Nyt fra E u r o p a r å d e t Opdatering oktober og kalender november Pressemeddelelse DK 13/05,31  .okto  ber 2005 Thomas Hammarberg ny europæ  isk menneskerettighedskommissær   Strasbourg, 5. oktober 2005 - Europarå dets parlamentariske forsamling valgte onsdag Thomas Hammarberg til ny europæ  isk menneskerettighedskommissæ  r for en 6-å rig periode fra 1. januar 2006. Hammarberg fik 104 stemmer mod 93 stemmer til Marek Antoni Nowicki fra Polen og 33 stemmer til Marc Verwilghen fra Belgien. De tre kandidater var udvalgt af Europarå dets ministerkomite på  grundlag af indstillinger fra medlemsstaterne. Den nye menneskerettighedskommissæ  r er 63 å r og har siden 2002 væ  ret chef for Oluf Palme International Center i Stockholm. Forinden var han regional FN-rå dgiver for menneskerettigheder i Europa, Centralasien og Kaukasus. Samtidig var han sæ  rlig rå dgiver om humanitæ  re spø å l for det svenske udenrigsministerium. Fra 1980-86 var han generalsekretæ  r for Amnesty International. Hammarberg efterfø lger den spanske jura-professor Alvaro Gil-Robles, der som den fø rste europæ  iske menneskerettighedskommissæ  r har opbygget embedet med stor autoritet og politisk opbakning siden 1999. Menneskerettighedskommissæ  rens arbejdsfelt er beskyttelsen af menneskerettighederne i Europarå dets 46 medlemsstater, der tilsammen har mere end 800 millioner indbyggere. Hans primæ  re opgave er at fremme uddannelse og bevidsthed om menneskerettigheder, samt at sikre medlemsstaternes fulde og effektive efterlevelse af Europarå dets konventioner og rekommandationer om menneskerettigheder. I modsæ  tning til Den Europæ  iske Menneskerettighedsdomstol har menneskerettighedskommissæ  ren ingen juridisk myndighed. Til gengæ  ld gennemfø rer han besø g i de enkelte medlemsstater og udarbejder efterfø r med forslag til forbedringer, der kan forebygge kræ  nkelser af menneskerettighederne. Nå r Den Europæ  iske Menneskerettighedskonventions protokol nr.14 træ  der i kraft, vil menneskerettighedskommissæ  ren få  mulighed for at afgive skriftlige kommentarer til verserende sager ved menneskerettighedsdomstolen. Han vil desuden kunne deltage i Domstolens hø ringer. Protokollen ventes at træ  de i kraft i lø bet af 2006. På  et pressemø ø rns, psykisk handicappedes og nationale mindretals, herunder Romaernes, menneskerettigheder vil få opmæ  rksomhed i hans kommende arbejde. Desuden vil han sæ  tte fokus på  bekæ  mpelsen af racisme og fremmedhad. Ukraine er på  rette vej, men der er langt igen Strasbourg, 5. oktober 2005 – Efter 10 års medlemskab af Europarådet og knap et år efter Orange - revolutionen, der bragte præsident Viktor Jusjtjenko til magten, er der begyndt at ske fremskridt i Ukraine. Meget skal imidlertid gøres før det ukrainske samfund f  år udbytte af de planlagte reformer. Det fastslår Europarådets to Ukraine -rapportører Hanne Severinsen (Danmark, ALDE) og Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) i en omfattende monitoreringsrapport, der onsdag blev debatteret i Europarådets parlamentariske forsamling. En særlig anstødssten for de europæiske parlamentarikere er, at de ukrainske myndigheder har lukket efterforskningen af omstændighederne i forbindelse med mordet på journalisten Georgiy Gongadze for fem

2 år siden. Efter at de tre formodede m ordere blev tiltalt i marts, er undersøgelsen af, hvem der beordrede og planlagde mordet, blevet stoppet. ”De der stod bag mordet skal findes og retsforfølges”, sagde Hanne Severinsen ved fremlæggelsen af rapporten. Rapportens mange forslag kan i følge Ha nne Severinsen tjene som et vejkort for reformprocessen i den kommende tid, hvor blandt det juridiske system skal bringes i overensstemmelse med de europæiske standarder. Det var i den forbindelse bemærkelsesværdigt, at alle de ukrainske medlemmer kunne st øtte den tilhørende resolution, der blev vedtaget. Forsamlingens næste skridt bliver observation af forberedelsen og gennemførelsen af parlaments - og lokalvalgene i marts næste år.   Vedtagelser under Den Parlamentariske Forsamlings efterårs -session (3.-7. oktober) Res. 1462 + Rec. 1718 Co-development policy as a positive measure to regulate migratory flows Res. 1463 + Rec. 1719 Enforced disappearances Res. 1464 Women and religion in Europe Rec. 1720 Education and religion Res. 1 465 + Rec. 1721 Functioning of democratic institutions in Moldova Res. 1466 + Rec. 1722 Honouring of obligations and commitments by Ukraine Res. 1467 The OECD and the world economy Res. 1468 + Rec. 1723 Forces marriages and child marriages Rec. 1724 The Council of Europe and the European Neighbourhood Policy of the European Union Rec. 1725 Europe and bird flu - preventive measures in the health field Rec. 1726 Serious human rights violations in Libya - inhuman treatment of Bulgarian medical staff Res. 1469 Language problems in access to public health care in the Brussels-Capital region in Belgium Res. 1470 The costs of the Common Agricultural Policy Res. 1471 + Rec. 1727 Accelerated asylum procedures in Council of Europe member states. A Council of Europe Convention on the value of cultural heritage for society Strasbourg, 13.10.2005 – The Council of Europe Ministers’ Deputies ha   s just adopted a Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society. This new text reflects a shift from the question “How an d by what procedure can we preserve the heritage?” to the question “Why should we enhance its value, and for whom?” It is based on the idea that knowledge and use of heritage form part of the citizen’s right to participate in cultural life as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The text presents heritage both as a resource for human development, the enhancement of cultural diversity and the promotion of intercultural dialogue, and as part of an economic development model based on the principles of sustainable resource use. In this respect it falls within the scope of the Council of Europe’s priorities as set by the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government in May 2005. The Framework Convention will be opened for signature on the occasion of the Conference of Ministers of Culture to be held in Faro, Portugal, on 27-28 October 2005 marking the end of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention. The adoption of this text is one of the priorities in the programme of the Portuguese Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which is due to end on 17 November. Ny talsmand for generalsekretær Terry Davis Matjaz Gruden er tiltrådt som ny pressetalsmand for Terry Davis. Matjaz Gruden er sloven er, men taler perfekt dansk. Han kan kontaktes på tlf. nr. +33 3 88 41 21 18, e -mail: [email protected]

3 Interview with Professor Emmanuel DECAUX, Professor of public law at the Panthéon-Assas University (Paris II), and member of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the promotion and protection of Human Rights A seminar was held on October 11, at the initiative of the Committee of Experts for the Development of Human Rights, to mark the entry into force, on 1 April 2005, of Protocol No. 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights. It examined the challenges raised by the effective application of this Protocol with a view to promoting further ratifications. Professor Emmanuel DECAUX, presented the conclusions reached by the seminar. Question: Professor DECAUX, why did the Council of Europe consider it necessary to adopt a protocol enshrining the principle of non-discrimination while the European Convention on Human Rights already contains a provision prohibiting discrimination? Professor DECAUX: It is true that the principle of non-discrimination is already enshrined in Article 14 of the Convention. However, this provision prohibits discrimination only with regard to the enjoyment of one of the rights or freedoms encompassed in the Convention. Protocol No. 12 goes further and fills an important gap by promoting equality through a general prohibition of discrimination, as is already the case in the framework of the United Nations and the European Union. It was necessary for the European Convention on Human Rights to catch up on its delay, to close this gap. Question: What concrete changes does the entry into force of the Protocol entail? Professor DECAUX: Applicants will be able to bring a complaint before the Court in respect of a discrimination without having necessarily to rely on another right encompassed in the Convention. The breadth of the application of the principle of non-discrimination will thus be be wider, covering “any rights set forth by law” or any act or omission of the public authoriti es. Therefore, its application could include access to services and to public places. Question: To date, 34 States parties have signed the Protocol, and only 11 have ratified it. What arguments can be put forward to overcome current hesitations? Professor DECAUX: The fight against inequality and discrimination has become an important political objective, but it is also a legal imperative and a moral obligation for all States. This is particularly true in today’s context, where discrimination on grounds such as race, gender, disability and sexual orientation remains prevalent. It is difficult to imagine the European Convention being deprived of this new tool for a long period of time, and it is difficult to see what acceptable reasons could be raised against the implementation of such a fundamental principle. States need not fear the Court’s scrutiny. Protocol No. 12 refers to the notion of discrimination as consistently interpreted by the Court since its very first judgment on this, more than 37 years ago! Of course, the application of the principle in concrete cases cannot always be predicted with certainty, since not all distinctions amount to discrimination. But this element of uncertainty in fact exists for all rights in the European Convention – one co   uld even say it is inherent in all legal provisions. It is for European judges, as well as to national courts, to shed the necessary light on it. The Court will find a violation only in respect of discriminations which do not have an objective and reasonable justification. An insufficient number of ratifications would also have the paradoxical consequence of establishing a two- speed system in which equality would not be as well protected for all European applicants, depending on whether they benefit from the general protection under Protocol No. 12 or the more limited protection of Article 14 of the Convention.

4 Constitutional reform in Armenia: Declaration by the Chair of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 10.10.2005 - Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Portugal and Chairman of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, made the following statement: “After several months of intense debate, Armenia's National Assembly has just adopted a number of constitutional amendments, in line with the country’s commitment undertaken when joining the Council of Europe. The referendum to be held on 27 November on this reform will be vital for Armenia. By turning out to vote during the referendum, the people of Armenia will indeed be deciding on changes of fundamental importance for their future. The expertise of the constitutional amendments by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has shown that the reform will allow the alignment of the Constitution with European standards by enhancing the independence of the judiciary, providing a more balanced distribution of power between the executive and the legislative branches, as well as promoting local democracy and freedom of the media. I appeal to the sense of responsibility and concern for the common good of Armenia's political parties, beyond their differences, in order to support this reform, which is essential to the country's future as a democracy. By participating in the referendum and showing their attachment to the values of freedom and democracy, the people of Armenia will show their desire to see Armenia fully assume its part in the European construction.” European Day of Civil Justice: Finnish project wins inaugural "Crystal Scales of Justice" award Strasbourg, 25.10.2005 – To mark the third European Day of Civil Justice, the Council of Europe and the European Commission has announced the winners of the Crystal Scales of Justice Award, a new competition to encourage more efficient practices in the justice system. The winning project was an initiative of courts in the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal of Rovaniemi (Finland). Two other projects, proposed by the Ministry of Justice of Austria, and the Supreme Court of Slovenia, were shortlisted by the competition jury. Møder i november (hvor intet andet er nævnt  , holdes møde t i Strasbourg) 2. Ministerkomitéen 3.-4. 1. møde i Demokrati -forum: Civic participation (Warszawa) 6. Valgobservation i Azerbaijan 7.-9. Efterårsmøde: Kongressen af Lokale og Regionale Myndigheder 9. Ministerkomiteen 16.-17 . Udenrigsministermøde 17. Rumænien overtager formandskabet i ministerkomitéen 17.-18. Social cohesion - forum 2005: Reconciling labour flexibility with social cohesion 21.-23. Ministerkomiteen 25. Standing Committee møde: Den Par lamentariske Forsamling (Bukarest) 27. Fact finding mission fra Den Parlamentariske Forsamling i forbindelse med afholdelsen af valg i Tjetjenien 27. Observation af folkeafstemning om ny forfatning i Armenien 29.-30. Ministerkomitéen ______________________________________________  ___________ ”Nyt fra Europarådet” udgives 11 gange om året af Europarådets pressekorrespondent i de nordiske lande Bremerholm 6, DK-1069 København K,  Tlf. +45 33 14 15 84, Fax +45 33 15 54 84, E-mail: [email protected], Internet: www.coe.int

5