[08/02/08 12:30] Further to a Declaration adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on February 6, the Commissioner has been designated as the main regional mechanism to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders and to promote their activities.
The Declaration foresees, inter alia, a more active role of the Commissioner in this field, recognising the efforts already made in protecting human rights defenders across Europe.
The text was adopted as a result of the work of the Group of Specialists on Human Rights Defenders and the Colloquy "Protecting and Supporting Human Rights Defenders in Europe" co-organised by the Commissioner in November 2006 in Strasbourg.
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See also
Special file of the Colloquy "Protecting and Supporting Human Rights Defenders in Europe" (Strasbourg, 13-14/11/06)
"Human Rights Defenders must be able to criticise" (Commissioner's Viewpoint, 13/11/06)