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Home arrow In Brief arrow A pleasant open day at the Council of Europe

A pleasant open day at the Council of Europe

Written by ACM
Wednesday, 08 May 2019

A pleasant open day at the Council of Europe

May 5th 2019     Anniversary of the Council of Europe 1949-2019

Article Patrick Bracker

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 (NDLR: Viewpoints published here do not necessarily reflect "Eurofora"s ideas.

+ 4 Translations, in English, German, Italian and French, are provided herewith).

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Visitors were invited to a fun treasure hunt to discover the places and the different aspects of the house.  Find elements of the construction, in the time frieze or on the large pan-European map or even in the heart of wall tapestries, decode a name, or find the number of pillars that support the hemicycle, locate values and answer some rebus or research in the area.   

At each stage of the treasure hunt, there was a growing public interest in the Palace's treasures, including the discovery of gifts made over the years by Member States to the Institution. The visitors' efforts were rewarded with gifts: by passing by to present the result of their research at the dedicated stand, where the charming hostesses of the Council distributed bags or magnets, pens or posters in addition to their good advice and lovely smiles.  

The courageous visitors could then go to the European Court of Human Rights to continue their journey of discovering the jewel of the Council of Europe.  

coe_wall_of_photos__70_years_history_p.brackererfra_400 

Through this playful game, geography, art, values or reflection constitute a set of realities experienced on a daily basis by the actors of Greater Europe and the staff of the Council of Europe. Exhibitions’ showing the Institution’s many activities over the past 70 years, such as the Landscape Convention or the exhibition summarizing the important stages of European integration.  

 

coe_timeline_wall__pbrackererfra_400 

 

For this 70th anniversary 1949-2019, many interested visitors and enthusiasts came in large numbers, a great pan-European success in a friendly atmosphere!

 

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Ein angenehmer Tag der offenen Tür beim Europarat.

Die Besucher wurden zu einer lustigen Schatzsuche eingeladen, um die Orte und die verschiedenen Aspekte des Hauses zu entdecken.  Finden Sie Elemente des Baus, im Zeitrahmen oder auf der großen paneuropäischen Karte oder sogar im Herzen von Wandteppichen, entschlüsseln Sie einen Namen oder finden Sie die Anzahl der Säulen, die den Plenarsaal stützen, Werte lokalisieren und auf einen Rebus oder eine Forschung in der Region antworten.

In jeder Phase der Schatzsuche wuchs das öffentliche Interesse an den Schätzen des Palastes, einschließlich der Entdeckung von Geschenken, die die Mitgliedstaaten im Laufe der Jahre an das Organ gemacht haben.  Die Bemühungen der Besucher wurden mit Geschenken belohnt: Sie kamen vorbei, um das Ergebnis ihrer Forschung auf dem eigenen Stand zu präsentieren, wo die charmanten Hostessen des Rates neben ihrem guten Rat und ihrem schönen Lächeln auch Taschen oder Magnete, Stifte oder Poster verteilten.  

Mutige Besucher konnten dann zum Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte gehen, um ihre Reise zur Entdeckung des Juwels des Europarates fortzusetzen.  

In diesem spielerischen Spiel bilden Geographie, Kunst, Werte oder Reflexion eine Reihe von Realitäten, die von den Akteuren des Großraums Europa und den Mitarbeitern des Europarates täglich erlebt werden. Ausstellungen, die die vielfältigen Aktivitäten des Instituts in den letzten 70 Jahren zeigen, wie die Landschaftskonvention oder die Ausstellung, die die wichtigen Phasen der europäischen Integration zusammenfasst.

Zu diesem 70-jährigen Jubiläum 1949-2019 kamen begeisterte und interessierte Besucher in großer Zahl, ein großer paneuropäischer Erfolg in einer freundlichen Atmosphäre!

 

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Una piacevole giornata di apertura al Consiglio d'Europa.

I visitatori sono stati invitati ad una divertente caccia al tesoro per scoprire i luoghi e i diversi aspetti della casa. Trovare elementi della costruzione, nell'arco temporale o sulla grande mappa paneuropea o anche nel cuore degli arazzi delle pareti, decodificare un nome, o trovare il numero di pilastri che sostengono l'emiciclo, localizzare i valori e rispondere a qualche rebus o ricerca nell'area.   

In ogni fase della caccia al tesoro si è registrato un crescente interesse del pubblico per i tesori del palazzo, compresa la scoperta dei doni che gli Stati membri hanno fatto nel corso degli anni all'istituzione.  Gli sforzi dei visitatori sono stati premiati con regali: passando a presentare il risultato della loro ricerca presso lo stand dedicato, dove le affascinanti hostess del Consiglio hanno distribuito borse o magneti, penne o poster, oltre ai loro buoni consigli e sorrisi.  

I visitatori coraggiosi potrebbero poi recarsi alla Corte europea dei diritti dell'uomo per continuare il loro viaggio alla scoperta del gioiello del Consiglio d'Europa.  

Attraverso questo gioco ludico, la geografia, l'arte, i valori o la riflessione costituiscono un insieme di realtà vissute quotidianamente dagli attori della Grande Europa e dallo staff del Consiglio d'Europa. Mostre che illustrano le numerose attività dell'istituzione negli ultimi 70 anni, come la Convenzione sul paesaggio o la mostra che riassume le tappe importanti dell'integrazione europea.  .  

Per questo 70° anniversario 1949-2019, i visitatori entusiasti e interessati sono arrivati in gran numero, un grande successo paneuropeo in un'atmosfera amichevole!

 

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Une agréable journée porte ouverte au Conseil de l’Europe.

Les visiteurs étaient invités à un jeu de piste ludique pour découvrir les lieux et les différents aspects de la maison.  Trouver des éléments de la construction, dans la frise temporelle ou sur la grande carte paneuropéenne voire au cœur de tapisseries murales,  décoder un  nom, ou trouver le nombre de piliers qui soutiennent l’hémicycle, localiser des valeurs et répondre à quelque rébus ou de recherche dans le périmètre.   

À chaque étape du jeu de piste, se développait l’intérêt accru du public aux trésors du Palais, avec notamment la découverte des cadeaux faits au fil des années par les Etats membres à l’Institution.  Les efforts des visiteurs étaient couronnés par l’octroi de cadeaux : en passant présenter le résultat de leur recherche au stand dédié, où les charmantes hôtesses du Conseil  distribuaient outre leurs bons conseils et ravissants sourires, des sacs ou des magnets, des stylos ou des posters.  

Les visiteurs courageux pouvaient ensuite se rendre à la Cour Européenne des Droits de l’Homme pour continuer leur chemin de découverte du joyau du conseil de l’Europe.  

À travers ce jeu ludique, la géographie, l’art, les  valeurs ou la réflexion constituent un ensemble de réalités vécues au quotidien par les acteurs de la Grande Europe et les personnels du Conseil de l’Europe. Les expositions  montrant  les  activités multiples de l’Institution  depuis 70 ans, comme  la convention sur le paysage ou l’exposition récapitulant les étapes importantes de la construction européenne.  

Pour ce 70ème anniversaire  1949-2019, les visiteurs enthousiastes et intéressés sont venus en nombre, une belle réussite paneuropéenne dans une ambiance conviviale !

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People in Europe and the World expect from CoE to make a succes of its "Monitoring" for Human Rights and Democracy, despite difficulties, said Finland's President Tarja Halonen to "EuroFora" at a crucial moment for the mecanism built 15 years ago by the paneuropean organization which celebrates its 60th Anniversary in 2009.

Halonen, known as "Mother" of CoE's "Monitoring" mecanism, a long-time MEP and former Foreign Minister before becoming Finland's President, holds a long experience in the mattter, after also serving twice as CoE and EU Chairwoman in the past. That's why she is well placed to judge how CoE's "monitoring" should deal today with some crucial issues of importance both to CoE and to the EU.

The move came just a Month before a crucial, last visit to Turkey, scheduled for June, by the President of CoE''s "Monitoring" Committee, Ukranian MEP Serge Holovaty, to finalize his Report on Ankara, the CoE Member State with the longest Monitoring procedure. From its results depends its overall credibility.

This is a Test-case, because, in fact, it's in order to avoid Sanctions threatened against Turkey by a CoE's Assembly's April 1995 Resolution for grave Human Rights violations, Democracy gaps, the continuing Military Occupation in Cyprus, the unresolved Kurdish problem, Aegean differend with Greece, etc., that MEPs decided to create, for the 1st time on April 1996, a "Monitoring" proces, allegedly destinated to check, without excluding Countries who did not fulfill all CoE's standards.

In the Past, the obliged withdrawal of Greece's Military regime and of its "Civil" cover-up out of the CoE had helped bring back Democracy in 1974. But, on the contrary, since April 1996, the idea was to "monitor" Human Rights' respect while keeping most concerned Countries inside the CoE. After Turkey's oldest example, this was extended also to several former "Eastern" European Countries, even if CoE's Assembly has imposed to some of them (fex. Ukraine, Russia, etc., after Belarus, Serbia, etc) various "Sanctions", that Ankara always avoided. Curiously more succesful even than .. USA itself, (a CoE "Observer" since 1995), which has been at least threatened with sanctions some years ago..

EU-effects of CoE's Monitoring process became obvious between 2001-2008, since the "closure" of this procedure, when CoE felt that a Country had met most of its Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law obligations, (i.e. the "Copenhagen Criteria" for the EU), helped trigger Negotiations with the EU for "Accession" or other closer relations : This occured already before the 2004 and 2007 EU Enlargements to former "Eastern" European Countries, as well as for the commencement of "accession" negotiations with Croatia, and of "open-ended" negotiations with Turkey in 2005.

    But a stricking new development are Holovaty's recent findings that on core Human Rights issues as Torture and Freedom of Expression, Turkey, even "5 Years after" CoE closed its "Monitoring", back in 2004, inciting EU to start accession Negotiations in 2005, still presents grave problems.

    His findings are of crucial importance after a 2008 CoE Resolution called, "if need be", to "seriously consider the possibility of Re-Opening the Monitoring procedure for Turkey" : A move which might affect Ankara's controversial EU bid, since EU Accession Negotiations are based on the Hypothesis that the Candidate fullfils the "Copenhagen Criteria" (See above)..
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    Holovaty expressed his will to check  "Matters still Outstanding" and  those that he "didn't have an opportunity to discuss" at an earlier visit this year, "in order to discuss the more complex issues in greater depth", at his forthcoming New Visit to Ankara, before the December 2009 EU Summit.  This is all based on the 2004 CoE Resolution which stresses that, CoE "will continue.. post-monitoring Dialogue with the Turkish authorities,...in addition to a 12-points list,..and on any Other Matter that might arise in connection with Turkey’s Obligations as a CoE member state".

    CoE's Resolution also asks  from Turkey "to secure the proper Implementation of Judgements, particularly in the Cyprus v. Turkey InterState case", of 2001, which concerns also the plight of many Hundreds of MISSING People. It adds Turkey's obligations to "execute" ECHR's Judgements in the Loizidou case,..and in particular adopt General Measures to avoid repetition or continuation of Violations found by the Court" to the detriment of Refugees.

    Nevertheless, Holovaty said to "EuroFora" that "MISSING" persons,"might be included" and cannot be excluded, but he has yet to examine the situation "to find out  which issues will be raised" to the Turkish Government.

    Therefore, "EuroFora" asked Halonen, as the Historic "Mother" of CoE's Monitoring mecanism, if she thought that, "whenever there are grave Human Rights Violations, as fex. "MISSING" persons, attested even by ECHR's judgements, they should be always checked by a Monitoring process. Or could they be forgotten ?"
    
     - "We (CoE) must be, at the same time, Fair, Realistic, but not in the mind that "now we have Forgotten", etc., replied to "EuroFora"'s question Halonen, speaking as a matter of general principle.

    - "When we think of those People that are suffering from the lack of Democracy, of Human Rights, and of the Rule of Law", "we should find a base on how to deal with the (Monitoring) system more rapidly"', she stressed.

    - "Sometimes it's very difficult to combine Transparency and Effectivenes together, particularly in this specific case", she went on to say. But, "I have not found a (CoE Member) Country who could be insensitive in this sens", Halonen answered concerning grave Human Rights violations attested by the ECHR.

    - "I have no ready-made answer. I have the expectations that you, in the CoE, will, step by step, find the different types of the monitoring systems."

    Also "because this is a part of the UN's Post-Conflict system, (fex. when it comes to Cyprus' MISSING persons), and it's a more Global system". So that, "If we make a succes in Europe, the others will follow", throughout the World.  "But they expect that we (Europe) are this opportunity, this Opportunity to make a Succes", Halonen concluded.

    In addition, she advised to extend CoE's Monitoring to all its 47 Member States, "because, as long as we hear that, all these monitoring systems are "OK for the neighbor, but not for me", "it's very difficult" to understand. Something which could make easier to Compare...

    Finnish MEP Jaako Laakso, former CoE Rapporteur on the Occupied Territories of Cyprus and one of the 5 Signatories of the Historic CoE's call to create the "MONITORING" mecanism since 1996, was more specific :  - "We (CoE Assembly) have to find a way for the issue of Cyprus' MISSING People to be better followed", he stressed, anouncing his intention to "speak to Mr. Holovaty" about that. "There might be also other ways", added Laakso.

    - The 2008 "Year had been a very Bad one for Turkey with regard to Human Rights in general, and Freedom of Expression in particular", denounced, meanwhile, Holovaty's preliminary Post-Monitoringh Draft Report by Holovaty, published by the CoE on April 2009.

    "Amnesty International believes that freedom of expression is not guaranteed given the various articles of the Criminal Code that restrict it. .. "For example, 1,300 Websites are said to have been closed down by the (Turkish) authorities in 2008" ! While "the new Turkish Criminal Code was used to bring a total of 1,072 proceedings between June 2005 and April 2008, and led to the conviction of 192 people", for expressing views. "Representatives of the Özgür Gündem newspaper, which specialises in Kurdish affairs, ..complained about Numerous Attacks on their Freedom of Expression ...as was everyone who advocated a settlement to the question by means other than the intervention of the army" "According to their figures, 19 Newspapers had been suspended 43 times between 4 August 2006 and 4 November 2008" !...

    Moreover, on 2008,  CoE's "Ministers adopted its 4rth Resolution on the execution of the judgments of the ECHR, ...and outstanding issues regarding 175 Judgements and decisions relating to Turkey delivered between 1996 and 2008...  concerning Deaths resulting from the excessive use of force by members of the Security forces, the failure to protect the right to life, the DIisappearance and/or death of individuals, Ill-Treatment and the Destruction of property". CoE's " Ministers urged the Turkish authorities ...to ensure that members of Security forces of all ranks can be prosecuted without administrative
authorisation" for "serious crimes". Holovaty reminded.

"Nonetheless", Holovaty heard anew of "Several cases of Violence committed last year (2008) by the (Turkish) security forces". Amnesty International speaks of Many Cases of ill-treatment and Torture in the prisons and by the police". "Including, fex."'the death of Engin Ceber, a young man of 29 who died on October 2008 as a result of the TORTURE allegedly inflicted on him by police officers, prison staff and members of the gendarmerie. He was part of a group of people arrested on September 2008 during a demonstration and Press Conference in Istanbul'. Proceedings against suspects are "on-going" in this case.

- " I therefore noted an Obvious Contradiction between the Government’s stated “zero tolerance” policy.... of Torture and other forms of ill-treatment, and the different testimonies given", denounced CoE's Rapporteur.  Turkish "authorities must make considerable efforts to guarantee that proper investigations are carried out into allegations of abuses by members of the security forces and that perpetrators are effectively punished" "In this respect, I have requested detailed Statistics on the number of Investigations, acquittals and convictions in cases involving allegations of abuse in order to show the positive impact of the measures taken to date", Holovaty said, repeating a permanently unsatisfied CoE's demand to Turkey since a Decade...

    - "The Political Crisis that shook the country in the spring of 2008 highlighted the Weaknesses of the (Turkish) Constitution", which comes from the Military regime of 1982, "and the Urgent Need of Reforms", stressed from the outset CoE's Rapporteur in 2009. In particular, "the ...Democratic functioning of state institutions, including the independence of the judicial system, are crucial", he observes.

    But, "the Electoral  system and the ways in which it is circumvented do not appear to give those elected complete Legitimacy, and tend to pervert the course of direct universal suffrage", denounces Holovaty, observing that, even 5 Years later, Turkey did not yet change the 10% nationwide Threshold for a party to take any seat, which is "far higher" than the "3%" maximum in Europe and already condemned as contrary to European Standards by the CoE.

    + Moreover, EU Parliament's 2009 Report on Turkey, drafted by Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten and adopted in Strasbourg on March, expresses "Concern over the Failure of the (Turkish) Judiciary to prosecute cases of Torture and Ill-treatment, the Number of which is Growing". EU also "is concerned about continuing Hostility and Violence against Minorities" in Turkey. It also "calls on the Turkish Government to launch, as a matter of Priority, a Political Initiatve favouring a lasting Settlement of the Kurdish issue, (while "condemning violence.. and terrorist groups"). EU "regrets that No progress has been made on establishing full, systematic Civilian suprevisory functions over the (Turkish) Military".

    The final results of Holovaty's 2nd and last visit to Turkley will be known later this year, and, at any case, before EU's December 2009 Summit.

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