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 dialogue with national authorities as a follow-up of the earlier findings and at discussing the recent developments in the countries. To this end, he will meet several high level officials, the ombudsmen, civil servants and non-governmental organisations.
On the first day, the Commissioner will be in Riga to hold talks with Latvian authorities focusing, amongst other issues, on prisoners' conditions, education and the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups. Mr Hammarberg will also visit the newly opened Oaine prison hospital.
On the following day, the Commissioner will meet the Estonian authorities in Tallin, including the President of the Republic, with whom he will discuss, inter alia, the detention conditions, health care, citizenship procedures, access to education, and trafficking in human beings.
The Commissioner is accompanied by the Director of his office, Mr Marc Scheuer, and the Deputy to the Director, Mr Alexander Guessel.
Related documents
- Memorandum to the Latvian Government : Assessment of the progress made in implementing the 2003 recommendations of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
- Memorandum to the Estonian Government - Assessment of the progress made in implementing the 2004 recommendations of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights