Download or read book State of democracy human rights and the rule of law 2021 written by Council of Europe and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Democracy is in distress! The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has highlighted a “clear and worrying degree of democratic backsliding” in her latest annual report on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the continent. “In many cases, the problems we are seeing predate the coronavirus pandemic but there is no doubt that legitimate actions taken by national authorities in response to Covid-19 have compounded the situation. The danger is that our democratic culture will not fully recover,” said the Secretary General. “Our member states now face a choice. They can continue to permit or facilitate this democratic backsliding or they can work together to reverse this trend, to reinforce and renew European democracy and to create an environment in which human rights and the rule of law flourish. “This is the right option for the 830 million people who live in the Council of Europe area.” Based on the findings of different Council of Europe bodies, including the European Court of Human Rights, the Secretary General’s report assesses recent developments in areas including political institutions and judicial independence, freedom of expression and association, human dignity, anti-discrimination and democratic participation. The report encourages member states to use existing and future Council of Europe mechanisms to address many of the challenges identified, on the basis of the following key principles: - National authorities should return to fundamental democratic principles and recommit to Council of Europe legal standards, including the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights; - Member states should fully embrace the multilateralism embodied by the Council of Europe for more than 70 years; - Covid-related restrictions and measures must not only be necessary and proportionate, but also limited in duration; - National authorities should embrace democratic culture, recognising where their words, activities or legislation have diminished that culture by reducing civic space, by intimidating or preventing individuals, organisations and NGOs from exercising their freedom of speech or assembly, or by excluding people from participating fully in society.
Download or read book State of Human Rights and Democracy in Europe written by Council of Europe and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protecting human rights and promoting democracy are the Council of Europe's two main tasks. But to what extent do the 47 member states live up to their commitments in these two crucial areas? The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe tried to answer this questionin an unprecedented political debate during its April 2007 session. This first debate was attended by parliamentarians from throughout Europe, the main partners in the global human rights community - the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - and the managers of the main Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms. The texts contained in this publication show that despite undoubted progress, Europe is still afflicted by serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial executions, torture and secret detentions, as well as shortcomings in democratic processes.
Download or read book State of democracy human rights and the rule of law 2018 written by Council of Europe and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2018-05-15 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human rights, democracy and the rule of law depend on the institutions that give them form. But for populists, who invoke the proclaimed “will of the people”, these institutional checks and balances on power are often seen as an obstacle that should be subverted. This is the fifth annual report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe. As with previous reports, the five chapters look at the key building blocks of democratic security: efficient, impartial and independent judiciaries; freedom of expression; freedom of assembly and freedom of association; democratic institutions; and inclusive societies.
Download or read book Democracy and Human Rights for Europe written by Jean Petaux and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 800 million Europeans can individually obtain a ruling from a European court against their State if it has violated their human rights. There is an assembly in Strasbourg where members of the Icelandic, Russian, Portuguese, German, Georgian and other European parliaments all sit together. A Congress exists whose sessions are attended by representatives of 200 000 local and regional authorities of Europe. All these statements relate to the Council of Europe, the first of the European institutions to be founded. Now 47 member states strong, the Council - which is to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year - has become one of the main institutions of intergovernmental co-operation. This book looks at the political role of the Council of Europe, which is now not only a forum for democracy and a gage of stability, the home of human rights and the forum of cultural diversity, but also the crucible of Europe and the future for politics. The author examines all that is specific to the Council of Europe within the European architecture, particularly vis-á-vis the European Union. This book is essential reading for anyone wishing to study the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, understand how it operates and find out about the contribution that it makes.
Download or read book State of democracy human rights and the rule of law in Europe written by Council of Europe and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2015-07-03 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Democratic security is an old idea, based on the argument that democracies rarely, if ever, go to war with each other. Democratic practices equally protect states from internal strife. Democratic security is a responsibility which all nations share. This second annual report on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe assesses the capacities of the member states to guarantee and enhance democratic security within their borders and, collectively, across the continent. It measures the extent to which the Council of Europe’s 47 member states are able to make the five pillars of democratic security a reality, namely: an efficient and independent judiciary, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, the functioning of democratic institutions, and inclusive society and democratic citizenship. The report also draws on the Council of Europe’s capacity to monitor and evaluate performance in terms of democracy, human rights and rule of law and to identify remedies for shortcomings and provide assistance in their implementation.
Download or read book Democracy and Human Rights Trends in Eurasia and East Europe written by United States. Congress. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Law Democracy and the European Court of Human Rights written by Rory O'Connell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores how the European Court of Human Rights understands 'democracy' and might support more deliberative, participatory and inclusive practices.
Download or read book EU Law in Populist Times written by Francesca Bignami and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-01-02 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A state-of-the-art analysis of the contentious areas of EU law that have been put in the spotlight by populism.
Download or read book Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy written by Rosa Balfour and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-06-17 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the disparity between rhetoric and performance in the European Union response to abuses of human rights and transgression of democracy. With the Arab spring putting the spotlight on the EU’s self-portrait as committed to promoting global human rights and democracy, this book examines the paradoxes of its international posture and the inconsistencies and double standards of its policies. With an informative and empirical approach examining EU relations since the end of the Cold War, this book seeks to uncover the reasons behind the Union’s actions and understand the foreign policy dilemmas and processes that guide its action. Including detailed analysis of Ukraine and Egypt, and the EU response to momentous changes for neighbouring nations, the author draws upon thoroughly-researched investigation into twenty years of EU foreign policy to create a framework using both EU Studies and International Relations. Providing a deeper analysis than other dominant explanations, this book presents new theories on the reasons behind the mismatch between words and deeds. An invaluable and timely volume, Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy will be of interest to students and scholars of EU politics, International Relations and human rights policy.
Download or read book State of Human Rights and Democracy in Europe written by Council of Europe. Parliamentary Assembly and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe examined the commitment to protecting human rights and democracy during a political debate during its April 2007 session. This first debate was attended by parliamentarians from throughout Europe, the main partners in the global human rights community - the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - and the managers of the main Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms. The texts contained in this publication show that despite undoubted progress, Europe is still afflicted by serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial executions, torture and secret detentions, as well as shortcomings in democratic processes.--Publisher's description.
Download or read book Definition and Development of Human Rights and Popular Sovereignty in Europe written by European Commission for Democracy through Law and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What role do the people play in defining and developing human rights? This volume explores the very topical issue of the lack of democratic legitimisation of national and international courts and the question of whether rendering the original process of defining human rights more democratic at the national and international level would improve the degree of protection they afford. The authors venture to raise the crucial question: When can a democratic society be considered to be mature enough so as to be trusted to provide its own definition of human rights obligations?
Download or read book State of Democracy Human Rights and the Rule of Law written by Council of Europe and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Democracy and Goodness written by John R. Wallach and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-01-25 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proposes a new democratic theory, rooted in activity not consent, and intrinsically related to historical understandings of power and ethics.
Download or read book Human Rights Democracy and Integration in South Central Europe written by United States. Congress. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Competences for democratic culture written by Council of Europe and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2016-04-04 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new Council of Europe reference framework of competences for democratic culture! Contemporary societies within Europe face many challenges, including declining levels of voter turnout in elections, increased distrust of politicians, high levels of hate crime, intolerance and prejudice towards minority ethnic and religious groups, and increasing levels of support for violent extremism. These challenges threaten the legitimacy of democratic institutions and peaceful co-existence within Europe. Formal education is a vital tool that can be used to tackle these challenges. Appropriate educational input and practices can boost democratic engagement, reduce intolerance and prejudice, and decrease support for violent extremism. However, to achieve these goals, educationists need a clear understanding of the democratic competences that should be targeted by the curriculum. This book presents a new conceptual model of the competences which citizens require to participate in democratic culture and live peacefully together with others in culturally diverse societies. The model is the product of intensive work over a two-year period, and has been strongly endorsed in an international consultation with leading educational experts. The book describes the competence model in detail, together with the methods used to develop it. The model provides a robust conceptual foundation for the future development of curricula, pedagogies and assessments in democratic citizenship and human rights education. Its application will enable educational systems to be harnessed effectively for the preparation of students for life as engaged and tolerant democratic citizens. The book forms the first component of a new Council of Europe reference framework of competences for democratic culture. It is vital reading for all educational policy makers and practitioners who work in the fields of education for democratic citizenship, human rights education and intercultural education.
Download or read book Protecting the right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights written by Bychawska-Siniarska, Dominika and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2017-08-04 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: European Convention on Human Rights – Article 10 – Freedom of expression 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. 2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary. In the context of an effective democracy and respect for human rights mentioned in the Preamble to the European Convention on Human Rights, freedom of expression is not only important in its own right, but it also plays a central part in the protection of other rights under the Convention. Without a broad guarantee of the right to freedom of expression protected by independent and impartial courts, there is no free country, there is no democracy. This general proposition is undeniable. This handbook is a practical tool for legal professionals from Council of Europe member states who wish to strengthen their skills in applying the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights in their daily work.
Download or read book Human rights challenges in the digital age written by Council of Europe and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 2020-01-06 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The digital space is a powerful enabler for more inclusive democratic discourse, participation and policy-making. At the same time, digitisation comes with new challenges. The abundance of data in the online space and powerful algorithm-based technologies pose serious risks to privacy, as well as to other interrelated human rights. The trans-border nature of the Internet itself presents significant legislative and judicial challenges for existing legal and institutional frameworks. This book follows on from the June 2019 seminar paying tribute to the outstanding contribution of Lawrence Early, Jurisconsult of the European Court of Human Rights, as he was about to retire. The seminar brought together members of the judiciary and prominent legal practitioners and academics, as well as representatives of European institutions and non-governmental organisations. Speakers from different legal systems and jurisdictions exchanged views on the ways to address the complexity that protection of human rights online presents for the judiciary. The seminar focused on three major subjects: judicial protection of freedom of expression and the right to privacy in the digital environment; the concept of jurisdiction in the World Wide Web; and the implications of Big Data. Given the breadth and significance of the issues arising in this complex, technical and fast-evolving area, the publication of these keynote contributions will undoubtedly inform further reflection on these matters by judges, legislators, experts and, perhaps most importantly, the general public.
