On 27 February 2025 the Knowledge Sharing platform of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR-KS) was launched in three languages: Romanian, Turkish, and Ukrainian. This initiative aimed to enhance accessibility and promote a broader understanding of the Court’s case-law among legal professionals, public authorities, and civil society, as it expanded the reach of the platform beyond English and French language speakers. With the introduction of three new language versions, the platform has become accessible to over 300 million citizens, representing nearly 45% of the population across the Council of Europe’s member states.
The introduction of these language versions marked a significant step in reinforcing of the principle of subsidiarity “building a broader, more connected European legal community, so the Convention system remains strong for generations to come” said Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
The platform launch was co-hosted by the Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The high-level speakers at the launch included:
- Elisabeth Margue, Minister of Justice of Luxembourg
- Alain Berset, Council of Europe Secretary General
- Marko Bošnjak, President of the European Court of Human Rights
- Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights
- Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe
- Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine
- Radu Marinescu, Minister of Justice of Romania
- Niyazi Acar, Deputy Minister of Justice of Türkiye
The launching ceremony was followed by an afternoon session, which was open for public online access, offering an opportunity for participants to have a better understanding of the platform, its role in disseminating knowledge of the Court’s jurisprudence and the translation processes, as well as the process needed to adapt it to multiple languages.
The translations of the ECHR-KS into Romanian, Turkish, and Ukrainian and the launching event were organised by the project Enhancing Subsidiarity: Support to the ECHR Knowledge-sharing and Superior Courts Dialogue. The Project is jointly implemented by The Registry of the European Court of Human Rights and The Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law and is funded by voluntary contributions from France, Ireland and Human Rights Trust Fund.