Commissioner Hammarberg presents human-rights report on Austria
Strasbourg, 12.12.2007 – The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg today presented his report on the human-rights situation in Austria. Mr Hammarberg underlined the positive steps undertaken by the Austrian authorities to improve the protection and promotion of...
Thomas Hammarberg: "putting an end to domestic violence is very much a question of political will"
[06/12/07 18:00] At the conference on "Support Services for Women Victims of Violence" held in Strasbourg, the Commissioner declared that stopping violence against women requires clear and enforceable legislations, training and information campaigns. "Most governments have now picked up the...
Commissioner in Finland and Sweden to discuss human rights issues
[03/12/07 16:30] Thomas Hammarberg today took part at a conference on "Roma women's rights" in Stockholm organised jointly by the Council of Europe, the Swedish Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, at the request of the Romani Women's...
Commissioner for Human Rights concludes assessment visit to Ireland
[30/11/07 13:00] The Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, has concluded today a five-day high-level official visit to Ireland, where he assessed a broad range of human rights issues, focusing mainly on children's rights, juvenile justice, migrants' and women's rights, treatment of...
Council of Europe Commissioner Hammarberg to assess human rights situation in Ireland
Strasbourg, 23.11.2007 – Children's rights, juvenile justice and migrants' rights as well as measures against discrimination will be some of the main topics that the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, will assess during his five-day high-level official visit to...
Universal Children’s Day: Commissioner Hammarberg calls for child-friendly societies
Warsaw 20.11.2007 - On the occasion of the universal children's day, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg called for "a culture of greater receptivity and respect for children's views" during a lecture in Warsaw about child participation. The Commissioner...
Commissioner in Norway to discuss vulnerable people’s rights
[16/11/07 12:30] Thomas Hammarberg today took part in a conference on "Human rights protection for vulnerable groups of people" in Oslo organised by the Ombudsman of Norway. The Commissioner's intervention focused on the possibilities to further strengthen human rights protection in Norway and...
Commissioner Hammarberg meets the Ambassador of Georgia
[12/11/07 15:00] Thomas Hammarberg today met with the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Zurab Tchiaberashvili, in Strasbourg to discuss about the situation in the country. The Commissioner expressed his wish that the state of emergency is revoked soon and...
Country visit
Albania: “Time to implement human rights standards”
"The time has come to move from standard setting to implementation" Commissioner Hammarberg said at today's press conference concluding his official visit to Albania. "Important laws are in place and strategies have been adopted, but more has to be done to ensure an effective implementation of...
Implementing human rights at domestic level: the Commissioner and National structures discuss effective measures
[06/11/07 10:00] What can be done to improve the protection of human rights at domestic level? What role could National Human Rights Structures (NHRSs) play in this context? To find concrete answers, Commissioner Hammarberg held a meeting on 6 and 7 November in Strasbourg with representatives of...
Independent journalism is fundamental for democracy and human rights
[05/11/07 14:30] In a speech delivered today at the International Federation of Journalists in Brussels on the occasion of the European Day of Action for Journalists Rights, Commissioner Hammarberg stressed that even in Europe of today “freedom of expression is not fully protected” and called for...
“States should secure an easier access to justice for children, migrants and asylum-seekers”
[25/10/07 14:00] In a discussion with the Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe's member States gathered in Lanzarote (Spain) today, the Commissioner affirmed that States and international organisations must do their utmost to secure a fair and easier access to justice for children,...
More efforts are needed to ensure Roma housing rights
[24/10/07 09:00] “Governments should take positive steps to protect the housing rights of Roma in Europe”, said today in a joint statement the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Miloon Kothari. Both the...
Europe must bridge the gap of human rights implementation
[24/10/07 08.30] In a speech delivered at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, Commissioner Hammarberg stressed the need to improve Europe’s efforts to implement human rights standards and practice. “There is no place for complacency about human rights issues” he said. “A more serious...
Turkey: Commissioner pursues discussions on human rights implementation
[19/10/07 11:00] Commissioner Hammarberg starts on Monday 22 October a two-day contact visit in Ankara to discuss with national authorities and non governmental organisations the implementation of human rights standards in Turkey.
Commissioner Hammarberg discusses human rights topics with President Gül
[04/10/07 08:30] Thomas Hammarberg met with the newly elected President of Turkey, Mr. Abdullah Gül, on 3 October in Strasbourg.
Ukraine: Commissioner calls for urgent improvements of the human rights situation
[03/10/07 17:00] The Commissioner for Human Rights presented today a report on the human-rights record of Ukraine. He expressed the hope that the incoming government in Kyiv will implement his concrete recommendations on the administration of justice, police behaviour, minority rights and the...
Country visit
Human Rights Commissioner visits Latvia and Estonia
Commissioner Hammarberg today starts a visit to Latvia and Estonia to discuss with national authorities the implementation of the recommendations set out in his Memoranda to the governments, which were presented respectively in May and July this year. The visit aims at enhancing the ongoing...
Human Rights Commissioner calls for enhanced Roma participation in political life
[27/09/07 18:30] In his opening speech at the OSCE Human Dimension Roma and Sinti Special Day in Warsaw today, Commissioner Hammarberg called for an enhanced political participation of Roma people and made recommendations to ensure that this right is respected.
The Commissioner reviews the implementation of housing rights
[21/09/07 09:00] On 24 and 25 September 2007, Commissioner Hammarberg will take part in a workshop on housing rights organised by his Office in the Council of Europe’s European Youth Centre in Budapest. Participants will examine how the positive duty of states to ensure these rights can be put...