26/04/2018 Session
The Assembly has expressed certain concerns with regard to the Copenhagen Declaration on the reform of the system of the European Convention on Human Rights, adopted at a ministerial conference organised by the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers on 12 and 13 April 2018.
The recommendation adopted today, on the basis of a report by Thorhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), states that this declaration does not propose new solutions to problems with the system, such as the ineffective national implementation of the Convention and inadequate execution of Court judgments. In addition, the declaration contains vaguely defined ideas about “dialogue” between the States Parties and the Court, which could threaten the independence of the Court, PACE said. The declaration also fails to appreciate the role of other actors, including the Assembly, national parliaments, the Commissioner for Human Rights and civil society, according to the adopted text.
At the same time, the Assembly welcomed the fact that States Parties reaffirmed in this declaration their commitment to the Convention and their recognition that it has made “an extraordinary contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights and the rule of law in Europe”. It also concurs with the Declaration’s recognition that the main problems are ineffective national implementation of the Convention and the Court’s case-load.
PACE called on the Committee of Ministers to take action to address the problems of the ineffective national implementation of the Convention – in particular the inadequate execution of Court judgments – and to call on the States to avoid any statements or actions that might undermine the independence of the Court.