“We are living in extremely troubled times, with the human rights situation continuing to deteriorate”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, on Monday 7 April, when presenting his 2024 progress report to the Parliamentary Assembly.
His words echo those of the foreword to this document, in which he writes that “today we stand at a precipice over which we might lose much, if not all”.
By “all”, he means “the modern-day human rights system, arguably the greatest achievement of modernity”, which he also characterises as “astonishing” and “unique”.
The “return of great power politics” and the “disinformation pandemic” are, he argues, to blame.
In response, the Commissioner drew attention to the “crucial role” of parliaments, which he called on to “be even more rigorous” in ensuring that national laws comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
The 2024 report focuses in particular on four areas: Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine (“absolute priority”), migration management, Roma and Travellers, and the protection of human rights defenders, undermined by repressive legislation.
Mr O’Flaherty said he was particularly concerned by the repression of LGBTQI people and the associations that defend them, notably in Georgia and Hungary.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/gb8 (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)