Strasbourg, 30.04.2009 - "Although human rights are ingrained in our European experience there is still a gap between political rhetoric and reality when it comes to their implementation" said today Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, presenting his 2008 activity report and the Viewpoint publication.
Analysing the human rights situation in Europe, the Commissioner states that no country is free from discrimination. "Anti-gypsyism, xenophobia and homophobia are still widespread phenomena. There are also unacceptable tendencies of anti-Semitism as well as Islamophobia. Persons with disabilities are denied access to possibilities which are seen as basic rights by others. Women are discriminated in the job market and under-represented in political bodies. Domestic violence is a sad reality in too many homes. Abuse of children is reported in every country."
Furthermore, Thomas Hammarberg stresses that all too often the different components of the standard system of justice – including the police, the judiciary and the penitentiary – do not guarantee properly individuals' rights and that there are regular reports of corruption, incompetence and abuse of power. He also reminded that some ill-advised reactions to terrorism have led to a serious degradation of human rights protection.
Drawing the attention on the negative consequences of the financial crisis on human rights, the Commissioner affirms that "we must now live up to people's expectations and urgently develop viable programmes which promote social cohesion and prevent any watering down of the already agreed human rights standards, including social and economic rights. Any policy in this sense must be sustainable and long-ranging and should ensure that the burden of recovery is not placed on those who have the least resources to take on any further pain."