Strasbourg, 25.11.2011 – PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has welcomed 'new ideas' to deal with the backlog of thousands of cases clogging up the European Court of Human Rights.
Addressing the Assembly's Standing Committee in Edinburgh, the President said that reform of the Court, and strengthening of the European Convention on Human Rights – which are priorities of the British chairmanship – were of the 'utmost importance'.
He also pointed to the need to strengthen implementation of the Convention rights at national level, improve domestic remedies, and rapidly and fully execute judgments of the Court, all long-standing demands of the Assembly.
The President also called on the British authorities to make progress as regards EU accession to the European Court of Human Rights.
Finally, he looked forward to close co-operation with the UK authorities on further development of the Council of Europe's Neighbourhood policy, both in northern Africa and central Asia.
