CoE Landscape body Chief Mortensen to EF: Life Quality-Human Rights/Democracy+Pope Francis urge

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- The President of CoE's watchdog for the Respect of European Landscapes, Liv Kristine Mortensen, from Norway, speaking to "Eurofora", observed, in substance, that Both Quality of Life, and Human Rights, as well as Democratic Principles, should Boost the Protection of Natural and/or Historic/Cultural Landscapes in Europe, that even Pope Francis' 1st Encyclic, in fact, Urges to Saveguards, as a Vatican's Representative strongly Pleaded, later-on.

They were both speaking on the Occasion of a 2017 PanEuropean Conference focused on the "Implementation" of CoE's Landscape Convention, organized Today and Tomorrow by Cyprus' Presidency of the Highest Political body of Strasbourg's Institution, its Committee of Ministers, (November 2016 - May 2017).

Chairwoman Liv Kristine Mortensen explained to "Eurofora" that f.ex. her own Country  had practicaly "Integrated" CoE's  Landscape Convention's rules inside its own National Legislation, so that they could be used by affected Citizens in the National Courts, if necessary.

It's not for nothing that Norway has just Won the Title of the Country with the Best Quality of Life in the World, after Hard Global Competition, initialy from Switzerland, and afterwards from Canada, as she Agreed, on this point, with "Eurofora"...

+ But, concerning the main Decisions that CoE's Landscape Watchdog is due to Take this Week in Strasbourg, Mortensen pointed particularly at 2 Draft "Recommendations": One for "Landscape's possible "Contribution"..."to the exercise of Democracy and Human Rights", and anOther on the "Participation of the Public in the Definition and Implementation of Landscape policies".

-  The Latter could Stimulate a much-Needed "Grassroots", "Bottom - Up"  Popular Mobilisation for the protection of European Landscapes, instead of the Current, too Vertical Mechanism, she criticaly HighLighted. 

Both those 2 New Draft CoE Recommendations are expected to be Debated and/or Voted by the Conference Later this Evening, or Tomorow Morning, and, in that case, after Validation, the Final Decisions could be Definitively adopted by the Committee of Ministers "from September" 2017, indicated to "Eurofora" the experienced CoE's Director for Cultural Heritage, Natural Environment and Landscape, Maguelonne Dejeant-Pons.

Regarding particularly the Human Rights' aspects, she pointed also at arecent Introductory Statement of CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland, in a Pamphlet on relevant "Awards" alliance,  where he calls "Landscapes" as "an Essential, but frequently overlooked Dimension of Human Rights".

- In Fact, Landcape stands at an InterSection of CoE's key Values, including Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, etc., Dejeant-Pons observed, showing f.ex, to "Eurofora", a Simple but Beautiful Art Design, reportedly Symbolising Natural and/or Cultural/Historic Landscapes' closeness to various aspects of an elementary Quality and Values of Human Life, (See relevant Photo, herewith).

++ But, for the 1st Time in 2017, CoE's Annual Conference on the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention, Added also anOther, Moral much Stronger Ally, in real practice :  Pope Francis himself !

Indeed, asi it was lively Stressed by a Represenative of the Vaticn, from the outset, at the Beginning of this Afternoon's PanEuropean Debate on various "Public Policies for the Implementation" of CoE's Convention on European Landscapes, Pope Francis' important 2015 Encyclique (See, f.ex.his former Spokesman, Vatican's Press Director,Frederico Lombardi Statements to"Eurofora" at ....), called to Care for our "Common Home", and pleaded in favor of an "Integral Ecology", including the "Human Ecology", (that his predecessor, Emeritus Pope Benedict had practicaly launched with a landmark Speech at the Bundestag, back on September 2010, (See relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReport, then, at : ...), pointing at the "Integrality of Nature".

Landscape is part of the action of those Social Actors who realy Care for all the Creation, in general, he concluded in substance.

(.../...)

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("DraftNews", as already sent to "Eurofora" Subsrcibers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap).

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