Strengthening public understanding of the Convention system and its positive impact on people’s everyday lives, as well as improving communication to help address misinformation and misconceptions about migration and the ECHR, was the focus of a roundtable on Ensuring Effective Communication on Migration and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), organised by the Council of Europe Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).
In her opening remarks, Clare Ovey, Director of human rights at the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, stressed that the challenge of protecting public understanding and trust in the Convention system in relation to migration “is not merely legal. It is fundamentally a communication challenge”, which calls for communicating accurate, accessible and contextualised information about migration, the Convention and the Court’s case-law in an increasingly polarised and rapidly changing information environment across Europe.
Secretary General of ENNHRI Debbie Kohner highlighted the importance of strong cooperation between national human rights institutions, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, describing it as "key to making the Convention system work for us all. Working together, we connect Strasbourg with national realities, strengthen the implementation of judgments, and communicate their meaning and impact. NHRIs help localise and amplify these messages, reaching people in their own contexts and communities."
Further discussions highlighted the challenges surrounding communication about the European Court of Human Rights and migration, where complex legal issues can be reduced to misleading or inaccurate narratives. Participants stressed the importance of accessible, timely and evidence-based information, as well as communication that explains the broader impact of the Convention system on national law and practice.
Participants emphasised that responding to misinformation and disinformation requires cooperation across different levels and sectors. The role of national human-rights institutions and civil-society organisations was highlighted, given their ability to provide independent, evidence-based information and to engage directly with national audiences.
The contribution of journalists and media organisations was also examined, including the need to support accurate reporting on migration and the ECHR and to develop approaches capable of reaching audiences across both traditional and social media.
The roundtable brought together nearly 300 participants, including officials and experts from Council of Europe member states, as well as representatives of leading international organisations, national human rights institutions, the media, academia and civil society organisations.
A summary report of the conclusions of the roundtable is forthcoming.
The roundtable is a contribution to the New Democratic Pact for Europe
Frequently asked questions about the ECtHR and migration
New thematic paper: European Court of Human Rights’ case law concerning the entry and expulsion of non-nationals
ECtHR case-law guide on Immigration
