Rosenthal: European Court of Human Rights must be more effective
Foreign minister Uri Rosenthal has expressed his satisfaction that the European Court of Human Rights is to be made more effective – thanks in part to the Netherlands’ efforts.
The Committee of Ministers of the 47 Council of Europe member states today approved the Brighton Declaration, the reform plan led by the Committee’s most recent chair, the United Kingdom. The reforms should make the handling of European human rights cases more effective.
According to Mr Rosenthal, the Court is facing a severe backlog of cases. ‘There are more than 150,000 open cases,’ he said. ‘With a caseload this big, the Court simply can’t catch up. At the same time, it’s vital that these cases are handled quickly and with due care, because they involve human rights.’
The Committee of Ministers also discussed the Council of Europe’s neighbourhood policy. The Council has significant expertise on promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. ‘This can be put to good use in countries in North Africa and the Middle East. It is needed to help give people in those regions legal certainty and democracy,’ Mr Rosenthal said. Other organisations, like the EU and the UN, are also active in this field. ‘So efficiency and effectiveness are more essential than ever,’ the Minister added. ‘We need to maximise cooperation and avoid duplication with the EU, OSCE and UN.’
