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 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 The State of Human Rights and Democracy in Europe written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
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 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 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 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 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 Human Dignity and Democracy in Europe written by Bedford, Daniel and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2022-03-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection identifies and discuss the connections between human dignity and democracy from theoretical, substantive, and comparative perspectives. Drawing on detailed analyses of national and transnational law, it provides timely insights into the uses of human dignity to promote and challenge ideas of identity and solidarity.
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 Intervention for Human Rights in Europe written by Janne Haaland Matláry and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-25 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Values, in terms of human rights and democracy, have become important factors for individual state's participation in the international community. Janne Haaland Matláry, former Secretary of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Norway, explores the ethical and moral conflict between the international system and the rights of sovereign powers in cases such as Kosovo, Bosnia and Rwanda.
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 Church State and Democracy in Expanding Europe written by Lavinia Stan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-29 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lavinia Stan and Lucian Turcescu examine the relationship between religion and politics in ten former communist Eastern European countries. Contrary to widespread theories of increasing secularization, Stan and Turcescu argue that in most of these countries, the populations have shown themselves to remain religious even as they embrace modernization and democratization. Church-state relations in the new EU member states can be seen in political representation for church leaders, governmental subsidies, registration of religions by the state, and religious instruction in public schools. Stan and Turcescu outline three major models: the Czech church-state separation model, in which religion is private and the government secular; the pluralist model of Hungary, Bulgaria and Latvia, which views society as a group of complementary but autonomous spheres - for example, education, the family, and religion - each of which is worthy of recognition and support from the state; and the dominant religion model that exists in Poland, Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, in which the government maintains informal ties to the religious majority. Church, State, and Democracy in Expanding Europe offers critical tools for understanding church-state relations in an increasingly modern and democratic Eastern Europe.
Download or read book State of Democracy Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe written by Thorbjørn Jagland and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The European Union and Human Rights written by Jan Wouters and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-17 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the profile of human rights issues has greatly risen in relation to EU policies, whether internal or external. The EU has thereby made the commitment to ensure that all its actions are compliant with human rights, and seek to promote them. Yet, the EU's commitment has come under scrutiny, not only for its ground-breaking character, but also because recent events have put it to the test. This volume has been designed to take stock of these developments, to comprehensively discuss the conceptualization and operationalization of the EU's commitment to human rights throughout the EU's relationships, policies, actions and legislative activity, and to critically assess its outcome. This title is divided into four parts: 'Framework' presents the issues related to human rights promotion by the EU; 'Actors' delves into the relationships that play a part, at home or abroad, in regards to human rights policies and judgements; 'Policies' takes a case-study approach and systematically reviews a range of EU internal and external policies to assess their human rights impact and implementation; and finally, 'Strategies' provides an integrated assessment of the design and implementation of the EU's commitment to human rights. This book brings together essays from around the world, each discussing different aspects of EU commitment, and evaluating the extent to which the EU is delivering on it. Each chapter provides an introduction to the state of affairs, discusses opportunities and challenges, and provides recommendations. As such, it is an essential reference book on human rights policies throughout the EU and their impact throughout the world.
Download or read book State of Democracy Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book When Might Becomes Human Right written by Janne Haaland Matlary and published by Gracewing Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Janne Haaland Mátlary has devoted her life to questions of ethics and politics.This preoccupation has become extraordinarily relevant to many of the issues that dominate the contemporary political agenda; particularly in Europe where the debate over relativism, human rights and majority tyranny has become a vital concern to very many of its citizens. Combining academic research with an active political life as a diplomat serving both her native Norway and the Holy See, Janne Haaland Mátlary is able to offer us profound insights into the importance of human dignity and human rights in current politics. This book is essential reading for all who are concerned with issues of rationality, law, human rights, politics and religious freedom in European democracy today. As an academic, studying political science, her work has concentrated on security and foreign policy. She makes a strong case that foundations for human rights can be found through human reason, specifically, through retrieving and reanimating the classical tradition of rationalism that was once the pride of western civilization . She builds her analysis of politics with far more promising materials than the instrumental rationality and the radically individualistic concept of the person that have prevented the human rights movement thus far from reaching its full potential. Mary Anne Glendon, Harvard University Janne Haaland Matláry is Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science of the University of Oslo, Norway, and Senior Adjunct Researcher in Security Policy at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. She was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Foreign Minister) of Norway 1997-2000, representing the Christian Democratic Party in the Bondevik government. Her main academic fields are the European Union and international security policy. She has published very widely and played significant roles in a number of international and consultative bodies. In April 2007 she was awarded Il Premio San Benedetto. Her biographical narrative of conversion to the Catholic Church, Faith Through Reason, is also published by Gracewing.
