The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights released, on Tuesday 15 February, the report on her visit to Malta last October.
Regarding the media, Dunja Mijatović reiterates her call for full clarity on the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and “to fully implement the recommendations of the public inquiry report which found the state responsible for her assassination”. Legislative reforms are needed to comply with international standards and there has to be the “effective involvement of civil society in this process”, she said, adding that a new law on the protection of journalists must not lead to state interference in the regulation of their profession.
On asylum and migration, the Commissioner stresses the need to increase the island’s capacity and to ensure coordination of rescues at sea. She recalls the non-refoulement obligations and asks Malta to review its cooperation with the Libyan authorities. This cooperation should be suspended until clear arrangements are in place to ensure respect for human rights.
To advance women’s rights, the Commissioner calls for the rapid adoption of new laws focusing on gender equality, particularly in the labour market, as well as in public and political responsibilities. These laws should be accompanied by a “comprehensive policy to overcome patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes”.
“It is time for the authorities to repeal provisions criminalising abortion” and “develop a comprehensive regulation of women’s access to legal and safe abortion”, she added.
Link to the Commissioner’s report: https://bit.ly/3sHk51B (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)