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Speech
Let us keep doing our utmost to bring all Ukrainian children back home
Speech (delivered via video message) by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović for the Conference “Joint Steps to Bring Kids Back UA”, organised by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Kyiv on 8 December 2023 Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,...
Letter
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Commissioner urges the city authorities to build a memorial to the killed children of Prijedor
Today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović published a letter addressed to the Mayor and to the President and Vice-President of the City Assembly of Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In her letter, the Commissioner urges the city authorities to engage as soon as...
Annual report 2022
Annual Report 2022: Commissioner Mijatović calls for renewed commitment to human rights protection to address numerous systemic problems
“The protection of human rights in Europe has suffered serious setbacks in 2022,” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, presenting her Annual Report today. “A renewed commitment to human rights is needed to reverse the trend.” The report largely focuses on the...
Country visit
Urgent action needed to reunite Ukrainian children transferred to Russia and Russian-occupied territories with their families
“Russia’s failure to return Ukrainian children separated from their families and legal guardians is a serious violation of their human rights. Concrete mechanisms and solutions must urgently be identified and used to reunite these children with their families,” said today the Council of Europe...
Country visit report
United Kingdom: Commissioner warns against regression on human rights, calls for concrete steps to protect children’s rights and to tackle human rights issues in Northern Ireland
“Both the overall system for protecting human rights, and the rights of specific groups, are currently under pressure in the United Kingdom (UK). The authorities should spare no effort to reverse this trend”, warns today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, while...
World Children's Day
Protecting and supporting children impacted by the war in Ukraine must be top priority
“The war in Ukraine has been devastating for children. Council of Europe member states should redouble their efforts to protect and support the children who are suffering as a result of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović,...
Statement
Eradicate poverty through human rights-based fiscal policies
“With extreme poverty on the rise, I call on all member states to address poverty systematically and comprehensively, including by pursuing fiscal policies that are firmly based on human rights”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, on the occasion of...
Country visit
United Kingdom: backsliding on human rights must be prevented
“Legal reforms should not weaken human rights protections in the United Kingdom”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, following a five-day visit to the country (27 June to 1 July), which focused on the system for human rights protection, the situation...
Exhibition
LISTEN by War Childhood Museum: let’s make the voices of children affected by war heard
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, is hosting a pop-up exhibition to underline the necessity of having the voices of children affected by war heard. At the inauguration, the Commissioner stated that despite mentions of "never again", the war has been going on...
Speech
Beyond the Horizon: A New Era for the Rights of the Child
Intervention at Rome High-level Launching Conference for the launching of the new Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2022 – 2027 Your excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Co-panelists, dear Chair, dear children present here today, I first want to thank the Italian Presidency of the...
Statement
On International Women’s Day, let us stand with Ukrainian women and girls
“Ahead of International Women’s Day, my sympathy and profound solidarity go to Ukrainian women and girls who are caught up in a war waged with total disregard for human life and dignity. I pay my deepest respects to those of them who have been killed, and my thoughts are with those who have been...
Statement
Council of Europe member states must prioritise children’s rights every day
“On the occasion of World Children’s Day, I call on political leaders to ensure that children’s rights remain firmly on top of their agendas. Council of Europe member states must take all necessary measures to build strong societies for the future. This means investing in children from early...
Speech
Hearing of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the cases of H.F. and M.F. v. France and J.D. and A.D. v. France
Mr President, Distinguished members of the Court, I have decided to intervene in these cases because they concern an urgent situation, demanding urgent action. The situation faced by nationals of Council of Europe member states detained in the camps in North-East Syria is continuously...
Letter
Germany should pursue efforts to fully ensure children’s rights
In a letter addressed to Christine Lambrecht, the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection and Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth of Germany, made public today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, urges the German...
Third party intervention
Commissioner publishes her observations on the repatriation of European nationals held in camps in North-East Syria
Today the Commissioner published her written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights as a third-party in the cases of H.F. and M.F. v. France and J.D. and A.D. v. France on the fate of European nationals held in camps in North-East Syria. The Commissioner considers that...
Human Rights Comment
Boosting child and youth participation - from voice to choice
Amid the ongoing pandemic and its disastrous effects on multiple aspects of human rights protection across the globe, there is consensus in one area: children and young people have been particularly hard hit. While – thus far at least – they have largely been spared from the direct health effects...
Human Rights Comment
Reform of mental health services: an urgent need and a human rights imperative
Already in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was warning that substantial investment in mental health services was necessary to avert a mental health crisis. The evidence for the devastating impact of the pandemic on mental health is now overwhelming....
Human Rights Comments
Corruption undermines human rights and the rule of law
In recent years, in many European countries, including Romania, Malta, the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine, people have taken to the streets in protests against systemic corruption, demanding respect for the rule of law, accountability of corrupt politicians and a...
Letter
Bosnia and Herzegovina must urgently improve its migrant reception capacities, improve access to asylum and protect unaccompanied migrant children
In a letter published today, the Commissioner calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the persistent shortcomings in their handling of migrants and asylum seekers. The letter was addressed to Mr Zoran Tegeltija, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
Statement
Member states must give renewed impetus to children’s rights
“The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened and widened pre-existing inequalities that undermine children’s ability to enjoy their human rights, including in terms of health, safety, education, and living conditions. There is a clear risk that COVID-19 will have adverse long-term effects on children and...
Speech
Council of Europe Conference to mark the European Day against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children
Good afternoon to you all and thank you very much for the invitation to contribute to this important event! The world we and our children live in is often described as over-sexualised. Children are exposed to sexualised images and messages from the media, advertisements and popular culture on a...
Rule 9
Czech authorities should adopt broader measures to end school segregation of Roma children
The Commissioner published today her submission to the Committee of Ministers in the context of the supervision of the execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 2007 in the case of D.H. and Others v. the Czech Republic. This case relates to the violation of Article 14 of...
Rule 9
Bulgarian authorities should prevent forced evictions, tackle the stigmatisation and marginalisation of Roma and improve their access to adequate housing, including social housing
The Commissioner published today her submission to the Committee of Ministers in the context of the supervision of the execution of the judgment of 24 April 2012 by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Yordanova and Others v. Bulgaria. The case concerns the planned eviction of Roma...
Human Rights Comment
Comprehensive sexuality education protects children and helps build a safer, inclusive society
Sexuality is an integral part of human life. Children and young people have the right to receive reliable, science-based and comprehensive information about it. Yet, sexuality education in schools is a sensitive issue. Ever since it was first introduced in European school curricula in the 1970’s,...
Country visit report
The Republic of Moldova should ratify the Istanbul Convention, improve its response to hate speech and advance access to quality healthcare, affordable housing and social inclusion for all
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published today a report on her visit to the Republic of Moldova in March this year – which included travel to Comrat (Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia) and Tiraspol - with recommendations on violence against women and...
Speech
PACE urgent debate on International obligations concerning the repatriation of children from war and conflict zones
Mr President, Mr. Rapporteur, Ladies and gentlemen, Allow me first to thank the Parliamentary Assembly for giving me the opportunity to address its plenary on this very important and sensitive issue. I would also like to congratulate Mr. Schennach on his report, which perfectly highlights the...
Statement
Realising children’s rights is not an option, it’s an obligation
We celebrate the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child today. Children finally became full bearers of human rights under international law thanks to this landmark Convention, the most widely ratified international treaty in the world. Countries have made substantial...
Statement
Latvia takes important step toward eliminating child statelessness
“I welcome the Latvian Parliament taking a decisive step toward eliminating child statelessness with the adoption of a law to grant automatic citizenship to children of “non-citizens” as of 1st January 2020, unless the parents opt for another nationality. This measure represents significant...
Statement
Step up action against statelessness
Statelessness is the root cause of countless human rights violations. Unfortunately, it is still widespread in Europe today as at least 600 000 people do not have a nationality or identity documents that make it possible to enjoy the benefits of a nationality. Having no nationality means you have...
Human Rights Comment
Addressing the invisibility of women and girls with disabilities
Often, women with disabilities are invisible and marginalised in society, including among those promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, and those promoting gender equality and the advancement of women. The exclusion of women with disabilities from decision-making spaces has for a long...
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