machinery. States and individuals may refer alleged violations of rights guaranteed in the Convention by States parties to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The position of Human Rights Commissioner was created in 1999. The Commissioner does not have legal powers but provides advice and information on the protection of human rights and the prevention of human rights abuses. In addition to the Convention regime that places particular emphasis on civil and political rights, the European human rights framework has been supplemented in the economic and social rights sphere by the 1965 European Social Charter. The Social impact has been in the area of social security rights and, while it does not Charter’s have individual enforcement measures, its impact in the area of labour and union rights is important. Though many of the over 180 conventions drafted by the Council deal with human rights issues, the two other main human rights instruments are the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading (entry into force 1989) and the Treatment or Punishment Framework Convention for (entry into force 1998). the Protection of National Minorities For more detail about these instruments and the Council of Europe generally, refer to: . The European Union While neither the nor the have express human rights Treaty of Paris Treaty of Rome provisions (apart from rules relating to non-discrimination on the basis of nationality and equal remuneration and free movement of workers), increasingly detailed statements of the commitment to human rights are set out in the 1987 Single EU’s the 1992 and the 1997 European Act, Maastricht Treaty on European Union Treaty of The Maastricht Treaty, as amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam, states that Amsterdam. Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights ‘The and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of (article 6) and includes a mechanism law’ for suspending a Member rights under the Treaty in the event of a and State’s ‘serious of those principles by that Member State (article 7). persistent breach’ The policies are also guided by human rights considerations. In EU’s external accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000), the promotion of freedom, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms constitutes one of the core objectives of the EU’s external policies. Since the early 1990s, the EU has used a standard set of human rights provisions for inclusion in treaty-status cooperation agreements between the EU and third countries. The standard provisions enable one party to take ‘appropriate measures’
machinery. States and individuals may refer alleged violations of rights guaranteed in the Convention by States parties to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The position of Human Rights Commissioner was created in 1999. The Commissioner does not have legal powers but provides advice and information on the protection of human rights and the prevention of human rights abuses. In addition to the Convention regime that places particular emphasis on civil and political rights, the European human rights framework has been supplemented in the economic and social rights sphere by the 1965 European Social Charter. The Social Charter’s impact has been in the area of social security rights and, while it does not have individual enforcement measures, its impact in the area of labour and union rights is important. Though many of the over 180 conventions drafted by the Council deal with human rights issues, the two other main human rights instruments are the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (entry into force 1989) and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (entry into force 1998). For more detail about these instruments and the Council of Europe generally, refer to: . The European Union While neither the Treaty of Paris nor the Treaty of Rome have express human rights provisions (apart from rules relating to non-discrimination on the basis of nationality and equal remuneration and free movement of workers), increasingly detailed statements of the EU’s commitment to human rights are set out in the 1987 Single European Act, the 1992 Maastricht Treaty on European Union and the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam. The Maastricht Treaty, as amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam, states that ‘The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law’ (article 6) and includes a mechanism for suspending a Member State’s rights under the Treaty in the event of a ‘serious and persistent breach’ of those principles by that Member State (article 7). The EU’s external policies are also guided by human rights considerations. In accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000), the promotion of freedom, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms constitutes one of the core objectives of the EU’s external policies. Since the early 1990s, the EU has used a standard set of human rights provisions for inclusion in treaty-status cooperation agreements between the EU and third countries. The standard provisions enable one party to take ‘appropriate measures’
human-rights-manual-fourth-edition.docx