Human rights, democracy and the rule of law - the common values at the core of the Council of Europe - are more than ever the focus of world politics. The last decades have shown unprecedented progress in these areas, not least in Europe. The Council of Europe has played a central role in this process. Respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law is fundamental in itself, but also indispensable for democratic security and development.
But the work is not finished. At the Warsaw Summit in 2005, the member states agreed that the Council of Europe’s future is to pursue its core objective to protect and promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law. All other activities of the Council of Europe should contribute to this fundamental objective. The Summit also identified three aspects – gender equality, the rights of the child and a youth perspective – to be mainstreamed into all Council of Europe activities.
Through its standards, monitoring mechanisms as well as co-operation and assistance activities, the Council of Europe provides not only norms but also support for achieving the core objective. At the Summit, the member states resolved to ensure full compliance with their commitments as members of the Organisation. Further progress is needed, and the Council of Europe continues to have a crucial role to play for making this happen.
The Council of Europe offers a solid framework, through its specialised committees, for multilateral co-operation between the 47 member states. A Chairmanship programme should reinforce ongoing work, but could also add activities in order to enhance policy debate and promote new developments.
The main objective of the Swedish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers is to promote the realisation of the Council of Europe’s core objective - to make rights real. By focusing on implementation, and striving for widest possible co-operation between the Council of Europe, member states and other actors, Sweden intends to encourage further progress.
The Swedish Chairmanship will focus on the implementation of the Summit’s Action Plan and the streamlining of the Council of Europe’s activities, as well as on reform measures for a more efficient and transparent Organisation. A comprehensive approach should create links between policy, standards, monitoring, actions for implementation and evaluation.
The Chairmanship will strive for an enhanced political dialogue on both topical and thematic issues. This should be done hand-in-hand with the efficient running of the Committee of Ministers’ work. Sweden will promote a constructive dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe as well as with other actors, including the Conference of International Non-governmental Organisations.
Even closer co-operation and interaction with not least the European Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN) will enable the Council of Europe to achieve further progress.
Through close contacts with both outgoing and incoming chairmanships of the Committee of Ministers (Slovakia and Spain), Sweden is aiming for continuity and sustainable results. Similar co-operation is being established with the presidencies of the EU during 2008 (Slovenia and France), and the incumbent chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (Finland). Co-ordination with the Swedish Chairmanship in the Nordic Council of Ministers, which occurs in 2008 will also be ensured.
On this basis, the priorities of the Swedish Chairmanship follow decisions taken at the Warsaw Summit.
1. Human Rights – consolidation of the Council of Europe system of human rights protection
Human rights are everyone’s concern, and a means for attaining a world in which people can live safe and free, without fear and want. In 2008 we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration has served a key source of inspiration for the development of the Council of Europe’s human rights work. Since the adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights in 1950, the Council of Europe has developed a strong regional system of human rights protection. Sweden is convinced that the Council of Europe will continue to ensure progress in this respect, enabling peace, security and development. The European Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October will also be an important mark of the Council of Europe's commitment to human rights.
Guaranteeing the long-term effectiveness of the system established through the European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, is the main priority for the Council of Europe and the Swedish Chairmanship.
Sweden will give priority to the further follow-up of the 2004 reform package, in line with the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on sustained action to ensure the effectiveness of the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights at national and European levels, adopted in May 2006 and the outcome of the 118th Ministerial Session. The ratification of Protocol No. 14 by all member states, as soon as possible, is indispensable for these reforms. To this end Sweden will organise a colloquy on 9-10 June 2008 in Stockholm on the theme “Towards stronger implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level”. It will focus on both improving domestic remedies and amplifying the effects of the Court’s case-law. The colloquy will discuss measures at national level, such as those mentioned in the 2004 reform package and its follow-up, and in the report of the Group of Wise Persons, and will provide an opportunity to exchange good practices between member states.
The different Council of Europe monitoring bodies play a vital role for the protection of human rights. It is essential therefore to ensure adequate support and sufficient resources to the Commissioner for Human Rights as well as to other bodies such as the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities. Closer co-operation between the monitoring bodies and assistance activities should be promoted. The European Court of Human Rights has a primordial role in the protection of human rights, which needs the full support of the Committee of Ministers. This includes the monitoring of how member states execute the Court’s judgements as well as adequate resources for the Secretariat’s work in this field.
Sweden will give priority to developing methods for more effective implementation of human rights standards. Systematic work for implementation of human rights is necessary, including with tools such as national action plans. The Swedish Chairmanship will invite Council of Europe member states, together with other countries and international organisations, to a conference on systematic work for human rights implementation at national level, including national human rights action plans, to be held in Stockholm on 6-7 November. A seminar, organised by the Swedish Association for Local Authorities and Regions on 6 October, will provide input regarding systematic work for human rights at the local and regional level to the conference.
Sweden will give special attention to the rights of the child. The Chairmanship proposes to take stock of the progress achieved through the Programme “Building a Europe for and with Children”, to assess the effectiveness of the methodology used by the programme and to develop a new strategy - “Protection, Provision and Participation for Children in Europe” - for the years 2009-2011. The strategy will be discussed at a high-level conference, preceded by thematic seminars, in Stockholm on 8-10 September. Special emphasis will be put on the issues of violence against children, encouraging children’s participation in society and child-friendly justice. In this area close co-operation with the EU and the UN is needed. The promotion of Council of Europe instruments dealing specifically with the rights of the child will also be supported.
Sweden will furthermore seek to strengthen the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities. A joint Council of Europe and Nordic Council of Ministers conference will be organised in Strasbourg on 29-30 October, with a view to discussing implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as the 2006-2015 Council of Europe Action Plan to Promote the Rights and the Full Participation of People with Disabilities in Society. The conference will give opportunities for elaborating ideas and exchanging best practices for further implementation and follow-up at national level.
Gender equality is an integral part of human rights in a democratic society. To implement a gender perspective in all policy fields – gender mainstreaming - is necessary for achieving de facto gender equality. The Swedish Chairmanship will encourage follow-up of progress in implementing standards on gender equality, also with regard to the Council of Europe itself. The role of women and men in conflict prevention and resolution will be highlighted, which will also contribute to the implementation of United Nations resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.
The Council of Europe campaign on Violence against women will be concluded with a high-level conference on 10-11 June in Strasbourg. The conference will give an opportunity to draw conclusions from the national campaigns, present best practices and elaborate a future oriented strategy. Such a strategy should also include honour-related violence. The Council of Europe Convention on Trafficking in Human Beings has recently entered into force and its monitoring mechanism, GRETA, will be set up.
The protection of persons belonging to national minorities, including the vulnerable situation of the Roma, is an important human rights issue which will continue to be highlighted during the Swedish Chairmanship.
Sweden will seek to encourage further action by the Council of Europe against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Close contacts with all parts of the Council of Europe, including the Commissioner for Human Rights, should be maintained on this issue.
2. Strengthening democracy and good governance in the member states
The Warsaw Summit identified the promotion of democracy at all levels as a clear priority for the Council of Europe. The Summit Declaration called on all member states to intensify their work within the Council of Europe to this effect. The Swedish Chairmanship aims at fostering a systematic approach to promoting democratic development.
Free and fair elections are indispensable for democracy. They require an adequate legal framework, appropriate preparations and equal opportunities for all candidates. Impartial authorities, respect for the freedom of expression, association and assembly and access to media are essential elements for achieving such equal opportunities. In 2008, elections will be held in several member states and the respect of established European standards will be put to the test. The Swedish Chairmanship will pay attention to efficient co-operation and assistance through the Council of Europe between elections and on the implementation of the Council’s standards. The European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) has a crucial role to play in this respect and with respect to other aspects of democratic development. The Swedish Chairmanship will promote full use of the Venice Commission’s advice and assistance. Sweden welcomes the role of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress in monitoring elections, according to established international practice, in close co-operation with the OSCE/ODIHR.
Democracy is, however, more than casting a ballot every few years. Between elections, active participation of both women and men is essential for genuine democracy and a challenge common to all democracies. To encourage youth participation is of special importance for the future. A culture of democracy, in which individuals are able and willing to participate in public affairs and make their voices heard, requires not only appropriate legislation, but also enabling practices at national, regional and local level. Stressing the importance for democracy of access to information, Sweden supports the early adoption of the draft Council of Europe Convention on access to official documents and recalls the recommendation on the same subject adopted in 2002.
An essential feature of a strong democracy is a broad and free civil society. The Swedish Chairmanship will promote activities that support a strong civil society and respect for fundamental freedoms and other relevant standards. Sweden welcomes the attention given to these aspects in the Council of Europe assistance activities. It will give particular attention to the efforts of the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe. A round-table on civic participation, which on the initiative of the Council of Europe Confererence of International NGOs will be held in Stockholm in October, will enable an exchange of experience from the north of Europe and initiate a process of regional consultation meetings on the subject.
Through the Forum for the Future of Democracy, the Council of Europe provides different stakeholders with a platform for strengthening progress on democracy and good governance. The Forum’s potential – its flexible working methods, the possibility to identify relevant themes and the broad participation from both within and outside the Council of Europe - should be made use of fully. The Swedish Chairmanship will encourage further follow-up by different Council of Europe bodies of proposals from the Forum session held in Stockholm/Sigtuna in 2007. Enhancing civic participation, fostering systematic work for the protection of human rights and developing coherent efforts for strengthening democracy at national as well as regional and local level are fields which will be given priority. Sweden will also support the preparation of the Forum 2008 session which is to be held in Madrid on 15-17 October. The work of the Ad hoc Committee on e-democracy (CAHDE) to develop a set of generic e-democracy tools and guidelines on the scope and implementation of e-democracy, will constitute a useful contribution in that respect.
The third Summer University of the Schools of Political Studies scheduled to be held on 30 June-4 July in Strasbourg, will underline the role of the Council of Europe in promoting its core objectives as well as fostering participation and dialogue.
Democratic development in Belarus is a concern for Europe. The Warsaw Summit gave a clear message that Belarus can become a member of Council of Europe once it is ready to fulfil the obligations and commitments inherent in membership. The Swedish Chairmanship will encourage continued support to civil society and independent media in Belarus, as well as co-operation in areas where Belarus is a party to Council of Europe instruments. The establishment of the Belarus School of Political Studies creates new possibilities for dialogue. Further possibilities to promote contacts between Belarus and the Council of Europe, especially regarding respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Belarus, should be examined.
3. Reinforcing the rule of law in Europe
Respect for the principle of the rule of law is central to the Council of Europe and a fundamental criterion for membership in the organisation. The Council has made an important contribution to developments in the rule of law area, mainly through the elaboration and adoption of legal instruments and through the case-law of the Court.
In the view of the Swedish Chairmanship, the efforts of the Council to strengthen and promote the rule of law should focus on the legal framework for and the organisation of a democratic state, on the legal relations between individuals and the state, on the independence and overall functioning of justice, and on the rule of law and the citizen’s security.
Within these areas the Council of Europe should make good use of all its tools: co-operation, standard setting, monitoring, awareness raising and assistance to member states.
The potential for the relevant Council of Europe bodies to foster further progress in member states should be explored, inter alia, through recourse to assistance by the Venice Commission to safeguard the fundamental principles of independence and impartiality of justice at the constitutional level. Efforts should also be made to achieve greater coherence in the rule of law area, on the basis of the work of all relevant bodies - in particular the European Commission for the efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), the Consultative Council for European Judges (CCJE), the Consultative Council for European Prosecutors (CCPE) and the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). The prospects for follow-up action to be taken on Committee of Ministers’ recommendations in relation to public administration and the principles of the rule of law will also be examined.
Intergovernmental co-operation in the fields of criminal law and procedure, criminology and penology are traditional areas for Council of Europe activities, mainly through the work of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) and its advisory bodies. European co-operation in the criminal justice field can be further improved, as underlined by the 2006 Moscow High Level Conference of the Ministries of Justice and the Interior, and the Swedish Chairmanship will continue to work towards this end.
Co-operation with other actors is important also in the rule of law area. Targeted assistance requires a coordinated approach and an optimal allocation of resources. Co-ordination with the EU’s support for the rule of law through the Common Foreign and Security Policy is of particular interest. Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the EU should be further developed in this area.
The Swedish Chairmanship will support an adequate follow-up of the conclusions of previous Ministerial Conferences in the legal field, which are important tools to promote the rule of law.
The Swedish Chairmanship will bring attention to some issues by arranging or participating in concrete activities. A conference will be arranged in early November 2008 on judicial reforms in the South Caucasus, with the purpose to take stock of the progress achieved and identify priorities for the future. The conference will bring together all stakeholders such as Ministries of Justice, Parliaments, the Judiciary and Prosecutors.
Sweden is also endorsing, as part of the activities under its Chairmanship, the holding of a Conference on International Courts and Tribunals (London, 6-7 October 2008) in connection with the meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI). It will include a high-level opening segment and bring together the Legal Advisers - the members of CAHDI – as well as the Presidents and possibly Registrars of international courts and tribunals.
4. Contributing to the core objective – a mission for the whole organisation
Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are at the centre of a humane and inclusive society. Different fields of action can contribute to the empowerment of the individual as well as to social cohesion. The Swedish Chairmanship will support efforts to ensure that all activities of the Council of Europe contribute to the Organisation’s core objective. In that respect, Sweden considers the following areas of special interest:
The Council of Europe empowers youth in promoting human rights and democracy. It also encourages participation by the youth and a youth perspective in general. The Swedish Chairmanship supports the work on a new strategy for youth co-operation - Agenda 2020 – which is to be finalised at the Ministerial Conference in Kiev on 10-11 October. The strategy will further strengthen the Council’s role in youth policy. The re-inauguration of the Youth Centre in Strasbourg in October will give the possibility to underline the potential of the youth sector, including its involvement with civil society. The Chairmanship will promote mainstreaming of a youth perspective into all policy areas, activities and structures. During the Chairmanship, the Council of Europe and the EU will celebrate ten years of fruitful co-operation on youth policy.
The concept for possible future action of the Council of Europe with regard to social cohesion was presented by the High-Level Task Force on Social Cohesion in the 21st Century, in November 2007. An assessment on follow-up activities in relation to the recommendations of the Task Force and its implication for Swedish priorities will be done in 2008.
The Chairmanship welcomes the organisation with NGOs of the Forum on civic partnership for democratic citizenship and human rights education in Strasbourg on 9-10 October. The Forum will address issues at the core of the Council of Europe activities and can provide input for the Conference on systematic work for implementation of human rights, to take place in Stockholm on 6-7 November.
The contribution of intercultural dialogue to the core objective of the Council of Europe is being refined through the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue. The Council of Europe can provide added value through a rights based approach to dialogue, stressing in particular gender equality, non-discrimination and involvement of youth. Sweden welcomes the close contacts between the Council and the EU within the framework of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Sweden supports the increased focus given by the Council of Europe North-South Centre to human rights within the field of intercultural dialogue, which will be pursued also during the 2008 Lisbon Forum in November.
The 8th Conference of European Ministers responsible for Migration will be held on 4-5 September 2008, in Kiev. The aim of the conference is to link migration, development and social cohesion. The Swedish Chairmanship supports this comprehensive approach to migration and the importance of consensus and strengthened co-operation between origin, transit and destination countries. Moreover, it sees this conference as an additional platform for dialogue between countries concerned for identifying future bilateral and multilateral co-operation in the field of migration.
5. Strengthening relations with the European Union and international organisations
Sweden will seek to further develop the relations of the Council of Europe regarding policy and activities on all levels with the EU, the OSCE and the UN. The co-operation should be result-oriented, focus on the core activities of the Council of Europe, and be based on complementarity, dialogue and the need to avoid unnecessary duplication. Further measures, building on well-established annual consultations, to enhance such co-operation and co-ordination, should be considered.
European Union
The close relationship between the Council of Europe and the European Union is based on shared values, a common history and a joint ambition to improve the situation for European citizens. As a matter of priority Sweden will work towards further enhancing these relations.
The political dialogue will be pursued in co-operation with the EU Presidency and the European Commission and include a Quadripartite meeting. Sweden will continue the efforts to further improve the format, content and follow-up of this dialogue.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union provides a solid and jointly agreed basis for increased co-operation in order to protect and promote our common values. The implementation of the Memorandum will lead to increased co-operation and more substantial action in areas of common interest. The report by Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is also an important element for the development of future relations between the two organisations. Sweden will support efforts by the Council of Europe to analyse and prepare the future accession of the European Union to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
The Swedish Chairmanship will further promote the development of working relations with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, on the basis of the bilateral agreement between the Council of Europe and the Agency, in order to achieve more synergies and strengthen human rights, to the benefit of all Europeans.
Co-operation with the EU will also include further work on strengthening democracy in and co-operation with countries covered by EU’s Neighbourhood policy (ENP), the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP), and the Enlargement process. Further co-operation within the ENP and the SAP as well as joint programmes in Russia will be encouraged. Future Council of Europe activities in Kosovo should be co-ordinated with other actors, including the EU. Co-operation should be enhanced also with regard to the South Caucasus, making full use of Council of Europe monitoring results in assistance activities.
OSCE
The Council of Europe and the OSCE have related tasks and are largely facing the same challenges. Important complementarity exists between the two organisations in that the Council of Europe has its main strength in its standard setting activities and its institutional set-up, while the OSCE has its main strength in its field-related activities. Joint activities are already in place. A strategy and joint programme for co-operation between the two organisations should aim at developing co-operation in areas of common interest, in particular within the four priority areas: action against terrorism, protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, combating trafficking in human beings and promoting tolerance and non-discrimination, while maximising the efficiency and avoiding duplication of work. The ambition is to organise a High Level Meeting.
UN
The relations with the United Nations should be further developed. There is already close co-operation in many areas, and a potential for expanded co-operation in several others. The Swedish Chairmanship will facilitate the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the UN.
In the area of human rights, the relations with the Human Rights Council and other bodies should be further improved, through regular dialogue at all levels, an exchange of information and co-operation on monitoring human rights in Europe, where appropriate. Co-operation with the relevant General Assembly Committees should also be enhanced.
Co-operation on other issues such as the abolition of the death penalty and the well-established co-operation on children’s rights should be further developed. The Council of Europe has an important role to play as an implementing partner at a regional level and should take on increased responsibility in this respect. The relation between Council of Europe and the Alliance of Civilisations should be further strengthened.
6. Reform of the Council of Europe – a transparent and efficient organisation
The Council of Europe has to develop and respond to new challenges. The Warsaw Summit reconfirmed the reform perspective and the importance of a transparent and efficient organisation.
Sweden will encourage concrete measures which can bring the reform efforts forward in order to achieve efficient implementation of the Organisation’s core mission. Such measures would include:
- improving co-ordination and horizontal working methods in the Secretariat and between different bodies of the Council of Europe; - emphasising the need to achieve better coherence between priorities, programming, budgeting, implementation and evaluation; - activities in close co-operation with the EU, the OSCE and the UN in implementing the core mission of the Council of Europe.
Transparency is one way of enhancing interaction with other actors and improving efficiency. Civil society should be actively invited to contribute to the work of the Council of Europe. The Council should strive towards making its documents more accessible to the public.
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Sweden looks forward to co-operating closely with all member states of the Council of Europe as well as with other actors in order to advance the work of the Organisation and thus the realisation of its core objective.