Civil society and national human rights institutions
The Steering Committee on Human Rights (CDDH) has been entrusted by the Committee of Ministers with the task of conducting a study on the impact of current national legislation, policies and practices on the activities of civil society organisations, human rights defenders and national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, and identifying the best national practices to protect and promote the civil society space.
The work of the Drafting Group on civil society and national human rights institutions (CDDH-INST) led to the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of the three following Recommendations :
- Recommendation CM/Rec(2021)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the development and strengthening of effective, pluralist and independent national human rights institutions (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 31 March 2021 at the 1400th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)
- Recommendation CM/Rec(2019) of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the development of the Ombudsman institution (adopted at the 1357th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, on 16 October 2019).
- Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)11 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the need to strengthen the protection and promotion of civil society space in Europe (adopted at the 1330th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, on 28 November 2018)
Meeting documents
6th (and last) meeting, 4-6 March 2020
5th meeting, 27 February-1st March 2019
4th meeting, 19-21 September 2018
- Meeting report
- Draft overview document on the protection and promotion of the civil-society space, based on the compilation of measures and practices in place in the Council of Europe member States and compilation of measures and practices in place in the Council of Europe member States
(CDDH-INST(2018)R4Addendum) - Draft agenda
3rd meeting, 14-16 mARCH 2018
2ND meeting, 8-10 mARCH 2017
1st meeting, 12-14 October 2016
Useful links:
Secretary General
Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law
Committee of Ministers
Parliamentary Assembly
Access to Official Documents (TROMSØ CONVENTION)
Department for the execution of the Court's Judgments
European Court of Human Rights
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
HELP – European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals
Online Plateform Human Rights and Business