Ministers' Deputies
Notes on the Agenda

CM/Notes/720/4.5 Revised 4 September 2000
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720 Meeting, 13 September 2000
4 Human rights

4.5 European Ministerial Conference on Human Rights (Rome, 3-4 November 2000)
Participation of non member States and Preliminary Draft Programme

Reference documents
CM/Del/Dec(2000)718/4.3
CM(2000)107

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Action
The Deputies, following the decision taken at their 718^th meeting (19 July 2000, item 4.3), are invited to “consider the report of the 48^th meeting of the CDDH at their 720^th meeting (13 September 2000) and on that occasion, to revert to a number of matters raised in debate at the present meeting, including the possible preparation of a draft declaration for adoption by the Committee of Ministers as such on the occasion of the 50^th Anniversary of the opening for signature of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

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At their 718^th meeting (19 July 2000, item 4.3), the Deputies took several decisions concerning the participation of non member states to the European Ministerial Conference on Human Rights. They also agreed - on the occasion of the examination of the report of the 48^th meeting of the CDDH (item 4.1 of the Agenda of the present meeting) “to revert to a number of matters raised in debate at the present meeting, including the possible preparation of a draft declaration for adoption by the Committee of Ministers as such on the occasion of the 50^th Anniversary of the opening for signature of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

As regards participation of non member states, the main question still open concerns Belarus.

In addition, the attention of the Secretariat has been drawn to the opportunity of formally foreseeing the participation of the President of the Liaison Committee of the NGOs enjoying consultative status with the Council of Europe (see Appendix to the present Notes)

Appendix III of the report of the 48^th of the CDDH (CM(2000)107) contains the current state of draft texts which will be submitted to the Conference for adoption.

Appendix

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS TO BE INVITED

Preliminary Note:          This list indicates, in a global manner, the participants envisaged for the European Ministerial Conference on Human Rights, following discussions by the Steering Committee of Human Rights.

Participants for the Ministerial Conference

Representatives of the governments of the 41 member States and those States having observer status with the Council of Europe [and with the CDDH] at a ministerial level: Ministers of Foreign Affairs and/or Justice, etc.

Representatives of the European Court of Human Rights.

Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly. 

Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner.

Chairpersons of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CPT), the Social Charter Committees (intergovernmental and independent experts), the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the Chairpersons of the Steering Committees CDDH, CDCS, CDEG, etc.

Representatives of the European Commission and the OSCE.

Representatives of the three NGOs holding observer status with the CDDH and three other representatives of NGOs which took part in the the Forum in February 2000.

Participants for the Commemorative Ceremony for the 50^th anniversary of the ECHR

            All participants at the Ministerial Conference

            All the Judges of the European Court of Human Rights

            All members of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Chairpersons of international organisations which have been set up through a treaty on human rights

            Presidents of pertinent international courts

            The NGO representatives who took part in the Forum in February 2000.

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