The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a report and a Resolution prepared by Tiny Kox (European United Left) on Tuesday 20 April, defining what it envisages as “strategic priorities” for the organisation.
It includes the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, as “this will strengthen the credibility of the European Union and the relevance of the Council of Europe and the Convention for all its citizens and its member States”. A strengthening of the Court is also essential in the eyes of the parliamentarians who call for “enhancing the execution of its judgements”.
Economic and social rights need to be consolidated, they say, while advocating “a contemporary and holistic vision of human rights”, that includes “new generation rights” such as “the right to a safe, healthy and sustainable environment”.
Other challenges include those to freedom of expression and assembly, which “need to be responded [to] with firm action”, and those related to the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
With this Resolution, the Parliamentary Assembly intends to contribute to the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to be held at the end of May on the subject of the strategic guidelines. It will be based on a four-year approach proposed by the Secretary General. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)