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Recommendation 1933 (2010) Final version
Fight against extremism: achievements, deficiencies and failures
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers
to its Resolution 1754
(2010) on the fight against extremism: achievements,
deficiencies and failures in which it expresses its concern at the
upsurge of certain forms of extremism in Europe.
2. Countering extremism while upholding democracy and the respect
for human rights and the rule of law represents a continuous challenge
for Council of Europe member states.
3. The Assembly expresses its appreciation for the important
work accomplished by numerous Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms,
as well as the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission),
in assisting member states in meeting this challenge. Their expertise
is even more necessary in the light of the possible effects of the
recent economic crisis.
4. The Assembly also recalls that, although freedom of expression
and freedom of association are the pillars of a pluralist democracy,
their exercise can be restricted. Such restrictions should always
be prescribed by law, should be necessary in a democratic society
and should pursue the legitimate aims mentioned in the European
Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), such as prevention of disorder
or crime, the protection of morals and the protection of the rights
of others.
5. With these considerations in mind, the Assembly calls on the
Committee of Ministers to:
5.1. invite
the Organisation’s relevant monitoring mechanisms to undertake an
evaluation of the extent to which Council of Europe member states
have complied with the Committee of Ministers Recommendation No.
R (97) 20 on “hate speech” and endorsed the models of good practice
and the recommendations put forward in the Council of Europe publication Manual on hate speech (2009);
5.2. invite the Organisation’s relevant monitoring mechanisms
to monitor the compliance of anti-extremism legislation introduced
in some Council of Europe member states with international human rights
instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights;
5.3. enhance the outreach capacity and the visibility of its
monitoring mechanisms, such as the European Commission against Racism
and Intolerance (ECRI) and the Advisory Committee on the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, in order for
them to play a greater role in raising public awareness of such
matters;
5.4. encourage its relevant committees and independent monitoring
mechanisms, notably ECRI, to:
5.4.1. study the impact of
the current economic crisis on extremism, as well as on racism and racial
discrimination;
5.4.2. pursue their work on the issue of Islamophobia, in the
light of recent developments;
5.5. step up its activities in the field of education and intercultural
dialogue, including in its religious dimension.