this important event. It...

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Speech

Speech at the 4th Summit of the Council of Europe

17/05/2023 Reykjavik

Speech delivered by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, at the 4th Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland Presidents, Ministers, Chairperson, Excellencies, Russia's war against Ukraine is the negation of all the values for which our Organisation stands....

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Speech

IDAHOT+ Forum 2023: member states should build on momentum to end conversion practices targeting LGBTI people

11/05/2023 Strasbourg

Address to the European IDAHOT+ Forum 2023, hosted in the framework of Iceland’s Presidency of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik, Iceland Dear Ministers and state representatives, dear activists, dear friends, Each year, the IDAHOT forum is an important opportunity to take stock of progress and...

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Speech

CHACHIPEN Project "History, Memory and Justice for #Roma in Europe

25/04/2023 Brussels

Message to the Final Conference, CHACHIPEN Project "History, Memory and Justice for #Roma in Europe Distinguished participants, Dear organisers, dear colleagues, Thank you for your invitation to the final event of the CHACHIPEN Project on "History, Memory and Justice for Roma in Europe". I am...

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Speech

Presentation of the 2022 Annual Activity Report of the Commissioner for Human Rights to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

24/04/2023 Strasbourg

Mr President, honourable members of PACE, dear colleagues, 2022 will be remembered as the year of mass atrocities on European soil. Exactly fourteen months ago today, the people of Ukraine woke up to the sound of explosions and shelling. For more than 400 days now, Russian forces have been...

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Speech

The human rights challenges faced by intersex people need to be urgently addressed

26/01/2023 Strasbourg

At the Conference on Advancing the human rights of intersex people. High-Level session: launching the work on the drafting of a new Committee of Ministers Recommendation on equality of rights of intersex people, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, gave the...

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Speech

Commissioner stresses the importance of solidarity with and among human rights defenders

09/12/2022 Oslo

"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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Speech

Addressing the rights of women with disabilities in Europe: observations and perspectives

14/11/2022 Strasbourg

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

Speech at the European Anti-SLAPP Conference

20/10/2022 Strasbourg

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

Speech at European Parliament seminar on safeguarding media freedom in Europe

19/10/2022 Strasbourg

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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Speech

Europride 2022 - closing remarks by Dunja Mijatović

16/09/2022 Belgrade

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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