On 1-2 July 2021, the Council of Europe Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) held its 2021 Annual Network Conference. Due to the pandemic restrictions, the Conference was held in a hybrid format, with a limited number of participants present in the Council of Europe premises. The Conference was organised under the auspices of the Hungarian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.
Initially aimed at the HELP Network members - national judicial and prosecutorial schools and Bar associations - as well as HELP’s partners such as the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), the Council of Bar and Law Societies in Europe (CCBE), the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the UNHCR or OSCE/ODIHR, the e-Conference was also open to a wider audience, streamed with simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Russian.
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In his welcoming address, Harry Alex Rusz, Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the Council of Europe, stressed the links between Hungarian Chairmanship priorities and the work of the HELP Programme, stressing in particular the HELP courses on Child-friendly Justice, Refugee and Migrant Children, Family Law, The Environment and Human Rights and Cybercrime.
Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, highlighted the importance of sharing human rights knowledge, and praised the role of HELP in expanding such knowledge boundaries. He noted that the HELP Programme offers a “dynamic system that is growing fast and being helpful. For European standards to be met and European justice to be done, we need initiatives like this.” Having taken the HELP course on “Human Rights in Sports” himself, he praised the quality and usefulness of the courses in light of the specific human rights challenges we face today. He also placed particular emphasis on the interest and uptake in HELP courses by a younger audience and University students, praising that this “sows the seeds of a human rights culture that will be better placed to flourish in the years ahead”.
Meglena Kuneva, Ambassador, Head of the European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe, recalled how a strong knowledge base is necessary in order to protect human rights, and praised the ability of HELP to bring together many actors with a shared commitment to judicial training. She welcomed the close cooperation between HELP and the EU in course development, reflected by the inclusion of the EU legal system in the course content. She also highlighted several successful examples of institutional cooperation between the EU and HELP such as “HELP in the EU”, “HELP in the Western Balkans”, and HELP components in the “South Mediterranean and Central Asia EU programmes. “The EU is proud to be the most important partner for HELP and the Council of Europe”, she noted.
She also noted that legal professionals, with a common understanding of their shared values, are well positioned to lead the discussions and “need to strive for the better” on protecting human rights, upholding the rule of law and promoting democracy. She stressed the need to support them in this task in line with the new EU Strategy on Judicial Training.
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The keynote speech at the Conference was delivered on by Judge Robert Spano, President of the European Court of Human Rights (the ECtHR). He highlighted and examined three pressing global challenges: attacks on judicial independence and the rule of law, responses to the global pandemic, and the environmental crisis. He praised the role of HELP making subsidiarity a day-to-day reality. “The principle of rule of law is an empty vessel without independent courts embedded within a democratic structure which protects and preserves fundamental rights (…) I see a direct link between the HELP programme and independent judges and national level.” He underlined the excellent cooperation which the ECtHR and in particular its Registry lawyers and noted that by combining human rights standards from both the Council of Europe and the European Union, HELP courses contribute to increased coherence within the ‘symbiotic’ case law of the Strasbourg and Luxembourg Courts.
He concluded by stating: “The growing interest in the HELP courses, which has expanded considerably during the global pandemic, testifies to the real need for excellent quality training materials on European human rights standards. In this way the European community of human rights judges is step by step becoming a reality.”
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In her address in the topical session on Justice and Human Rights Training, Anna Austin, Jurisconsult, Registry of the European Court of Human Rights presented the ECtHR’s knowledge sharing journey, from its origins with its development of internal processes, the creation and expansion of the Superior Courts Network, and its planned externalised knowledge sharing initiative with a focus on delivering comprehensive, current and analytical content on the ECHR case law. She reaffirmed the need for increased and transformative knowledge sharing.
Duro Sessa, Former President and current Bureau member of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE), emphasised that Judicial training, both initial and in-service, is a right and duty of judges, and recalled that a well-trained judge is a guarantee of judicial independence and good judgments based on law. He contextualised the work of the CCJE, outlining a number of it’s key opinions and their links with judicial training.
Peter-Jozsef Csonka, Head of Unit (General criminal law and judicial training) and Deputy Director on Criminal Justice, European Commission, reaffirmed the importance of judicial training as a key component to upholding the Rule of Law, and outlined the new EU Judicial Training Strategy 2021-2024 (scope, audience methodology). He highlighted the relevance of EU-supported projects such as HELP in the EU, a “fine example of synergies between the EU and the CoE.
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The achievements of the HELP Programme and the engagement of the HELP Network members and partners in the past year were presented by Eva Pastrana, Head of Justice and Human Rights Training Division, Council of Europe, who revealed that the number of users on the HELP online platform had grown to more than 90,000 at the end of June 2021, half of them from EU MS (top 10: France, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, UK, Romania and Georgia). The catalogue of HELP online courses on various human rights topics grew to 38 courses and more than 300 national adaptations (translations and national law and jurisprudence) freely available on the HELP online platform. HELP courses cover European human rights standards illustrating the interplay between the Council of Europe (ECHR, European Social Charter and other Council of Europe Conventions as well as jurisprudence) and EU (EU Charter and other EU law & jurisprudence the Court of Justice of the European Union).
The HELP achievements under the regional Projects on HELP in the EU and HELP in the Western Balkans, as well as the HELP activities in the Russian Federation, Turkey, Eastern Partnership countries, and in Universities were also presented to the participants by Ana-Maria Telbis, Valentina Boz, Ana Medarska-Lazova, and Vasilisa Neshataeva, from the HELP Secretariat
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A prominent place in the Conference agenda was dedicated to inform on the current challenges for the respect of human rights and on the HELP response to those challenges through the relevant online courses, placing HELP in the context of other cooperation activities and within the more general Training Strategy and Human Rights policy of the Council of Europe:
- Upholding the Rule of Law and the role of the Council of Europe European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ): by Muriel Decot, Secretary to the CEPEJ, Council of Europe
- The HELP course on Ethics of Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers was presented by Nuria Diaz Abad, Course coordinator and former President of the European High Council Network
- The HELP course on Anti-corruption was introduced by Mustafa Ferati, Head of Economic Crime Division, Council of Europe
- The forthcoming HELP course on Cybercrime: the Budapest Convention, was announced by Virgil Spiridon, Head of Operations of the Cybercrime Programme Office, Council of Europe.
- The role of HELP in the Cooperation and Neighbourhood Policy of the CoE (South Mediterranean and Central Asia) was illustrated by Pilar Morales, Coordinator of Neighbourhood Policy / Head of Council of Europe office in Tunis Office of the Directorate General of Programmes, Council of Europe
- The updated HELP course on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters (ICCM) was presented by Eva Massa, HELP Radicalisation Prevention, Judicial Response to Terrorism and ICCM Project Coordinator, Council of Europe
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The second day of the conference included a topical session on Health and HELP, addressing contemporary health and human rights challenges and the relevant HELP resources:
- Bioethics - developments in times of COVID -19: Laurence Lwoff, Secretary to the Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO), Council of Europe
- The MEDICRIME Convention and the corresponding HELP course: Oscar Alarcón-Jiménez, Executive Secretary to the Committee of Parties on the MEDICRIME Convention, Council of Europe
- Social rights in times of COVID -19 and the updated HELP course on Labour Rights: Amaya Ubeda de Torres as well as the HELP module on the (Revised) European Social Charter
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The HELP Network members also took the floor to address their peers, present their experiences with HELP courses, highlight good practices, and to project their plans and ideas for future cooperation:
- Nella Popovic, representative of the Judicial Academy of Croatia
- Giovanni Pansini, HELP Info Point for Italy
- Diana Scobioala, HELP Focal Point for the Republic of Moldova
- Tamara Shashikhina, Representative of MGIMO University, Russian Federation
- Natasha Gaber Damjanovska, Director of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, North Macedonia
- Julen Fernandez Conte, HELP Info Point for Spain
- Claudia Weisbart, Convener of the Human and Fundamental Rights Sub-working Group, European Judicial Training Network (EJTN)
- Nikolaos Koutkias, Chair of the Training Committee, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
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This year the Conference also saw the elections of members to the HELP Consultative board. Exceptionally, the HELP Consultative Board in the term 2021 -2023 will include 8 members and 3 alternate members and will be composed as follows:
- Mirela Bogdani, NTI, Albania
- Julen Fernandez Conte, BA, Spain
- Bojana Franovic, BA, Montenegro
- Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, BA, Greece
- Vladimir Palamarciuc, BA, Moldova
- Giovanni Pansini, BA, Italy
- Jelena Ristic, BA, North Macedonia
- Roxana Rizoiu, NTI, Romania
Alternate Members:
- Ervinas Baubinas, NTI, Lithuania
- Tamara Shashikhina, NTI, Russia
- Tomislav Toshkov, BA, Bulgaria
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In addressing the HELP Strategy and further developments, Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, outlined the key HELP developments within the HELP programme over the year and noted their important role in delivering on the priorities of the CoE. He also drew attention to the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Council of Europe and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE). He reminded that the Council of Europe through the HELP Programme was prepared (through the HELP course, its Methodology and the pool of HELP tutors) when the COVID -19 crisis occurred to support its Network members and partners in continuing their judicial training efforts. He also stressed that digitalisation is a one-way road and that e-learning for justice professionals is here to stay and to be further enhanced and developed. He also stressed the transversality of HELP’s work in the Council of Europe’s work and the flexibility of its methodology.
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This year, the HELP Conference hosted a special topical session on the Environment and Human Rights.
The session was opened by Rik Daems, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who remarked on the emergence of a “new generation of human rights” which includes the right to live in a healthy, clean, safe and sustainable environment. He reiterated that the environment is a key factor for the enjoyment of existing ECHR rights, and urged for the environmental emergency to be addressed as “matter of principle, not a matter of policy”. He further outlined a potential roadmap for how the CoE can increase protections in this field, advocating for a new Additional Protocol to embed the right to a healthy environment into the ECHR. He reiterated that “Environment is a human right. Full stop.”
Meglena Kuneva, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe remarked that while the sharing of ideas is important, the key step is their implementation and realisation. She complemented HELPs role in this implementation, with the new HELP course on the Environment and Human Rights fostering an understanding of the relevant issues and the need for action.
In 2021 two relevant HELP courses were developed. Natalia Kobylarz, Senior Lawyer, Registry of the European Court of Human Rights, and course co-author, presented the HELP Course on the Environment and Human Rights and gave an overview of the channels of environmental protection through human rights law, with examples from national, European and international legal frameworks, and alongside the approach taken by the ECtHR case law in this respect.
Additionally, the newly updated course on Business and Human Rights was presented by the course coordinator, Jennifer Zerk. She addressed the main elements of the business and human rights field, in particular its multidisciplinary nature and the important role lawyers can play in guaranteeing effective human rights in this field.
The session also offered an opportunity to emphasis the Council of Europe’s ongoing work on Environmental Protection with the following interventions:
- In respect of Standard-setting, Merete Bjeregaard, Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), Council of Europe, presented the work of the Drafting Group on Human Rights of the Environment, including the forthcoming updated third edition of the Council of Europe Manual on Human Rights and the Environment, and provided an overview of the ongoing initiative concerning a non-binding Council of Europe instrument on this topic.
- In the context of Co-operation activities, Lilja Gretarsdottir, incoming Head of Cooperation Division, Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Cooperation Standards, Council of Europe, recalled the need for commitment to tackle these issues. She highlighted the role of the Council of Europe cooperation activities in delivering the capacity and support to realise the implementation of the necessary legal standards and bridging the gap between those legal standards and their practical implementation for real world protections and successes.
In closing the session, Eva Pastrana, outlined the next steps for the HELP Programme in respect of environmental protection. She reminded all participants of the advantage of the HELP courses as valuable resources and encouraged their dissemination and adaptation to national legal contexts, a number of which are underway. She also proposed a topical Training of Trainers event, and foresaw the increased integration of HELP resources into cooperation activities across the region.
Welcoming addresses:
Harry Alex RUSZ, Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the Council of Europe
Bjørn BERGE, Deputy Secretary General, Council of Europe
Meglena KUNEVA, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe
Keynote speech:
Judge Robert SPANO, President of the European Court of Human Rights
Thursday 1 July 2021
Morning session: Welcoming remarks, Keynote Speech, HELP achievements, session on Judicial and Human Rights Training
Afternoon session: Rule of Law and CEPEJ, Anti-corruption, Cybercrime, International Cooperation in Criminal Matters, Council of Europe Neighbourhood Policy
Friday 2 July 2021
Morning session: Health and HELP, HELP Network panel
Afternoon: special topical session on Environment and Human Rights
Other speeches and presentations:
Eva PASTRANA, Head of Justice and Human Rights Training Division, Council of Europe: Key HELP achievements in the past year
Anna AUSTIN, Jurisconsult, Registry of the European Court of Human Rights: Knowledge-sharing on the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights
Duro SESSA, Former President and current Bureau member of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE): Judicial Training
Peter-Jozsef CSONKA, Head of Unit (General criminal law and judicial training) and Deputy Director on Criminal Justice, European Commission: EU Judicial Training strategy
Ana-Maria TELBIS: HELP in the EU
Valentina BOZ: HELP in the Western Balkans and Turkey
Ana MEDARSKA-LAZOVA: Eastern European countries and HELP in Universities
Vasilisa NESHATAEVA: HELP in the Russian Federation
Muriel DECOT, Secretary to the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), Council of Europe: Rule of Law – CEPEJ
Nuria DIAZ ABAD, Course coordinator and former President of the European High Council Network: HELP course on Ethics of Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers
Mustafa FERATI, Head of Economic Crime Division, Council of Europe: Anti-corruption course
Virgil SPIRIDON, Head of Operations of the Cybercrime Programme Office, Council of Europe: The Council of Europe Budapest Convention. Announcing the HELP course on Cybercrime
Pilar MORALES, Coordinator of Neighbourhood Policy / Head of Council of Europe office in Tunis Office of the Directorate General of Programmes, Council of Europe: Cooperation and Neighbourhood Policy of the Council of Europe
Eva MASSA, HELP Radicalisation Prevention, Judicial Response to Terrorism and ICCM Project Coordinator, Council of Europe: The updated HELP course on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters
Laurence LWOFF, Secretary to the Committee on Bioethics, Council of Europe: Bioethics: developments in times of COVID – 19
Oscar ALARCÓN-JIMÉNEZ, Executive Secretary to the Committee of Parties on the MEDICRIME Convention, Council of Europe: MEDICRIME Convention and the HELP course
Amaya UBEDA DE TORRES, Department of the European Social Charter, Council of Europe: Social rights in times of COVID-19
Nella POPOVIC, Representative of the Judicial Academy of Croatia
Giovanni PANSINI, Representative of the Italian National Bar Council
Diana SCOBIOALA, HELP Focal Point, Director of the National Institute of Justice, Republic of Moldova
Tamara SHASHIKHINA, Representative of MGIMO University, Russian Federation
Natasha GABER DAMJANOVSKA, Director of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, Republic of North Macedonia
Julen FERNANDEZ CONTE, HELP Info Point, member of the HELP Consultative Board, Spain
Claudia WEISBART, Convener of the Human and Fundamental Rights Subworking Group, European Judicial Training Network (EJTN)
Nikolaos KOUTKIAS, Chair of the Training Committee, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
Christophe POIREL, Director of Human Rights, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
Eva PASTRANA, Head of Justice and Human Rights Training Division, Council of Europe: HELP strategy
Special topical event on environment and human rights:
Welcoming remarks
Rik DAEMS, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Meglena KUNEVA, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe
HELP’s Environment and Human Rights - understanding modern-day environmental human rights
Natalia KOBYLARZ, Senior Lawyer, Registry of the European Court of Human Rights, course co-author
Corporate responsibility for HR violations: the updated course on Business and Human Rights
Jennifer ZERK, Coordinator of the Working Group for the course development
Council of Europe ongoing work on Environmental Protection:
- Standardsetting
Merete BJEREGAARD, Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), Council of Europe
- Cooperation
Lilja GRETARSDOTTIR, Head a.i. of the Transversal Challenges and Multilateral Projects Division, Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Cooperation Standards, Council of Europe
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