Ministers’ Deputies
Information documents
CM/Inf(2016)12 10 May 2016
Stocktaking of the Bulgarian Chairmanship
of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
(10 November 2015 – 18 May 2016)
Introduction
On 10 November 2015, Bulgaria, for the second time in its history, took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Bosnia and Herzegovina which held its chairmanship in a difficult and challenging period for our Organisation but managed to fulfil this demanding task in an outstanding way. The period of the Bulgarian chairmanship was also very dynamic and not less challenging.
Bulgaria has the pleasure to present this report to the 126th Ministerial Session in Sofia on 18 May 2016 when we will also have the honour to hand over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to Estonia. Being part of the same Troika, Bulgaria is convinced that Estonia and afterwards Cyprus will spare no efforts in implementing both the priorities of their respective chairmanships and the joint priorities of the Troika that we have elaborated together.
Bulgaria has concentrated its efforts on three main priorities during its chairmanship: Strengthening the protection of the rights of the child and facilitating young people’s access to culture, Protecting media from external influence and Protecting vulnerable groups. Of course our priorities were implemented taking into consideration the developments of the main political processes which had an impact on the democratic security in Europe, such as the terrorist acts which occurred during the last months, the dynamic migration processes and their human rights dimension, the situation in Ukraine and many others. In implementing its priorities and in dealing with all challenges, Bulgaria was guided by its conviction that the preservation and further strengthening and promoting the fundamental values of our Organisation – democracy, human rights and the rule of law – is of paramount importance today.
Bulgaria has also invested a lot of efforts in supporting the work of the Committee of Ministers in adopting many important documents and thus contributing to the successful functioning of the Council of Europe and to the realisation of its goals and values.
Strengthening the protection of the rights of the child and facilitating young people’s access to culture
One of the main achievements during the chairmanship of Bulgaria was the official launching of the Council of Europe’s Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021). This important event took place in the framework of the High–level Conference "Reaching the Heights for the Rights of the Child", held on
5 and 6 April 2016 in Sofia.
It was an honour for Bulgaria to contribute to this very important area of Council of Europe activity – the protection of the rights of the child. It was attended by all member States, with a high level of political representation. Over 300 experts, policy makers and representatives of international and non-governmental organisations discussed how to translate the Strategy into concrete action at a national level. Children and young people participated alongside adults throughout, showing that at the Council of Europe we "practice what we preach", when it comes to child participation. Bulgaria is confident that the conference has helped foster new networks of political leaders, of experts, and of young people who will continue to drive the implementation of the Strategy, which will be also guided by the new Ad hoc Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child.
The first European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse was marked on 18 November. On this occasion, the Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Daniel Mitov, issued a statement underlining the importance of this initiative and calling on those governments that have not yet done so to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse – “the Lanzarote Convention”.
Moreover, on 10 and 11 December 2015, the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, together with the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement, organised in Sofia an International Conference on Building a Culture of Prevention through Disaster Risk Awareness Improvement among Children and Adolescents. The main objective of the conference was to bring together European experts and practitioners to take stock of actual progress in improving the resilience of children and adolescents to disasters. Based on identified good practices in different countries, the necessary steps to build a strategy to promote a culture of prevention among children and adolescents were discussed and concrete actions to implement it were highlighted.
Protecting media from external influence
In compliance with its second priority, the chairmanship organised two conferences in the field of media freedom. On 10 December 2015, on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, two Bulgarian NGOs, with the support of the Council of Europe, held an awareness raising event in Sofia to discuss trends, developments and perspectives in the field of protection of fundamental human rights of Internet users. The discussions focused on the Council of Europe “Guide to Human Rights for Internet Users”.
On 16 May 2016, the International Conference “Is media still relevant: the role of media in politics” was organised in Sofia by the Centre for the Study of Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at which the state of play of the media environment in Bulgaria was discussed and proposals for amendments in Bulgarian media policy were made.
Furthermore, some very important Council of Europe documents in this field were adopted during the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers such as Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)1 to member States on protecting and promoting the right to freedom of expression and the right to private life with regard to network neutrality; Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)2 on the Internet of citizens calling on member States to recognise digital culture as one of the key issues for modern cultural policy making and revisit their cultural policy approaches with a view to implementing the policy guidelines contained in the recommendation, so as to serve citizens to the best of their ability; Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors; Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)5 on Internet freedom. The Committee of Ministers also approved the Council of Europe Strategy on Internet Governance 2016-2019, which aims to tackle the challenges to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the rapidly evolving online environment.
Protecting vulnerable groups
A series of events were organised with relation to the protection of vulnerable groups. On 26 November 2015, an International Conference “New approach to integration” was held in Sofia, in the framework of the Programme “Children and Youth at Risk”. The conference was attended by high ranking foreign officials, mayors of municipalities and representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations involved in the integration of disadvantaged children and young people. The main results of the programme were:
- construction of four youth centres, two of which (in Stara Zagora and Plovdiv) are already in place and are preparing to apply for a Quality Label by the Council of Europe and the other two (in Vratsa and Dobrich) will be opened at the beginning of next year;
- reconstruction and furnishing of dozens of kindergartens throughout the country;
- training of 179 teachers, 19 youth workers and 33 Roma mediators who promote the full integration of children and young people among Roma communities.
On 22 March 2016, an International Expert Conference “Equal enjoyment of human rights and freedoms by persons with disabilities: achievements and challenges” was co-organised by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria. The aims of the Conference were to exchange experience and best practices on ensuring conditions for equality of people with disabilities, thereby contributing to respect of their rights and their full participation in social life; to share experience on the practical application of modern aspects of equality of people with disabilities in Bulgaria and member States of the Council of Europe; to present the achievements and best practices of support to persons with disabilities for life in the community in Bulgaria and other member States of the Council of Europe.
On 8 April 2016, the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria hosted an International Conference “Our future together” under the above-mentioned programme “Children and Youth at Risk”. The Conference presented the results of the programme, together with the challenges met during its implementation and served as a forum for discussion of issues raised during the implementation of the programme.
Other priorities and activities
Apart from the efforts invested in the implementation of the three main priorities of its chairmanship, Bulgaria has also dealt with many other important issues.
In the framework of the Bulgarian Chairmanship, an International High-level Conference “Democratic stability based on European unity and co-operation” was held in Sofia on 9 February, hosted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria.. During this forum, the participants discussed the challenges for democratic security and co-operation in Europe, the migration and refugee crises and the process of reconciliation and pan-European unification. One of the main topics was the idea of holding a Fourth Summit of the Council of Europe, proposed by the Sofia Declaration, aiming to reaffirm at the highest political level the Council of Europe member States’ commitment to the common values and principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Another International Conference on Good Governance at Local Level – Challenges and Prospects, was organised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, in co-operation with the European Committee on Democracy and Governance of the Council of Europe. The conference was held on 31 March in Sofia with the participation of representatives of central and local authorities from Bulgaria and other member States of the Council of Europe. The main topics on the agenda included an exchange of views concerning mechanisms for fostering development of good governance at local level in the member States of the Council of Europe. The further development of the Strategy for Innovation and Good Governance at Local Level of the Council of Europe, for the implementation of which the Republic of Bulgaria has a leading role among European States, was also one of the main focuses for discussions during the conference.
In fulfilling its commitments undertaken at the beginning of its chairmanship, Bulgaria ratified Protocol No. 15 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and signed the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).
Also in accordance with one of the priorities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship, namely to bring Belarus closer to the Council of Europe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Daniel Mitov, and in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, paid an official visit to Minsk on 11-12 April 2016. He had meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Makei, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Vladimir Andreichenko and representatives of NG’Os. He also paid a visit to the CoE Information Point in Minsk. During his meetings, Minister Mitov welcomed the ongoing positive trends in Belarus since the release of the remaining political prisoners last summer and the presidential elections of October 2015. He expressed hope that other steps will follow in the field of democracy, human rights and the rule of law which will pave the way for the further development of relations both with the CoE and the EU. Minister Mitov expressly emphasised the need for Belarus to reconsider its policy in relation to the death penalty. He enquired about the possibilities for the establishment of a moratorium as a first step towards its full abolition, indicating the readiness of the Council of Europe to continue supporting initiatives in this field.
In line with its firm position that the three pillars of the Organisation are equally important and must be treated on an equal basis, the Bulgarian Chairmanship supported many activities in all of them.
a. European Convention on Human Rights
The Committee of Ministers examined a report on the longer-term future of the system of the European Convention on Human Rights, together with comments made by the European Court of Human Rights on this report. The Committee endorsed the solutions proposed in response to the present and future challenges identified in the reportconcerning (i) the authority of the Convention: its implementation at national level; (ii) the authority of the Court; (iii) the authority of the Court’s judgments (execution of judgments and its supervision); and (iv) the place of the Convention mechanism in the European and international legal order. The Committee also took a number of decisions regarding the follow-up to this report.
b. Other questions concerning human rights
Freedom of association and assembly was the topic of a thematic debate by the Ministers’ Deputies in October and, as a follow-up to this debate, they adopted a number of decisions. In particular, they recalled the obligation of member States, in accordance with Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the relevant jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, to ensure respect for the right to freedom of assembly and association, which involves a positive obligation for member States to create a favourable environment for the exercise of that freedom. As operational follow-up to the debate, the Secretary General was invited to examine the feasibility of a protection mechanism for human rights defenders, with a view to submitting operational proposals in this respect, as well as to prepare an overview of good practices in respect of promoting freedom of assembly and association.
The Committee of Ministers held its annual exchange of views on human rights questions within the framework of the United Nations with experts from capitals. The discussion addressed the developments and main results of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly, co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations in the human rights field in 2015 and major themes for the Human Rights Council in 2016. A thematic discussion also took place on human rights in culturally diverse societies.
During the reporting period, the Committee of Ministers adopted several declarations and statements on the death penalty in respect of the United States, Belarus and Japan.
At the beginning of March, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)3 on human rights and business in line with the UN Guiding Principles of 16 April 2014 dealing with the same subject. The recommendation calls on member States to review their national legislation and practice to ensure that they comply with the recommendations, principles and further guidance set out in the text, and evaluate the effectiveness of the measures taken at regular intervals. It also calls for a wide dissemination of the recommendation among competent authorities and stakeholders, with a view to raising awareness of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and contribute to their realisation.
The Committee also adopted in March Guidelines on the protection and promotion of human rights in culturally diverse societies which provide practical advice on how to ensure better protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of culturally diverse societies, based on respect for the inherent and equal dignity of every human being. The Committee agreed to examine the follow-up given by member States to the present guidelines five years after their adoption.
On 14 March, during the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Council of Europe and the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations co-organised a side event to draw attention to the challenges faced by women refugees and asylum seekers. The aim of the event was also to highlight the measures contained in the Council of Europe instruments, in particular the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) and the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. A number of good practices were also identified.
Rule of law and judicial co-operation
Following the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015, the Committee of Ministers adopted a statement condemning these barbaric acts in the strongest terms and expressing its full solidarity with the French people and authorities. The Committee also expressed its determination to resolutely continue the fight against terrorism in full respect of the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law which unite the Council of Europe member States. It underlined that it will continue to give the highest priority to the implementation of the Action Plan on the fight against violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism adopted in May 2015. The Committee of Ministers subsequently reviewed the state of implementation of the Action Plan at the beginning of December on the basis of an overview prepared by the Secretary General.
On 15 March, the Ministers’ Deputies held a thematic debate on “Rising extremism, radicalisation and xenophobia in the fight against terrorism: Building inclusive societies as a cure the need for collective action”, with the participation of invited representatives of the civil society. The Committee of Ministers also adopted Guidelines for prison and probation services regarding radicalisation and violent extremism, as well as an Action Plan (2016-2020) on transnational organised crime.
Following the terrorist attacks in Turkey and in Brussels the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers issued statements condemning the attacks and conveying his condolences to the victims. On 30 March, the Committee of Ministers adopted a statement condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks. It pointed out that these horrendous attacks can only strengthen the Committee of Ministers’ determination to continue the fight against terrorism in full respect of the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
On 13 April, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Plan of Action on “Strengthening judicial independence and impartiality”, which was launched at the High-level Conference of Ministers of Justice and representatives of the Judiciary held in Sofia on 21 and 22 April 2016. The conference gathered Ministers of Justice from the Council of Europe member States, high-level representatives of their judicial systems and the Council of Europe bodies. The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Chair of the Committee of Ministers took part in the opening session. The conference was chaired by the Minister of Justice of Bulgaria.. It provided an opportunity to stimulate the dialogue between the Council of Europe and the member States related to the independence of the judiciary and highlighted and gave incentives for the ongoing reforms. It also creates a forum for discussions and planning of common Council of Europe member States initiatives in strengthening the rule of law, elaborating a common response to the emerging challenges and implementing the common European standards in the area.
The Committee of Ministers approved in March a Thematic Action Plan on the Inclusion of Roma and Travellers (2016-2019). Following the Committee’s agreement in principle in September last year to establish a European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), it was informed in March that the German Government is willing to host the ERIAC in Berlin.
Education, culture, youth and sport
In the field of education, a Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Education took place on 11and 12 April 2016 in Brussels in the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship. In their final declaration, the Ministers expressed their support for a new tool – called the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture – which sets out a series of 20 key competences needed to play an active role in democratic society and explains how these can be defined and measured. The tool is designed to help tackle violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism and to promote inclusive societies.
In the area of sports, the Committee of Ministers adopted on 4 May 2016 the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events and decided to open it for signature on 3 July 2016, in Saint-Denis (France).
Specific co-operation
The Committee during the whole period of the Chairmanship of Bulgaria continued to pay great attention to all aspects of the situation in Ukraine and was closely following the developments, including in Crimea. Last November, it held an exchange of views with Sir Nicolas Bratza, Chair of the International Advisory Panel on Ukraine, who presented the Panel’s report on the investigations into the events which took place in Odessa in 2014. The Committee of Ministers also followed closely the process of constitutional reforms in Ukraine regarding decentralisation and the judiciary, reforms aimed at strengthening the democratic institutions, the rule of law and the effective protection of human rights, as well as the fight against corruption.
A delegation from the Rapporteur Group on Democracy of the Ministers’ Deputies (GR-DEM) visited Ukraine in March 2016, in order to meet representatives of the Ukrainian authorities and civil society and take stock of the current state of implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine (2015-2017), its results and the next steps. Following a statement by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers on 10 March, on 30 March the Committee adopted a decision on Ms Nadya Savchenko. In particular, the Committee expressed its concern following her sentencing on 22 March by a court of the Russian Federation and called upon the Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ms Savchenko, on humanitarian grounds, and in keeping with the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. On 13 April 2016, the Secretary General presented to the Ministers’ Deputies the results of the Mission sent to Crimea in January in order to assess the human rights and rule of law situation on the ground. On 27 April, the Committee of Ministers adopted a decision on the situation in Ukraine in which the Deputies, inter alia, reiterated their call for full and unrestricted access to the territories which are beyond the control of the Ukrainian authorities, including on the Crimean Peninsula, to all human rights bodies of the Council of Europe, in order that they can carry out their monitoring activities unimpeded and in accordance with their mandates, as a next step, to urgently address deteriorations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In November 2015 and in April 2016, the Committee of Ministers held an exchange of views on the Secretary General’s 12th and 13th consolidated reports on the conflict in Georgia. On 4 May 2016, the Committee of Ministers adopted a decision concerning the Council of Europe and the conflict in Georgia, based on the latest report of the Secretary General. In March, the Committee of Ministers approved an Action Plan to provide assistance to Georgia for the period 2016-2019, as well as a pre-electoral assistance programme in support of the 2016 (parliamentary), 2017 (local) and 2018 (presidential) elections to be held in this country. The Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and the Deputy Secretary General made a joint visit to Georgia on 9 May 2016, during which the Action Plan was officially launched.
Organisational development and reform, Programme and Budget
Under the Bulgarian Chairmanship, the Deputies approved in November 2015 the Council of Europe’s Programme and Budget 2016-2017. This was the Organisation’s third biennial Programme and Budget. In this context, Turkey’s initiative to become a major contributor in 2016 brought significant additional means to the Organisation, allowing it to strengthen its operational capacity and to reinforce its action.
Bulgaria continued its consistent policy of supporting the reform process of the Organisation in order to make it more effective, efficient and relevant on the international scene. In this regard, the Committee of Ministers supported the Secretary General’s continued reform process and the outcomes achieved to date and, underlining their wish for further reform, invited the Secretary General to continue his initiatives for increased organisational efficiency and flexibility, including through further improved use of IT, to better address evolving demands and priorities, including by phasing out activities as appropriate, without assuming further increases in member States’ contributions.
Co-operation with other organisations and external relations
The regular meetings of the Co‑ordination Group between the Council of Europe and the OSCE continued during the Bulgarian Chairmanship. The 23rd meeting of the Co-ordination Group took place on 18 March 2016 in Strasbourg and took stock of the co-operation between the two organisations regarding the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination. Furthermore, the Committee of Ministers held an exchange of views with Mr Gernot Erler, Special Representative of the German Federal Government for the German OSCE Chairmanship.
On 3 March 2016, the Committee of Ministers held an exchange of views with Judge Silvia Alejandra Fernández De Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court at the Hague.
On 4 May 2016, the Committee of Ministers held its first ever exchange of views with the Director General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, who attended the meeting upon invitation of the Bulgarian Chairmanship.
Finally, on 11 May, the Committee of Ministers held an exchange of views with Ms Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission.
Appendix
Events organised during the Bulgarian Chairmanship
|
№ |
DATE |
EVENT |
VENUE |
PRIORITY |
|
1 |
10 November 2015 |
Handover of the chairmanship in the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria Presentation of the priorities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers by the Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Daniel Mitov |
Strasbourg |
|
|
2 |
18 November 2015 |
Statement by Mr Daniel Mitov, Chairman of the CM, on the occasion of the European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse |
||
|
3 |
26-27 November 2015 |
Meeting of the Bureau and the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly |
Sofia |
Promoting the values and standards of European unity and co-operation |
|
4 |
26 November 2015 |
Outcome Conference “A new approach to integration”, under the “Capacity building” project, implemented jointly with the Council of Europe |
Sofia |
Protecting vulnerable groups |
|
5 |
9-11 December 2015 |
International Conference “Building a culture of prevention among children and adolescents through raising awareness and improving knowledge of risks in times of disaster” |
Sofia |
Strengthening the protection of the rights of the child and facilitating young people’s access to culture |
|
6 |
10-11 December 2015 |
Meeting of the Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities |
Sofia |
Promoting the values and standards of European unity and co-operation |
|
7 |
10 December 2015 |
Awareness raising event on the Guide to human rights for Internet users |
Sofia |
Human rights, rule of law and democracy |
|
8 |
11 January 2016 |
Ceremony of the signing of Protocol N° 15 amending the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms |
Strasbourg |
Human rights, rule of law and democracy |
|
9 |
25-29 January 2016 |
Communication by the Bulgarian Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Daniel Mitov, and by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr Rossen Plevneliev, to the Parliamentary Assembly during the January session of the Assembly |
Strasbourg |
Promoting the values and standards of European unity and co-operation |
|
10 |
9-10 February 2016 |
High-level Conference “Democratic stability based on the European unity and co-operation” organised by the National Assembly |
Sofia |
Promoting the values and standards of European unity and co-operation |
|
11 |
11-12 February 2016 |
Experts meeting of the Council of Europe's Co-ordinators on Education for Democratic citizenship and Human rights - under the patronage of the Bulgarian Chairmanship |
Strasbourg |
Human rights, rule of law and democracy |
|
12 |
3 March 2016 |
Celebration of the National Day of the Republic of Bulgaria at the Council of Europe |
Strasbourg |
Cultural event |
|
13 |
14 March 2016 |
A side event by Bulgaria and CoE during the the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women |
New York |
Protecting vulnerable groups |
|
14 |
22 March 2016 |
International expert conference for the exchange of good practices “Equal enjoyment of human rights and freedoms by persons with disabilities: achievements and challenges” – Ministry of Labour and Social Policy |
Sofia |
Protecting vulnerable groups |
|
15 |
22-24 March 2016 |
Visit and address by Ms Lilyana Pavlova, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of Bulgaria on behalf of the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers on the occasion of the 30th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities |
Strasbourg |
|
|
16 |
31 March 2016 |
International Conference “Good governance on local level challenges and prospects” – Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works |
Sofia |
Promoting the values and standards of European unity and co-operation |
|
17 |
5-6 April 2016 |
High-level Conference for the launching of the Council of Europe’s Strategy on the Rights of the Child 2016-2021 – State Agency for Child Protection |
Sofia |
Strengthening the protection of the rights of the child and facilitating young people’s access to culture |
|
18 |
7 April 2016 |
Round table with international participation on the theme “The standards of the Council of Europe in the practice and the activity of the equality bodies of the member States of the Council of Europe” – Commission for Protection Against Discrimination |
Sofia |
Human rights, rule of law and democracy |
|
19 |
8 April 2016 |
International Conference “Our future together” under “Children and youth at risk” – Ministry of Education and Science |
Sofia |
Protecting vulnerable groups |
|
20 |
20 April 2016 |
Communication by the Bulgarian Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Daniel Mitov, to the Parliamentary Assembly during the April session of the Assembly |
Strasbourg |
Promoting the values and standards of European unity and co-operation |
|
21 |
21-22 April 2016 |
High-level International Conference on “Strengthening Judicial Independence and Impartiality as a Pre-condition for the Rule of Law in Council of Europe member States” – Ministry of Justice |
Sofia |
Human rights, rule of law and democracy |
|
22 |
26-29 April 2016 |
Meeting of the Ad hoc Committee of Experts for Roma Issues (CAHROM) of the Council of Europe |
Sofia |
Human rights, rule of law and democracy |
|
23 |
11-13 May 2016 |
National Conference on “Facilitating access to cultural heritage” – Ministry of Culture |
Gabrovo, Bulgaria |
Strengthening the protection of the rights of the child and facilitating young people’s access to culture |
|
24 |
16 May 2016 |
International Conference “Media and Political Influences”- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Centre for the Study of Democracy |
Sofia |
Protecting media from external influence |
|
25 |
18 May 2016 |
126th Session of the Committee of Ministers - handover of the chairmanship to Estonia |
Sofia |