Council of Europe urges govts ‘not to weaken’ rights convention

STRASBOURG, France: The Council of Europe on Saturday urged European governments not to undermine the European Convention on Human Rights, after Italy and eight other EU states urged a rethink of the accord, especially on migration.

“As we face today´s complex challenges, our task is not to weaken the convention, but to keep it strong and relevant,” said Alain Berset, secretary general of the 46-member Council of Europe.

The legal arm of the Council of Europe is the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the body that enforces the convention, which is a legally-binding treaty between the member states.

The Council of Europe is not part of the EU and members include key non-EU European states such as Turkey, the UK and Ukraine. Russia was expelled in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

The nine countries, including Italy, Denmark and Poland, said they want “a new and open-minded conversation about the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights”.

“We have to restore the right balance,” the signatories said.

Berset said that while debate is “healthy” the ECHR must not be “weaponised” by governments.

“Institutions that protect fundamental rights cannot bend to political cycles. If they do, we risk eroding the very stability they were built to ensure,” he said.

He noted that the ECHR is currently the only international court adjudicating violations of human rights after Russia´s invasion of Ukraine. “This should never be undermined,” he said.