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Resolution 1726 (2010) Final version
Effective implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights: the Interlaken process
1. The Parliamentary Assembly welcomes
the initiative taken by the Swiss authorities in organising the High
Level Conference on the future of the European Court of Human Rights
(the Court), held in Interlaken, on 18 and 19 February 2010, and
the adoption, at the conference, of the Interlaken Declaration and
Action Plan.
2. The Assembly associates itself with the statement recognising,
in particular, the extraordinary contribution of the Court to the
protection of human rights in Europe and the emphasis placed, by
the conference participants, on the subsidiary nature of the supervisory
mechanism established by the European Convention on Human Rights
(the Convention, ETS No. 5), notably the fundamental role which
national authorities, namely governments, courts and parliaments,
must play in guaranteeing and protecting human rights at national
level.
3. The Assembly has also noted a number of decisions recently
taken by the Committee of Ministers to maintain the impetus provided
by the conference, known as the “Interlaken process”. It intends
to closely monitor decisions that are to be taken at the forthcoming
ministerial session on 11 May 2010 to help establish a clear road
map for a reform process to guarantee the long-term effectiveness
of the Convention system.
4. In order to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the Convention
system, the principle of subsidiarity must be fully operational
in all states parties to the Convention. The Interlaken process
should therefore take into account, in particular, a number of matters
to which the Assembly attaches particular importance and which do
not require amendment of the Convention: the need to strengthen
implementation of Convention rights at the national level (including
the res interpretata authority
of the Court’s case law); the improvement of the effectiveness of
domestic remedies in states with major structural problems, and
the need to rapidly and fully execute the judgments of the Court.
5. The Assembly stresses the key role national parliaments can
play in stemming the flood of applications submerging the Court
by, for instance, carefully examining whether (draft) legislation
is compatible with the Convention’s requirements and in helping
states to ensure prompt and full compliance with the Court’s judgments.
6. In this connection, the Assembly reiterates its call, made
in Resolution 1516 (2006) on
the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights,
inviting “all national parliaments to introduce specific mechanisms
and procedures for effective parliamentary oversight of the implementation
of the Court’s judgments on the basis of regular reports by the
responsible ministries”(paragraph
22.1).
7. The authority of the Court is contingent on the stature of
judges and the quality and coherence of the Court’s case law. In
this context it is the Assembly’s responsibility to elect judges
of the highest calibre to the Court from a list of three candidates
nominated by states parties. Recalling its Resolution 1646 (2009) on the nomination
of candidates and election of judges to the European Court of Human
Rights, the Assembly reaffirms its call that national selection
procedures must be rigorous, fair and transparent in order to enhance the
quality, efficacy and authority of the Court.
8. Finally, the Assembly welcomes the forthcoming entry into
force of Protocol No. 14 to the Convention (CETS No. 194) on 1 June
2010 and in so doing, confirms its position that the nine-year term
of office of a judge elected by the Assembly to the Court shall
commence from the date of taking up of his or her duties, and in
any event no later than three months after his or her election.
However, if the election takes place more than three months before
the seat of the outgoing judge becomes vacant, the term of office
shall commence the day the seat becomes vacant. If the election
takes place less than three months before the seat of the outgoing
judge becomes vacant, the elected judge shall take up his or her
duties as soon as possible after the seat becomes vacant and the
term of office shall commence as from then and in any event no later
than three months after his or her election.