2019 - Human Rights Comment

Human Rights Comment

Shrinking space for freedom of peaceful assembly

09/12/2019 Strasbourg

Over the last year, protests have multiplied across the planet, from Chile to Hong-Kong. Europe is not left out of this wave of demonstrations. Protests are taking different forms, from large and repeated demonstrations to the occupation of public places and spontaneous assemblies. The use of...

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Human Rights Comment

Language policies should accommodate diversity, protect minority rights and defuse tensions

29/10/2019 Strasbourg

Languages are immensely enriching. They enable us to communicate with more people, to be better understood and to better understand other perspectives. Unfortunately, however, in many countries of the Council of Europe, languages are still sometimes used as tools to pit people against each other....

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Human Rights Comment

Time to deliver on commitments to protect people on the move from human trafficking and exploitation

12/09/2019 Strasbourg

Few human rights violations are so universally condemned by Council of Europe member states as the exploitation of the most vulnerable. As a result, year on year, the fight against trafficking in human beings or the eradication of what some call modern slavery is gaining in prominence on their...

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Human Rights Comment

The independence of judges and the judiciary under threat

03/09/2019 Strasbourg

The independence of the judiciary underpins the rule of law and is essential to the functioning of democracy and the observance of human rights. The fundamental right to a ‘fair trial’ by an ‘independent and impartial tribunal established by law’ is enshrined in the European Convention on Human...

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Human Rights Comment

Living in a clean environment: a neglected human rights concern for all of us

04/06/2019 Strasbourg

Tomorrow, 5 June, is World Environment Day. Initiated as an annual event by the United Nations to draw attention to pressing environmental problems, this year’s theme is air pollution. The urgency of the problem cannot be overstated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 9...

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Human Rights Comment

Ethnic profiling: a persisting practice in Europe

09/05/2019 Strasbourg

Racial or ethnic profiling in policing has been defined as “the use by the police, with no objective and reasonable justification, of grounds such as race, colour, languages, religion, nationality or national or ethnic origin in control, surveillance or investigation activities”.[1] Though by no...

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Human Rights Comment

European states must demonstrate resolve for lasting and concrete change for Roma people

04/04/2019 Strasbourg

On 8 April, we will celebrate International Roma Day. This is a day to celebrate Roma culture and Roma contributions to European societies, and the cultural diversity of Europe. The 8th of April, which commemorates the first World Romani Congress held in London in April 1971, should also be a...

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