COUNCIL OF EUROPE

COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

________

RESOLUTION (97) 11

ON CO-OPERATION BETWEEN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS

OF MEMBER STATES AND BETWEEN THEM AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 30 September 1997,
at the 602^nd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.a of the Statute of the Council of Europe,

Considering that the maintenance and further realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the principal tasks assigned to the Council of Europe under its Statute;

Recalling its Recommendation No. R (97) 14 on the establishment of independent national human rights institutions;

Having regard to the importance of the role of such institutions, in particular in providing information about human rights to both the public authorities and civil society;

Aware that the provision of information on this subject does much to safeguard and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, provided the information is comprehensive, up to date and wide-ranging;

Considering that it is therefore of the utmost importance that the national human rights institutions established in member states have access to sources of information about human rights;

Bearing in mind the desirability of improved information of the national human rights institutions on each other's activities as well as those of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights;

Convinced that the organisation of regular meetings with these institutions, with the participation of Council of Europe bodies dealing with human rights, would be an effective means of promoting human rights,

Decides:

a. to institute, in the framework of the Council of Europe, regular meetings with national human rights institutions of member states to exchange views and experience on the promotion and protection of human rights in their areas of competence;

b. to instruct the Secretary General to invite Council of Europe bodies dealing with human rights to attend such meetings with a view to facilitating exchanges of views and experience on questions of mutual interest;

c. to invite the Secretary General to ensure that national human rights institutions are informed of relevant activities concerning the promotion and protection of human rights in the framework of the Council of Europe.