Meeting with Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Since the role was established nearly three years ago, Monaco’s new independent defender of civil liberties, the High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation, has been a natural point of contact for international authorities charged with protecting and promoting democracy and human rights. Anne Eastwood was therefore very happy to accept Mr Thorbjørn Jagland’s invitation to meet during the Secretary General of the Council of Europe’s first official visit to the Principality on 27 October.

Various current issues were discussed during their meeting, particularly in connection with Monaco’s work to counter discrimination, the consequences of the migration crisis for the Principality, and the status of existing mechanisms to protect childhood, within the overall framework of the launch of the Council of Europe’s new strategy on the rights of the child.

For his part, the High Commissioner was keen to review the significant step forward for the citizens of Monaco represented by the establishment of an ombudsman in the Principality, as an extension of international recommendations which have been issued on this subject.

The presentation of the role entrusted to the High Commissioner, as well as an update on the nature of complaints brought before it, reinforced the overall impression that Monaco generally has a good level of respect for human rights although, naturally, further legislative progress is still needed in some areas to provide even more effective guarantees.