Council Of Europe Activity Report 2005

This publication details the activities of the Council of Europe during 2005, including the work of the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the European Court of Human Rights and the Commissioner for Human Rights. The highlight of the year was the third Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Warsaw in May 2005, and four main themes emerged from the summit: to further promote common fundamental values (human rights, the rule of law and democracy); to make Europe a safer place by eradicating torture and inhuman and degrading treatment; to eliminate all forms of discrimination thus creating a more inclusive Europe; and to foster co-operation with other international and European organisations and institutions.

The highlight of the Council of Europe's activities in 2005 was the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government which took place in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May. A political declaration and an action plan were adopted at the summit, laying down the principal tasks and priorities of the Council of Europe for the coming years. Four main themes emerged from the summit, namely: to further promote common fundamental values (human rights, thé rule of law and democracy); to make Europe a safer place by eradicating torture and inhuman and degrading treatment; to eliminate ail forms of discrimination thus creating a more inclusive Europe; and to foster co-operation with other international and European organisations and institutions.The Warsaw Summit stressed the need to develop interinstitutional relations further. It is expected that a memorandum of understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union is to be signed in 2006. Co-operation was increased with the OSCE and the UN and with many of its various bodies in 2005. The intervention of the Council of Europe's Secretary General in the UN Security Council was the first time a Secretary General was given the opportunity to speak directly to this important organ of the United Nations.Expanding further its work in the area of protecting human rights, the Council of Europe also opened three conventions for signature at the 3rd Summit: the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, and two conventions related to the fight against terrorism. 2005 saw a significant increase in measures aimed at monitoring and building capacity to fight corruption, money laundering and other types of serious crime.

Since its foundation, the Council of Europe has established a common legal system for European states, based on democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Its standard-setting texts have helped its members meet the challenges of changing societies and now apply all over Europe given the organisation¿s unprecedented geographical enlargement since 1989. In this connection, the Council of Europe has played a key role in the accession of the new member states to the European Union. The first section of the book deals with the "constitutional" law of the Council of Europe, or its internal statutes in the broad sense. It covers the 1949 Statute, which, along with related texts, lays down the Council¿s aims and determines its membership and operating methods. The second section concerns the role played by the Council of Europe - which has always been very active in standard-setting - in the harmonisation of European states¿ domestic law. The third section situates Council of Europe law in the European context. For instance, it studies the extent to which Council of Europe conventions have been incorporated in domestic law and how Council of Europe law and European Union law co-exist.

The implementation of the recommendations of the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, May 2005) resulted in the launch in 2006 of a number of European campaigns, in particular "Building a Europe for and with children"; the "Campaign to combat trafficking in human beings"; "All different, All equal"; "Stop domestic violence against women"; and the 'Dosta!" awareness-raising campaign to end prejudice against the Roma. Kosovo was a major political concern for the Council of Europe. Through its Venice Commission, it provided expert input for the preparation of the future status of the region and continued to provide expert advice on the implementation of European standards in such fields as the protection of human rights, minority rights, decentralisation, cultural heritage protection and constitutional law. The Republic of Montenegro applied for membership of the Council of Europe following the 21 May referendum, which paved the way for its independence. Serbia, on the other hand, succeeded the former State Union of Serbia and Montenegro as a member state of the Organisation. The Council of Europe was the first organisation to look into the allegations of secret detentions and unlawful transfers of suspected terrorists in the member states. The Parliamentary Assembly and the Secretary General each carried out investigations which revealed that Council of Europe member states have not set up effective legal safeguards against such practices, which violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

This report describes all the work carried out in 2004 by the Council of Europe's bodies and in its various areas of activity.Following Monaco's accession on 5 October, the Council of Europe has forty-six member states. It has virtually completed its enlargement - only Belarus is still not a member, due to its lack of respect for human rights and democratic principles.From the Rose Revolution in Georgia to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, from the ethnic violence in Kosovo in March to the various conflicts that were more or less deadlocked on the borders of several member states, a number of major developments prompted the Council of Europe to intervene and take action in 2004. A few months after the terrorist attack in Madrid, the Beslan tragedy strengthened the Organisation's determination to combat terrorism, a responsibility that is now assigned to a specialist Committee, the Codexter.

This comprehensive Commentary provides the first fully up-to-date analysis and interpretation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. It offers a concise yet thorough article-by-article guide to the Convention’s anti-trafficking standards and corresponding human rights obligations.

The year 2008 was very busy and eventful for the Council of Europe with, among other things, Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in February and the conflict that erupted during the summer between Georgia and Russia, two of the Organisation's