Doc. 9368

5 February 2002

Closing down of the Danish Centre for Human Rights

Written Question No. 408 to the Committee of Ministers

by Mr Jurgens

Considering that the Council of Europe promotes the setting up of independent national human rights institutions in the member states, notably through Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R (97) 14, through its assistance activities and through its institutional co-operation and regular Round tables with such national institutions on the basis of Committee of Ministers Resolution (97) 11;

Recalling that the texts adopted by the Rome Ministerial Conference on Human Rights in 2000 stressed the need to ensure the implementation of the ECHR at the national level, inter alia through systematic screening of draft legislation, through public information, and through human rights training in particular for the legal professions and for the police, and highlighted the important contribution made by national human rights institutions to the promotion and protection of human rights in the member States;

Noting that the Danish Centre for Human Rights has, since 1987, carried out important work at the national level in precisely those areas that were identified in Rome as essential for ensuring the implementation of the ECHR and other European human rights standards in member States and that this Centre stands out as an important and successful model of a national human rights institution for member States that do not yet have such an institution;

Observing, moreover, that the Danish Centre is an important partner of the Council of Europe, since it chairs the European Coordinating Group of national institutions and as such cooperates in the organisation of the Council of Europe Round Tables and represents one of the only 4 organisations to have observer status with the Steering Committee for Human Rights;

Seriously concerned that the Danish government has recently announced its intention to close down the Danish Centre for Human Rights in the coming months and put an end to work by an independent institution to promote respect for human rights within Denmark, by transferring part of its activities to a new foreign policy institute and another part to a new human rights unit in the Foreign Ministry;

      Mr Jurgens,

To ask the Committee of Ministers,

Whether it is also concerned about this announced step, whether it is ready to seek urgent information from the Danish government about the reasons for it and to convey to it the clear message that it is at all events essential that an official but independent and substantial function of promotion and protection of human rights within Denmark be preserved so as to avoid that that member state acts in a way totally contrary to the official position of the Council of Europe, in particular by ceasing to implement a Committee of Ministers’ recommendation, and to seek firm assurances from the Danish authorities to this effect.

Signed:

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC