The Netherlands and the Council of Europe – bringing human rights from the conference table to your kitchen table

The Council of Europe works for you. We want to give visibility to the role, standards and work of the Council of Europe in its member states, to show how Council of Europe membership has helped achieve particular results or changes. Our aim, through a variety of events and actions, is to highlight ways in which the Council of Europe’s action has helped improve the life of individuals and contributed to improving people’s enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Tanja Gonggrijp, Ambassadeur, Permanent Vertegenwoordiger van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden bij de Raad van Europa

Whether it is the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level, or the Council of Europe's work in many fields, such as working to abolish the death penalty or to ensure freedom of expression and freedom of the media, or to adress online and technology-facilitated violence against women through the Istanbul Convention and Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the Council of Europe has achieved a lot since 1949. View achievements »

Events

3 April 2024

• Presentation at the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, 'The course of the Council of Europe in the past, present, and future, and the role the Council of Europe plays with strengthening human rights, the rule of law and democracy': Ambassador Tanja Gonggrijp focused on the Council of Europe’s work regarding justice, common norms and policy, and threats to the rule of law. While also discussing the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe system to monitor the execution of ECtHR judgments, the ambassador emphasised the important role of the Council of Europe in the European sphere and beyond.
• Presentation at Utrecht University, 'The course of the Council of Europe in the past, present, and future, and the role the Council of Europe plays with strengthening human rights, the rule of law and democracy': Ambassador Tanja Gonggrijp provided the Masters law students with an insight into the work of the Council of Europe over the past 75 years, and the work that is yet to come. Together with Prof. Mr. Janneke Gerards (member of the Venice Commission) and Prof. Mr. Miriam Kullman (member of the European Committee on Social Rights), the ambassador provided more insight into different Council of Europe bodies and her work at the Permanent Representation.

2 March 2023

• Possible side event to coincide with the 2-3 March PACE Standing Committee visit to the Peace Palace in the Hague: “75 years Congress of The Hague; Multilateralism in Europe at a crossroads”

Tbc

• Publication of the youth think tank report ‘The West Wing’ in the run-up to the 4th Council of Europe Summit