Topic: European system for the protection of human rights

Author: Anna Rabiega

Addressee:

high school / technical school student

Core curriculum:

• old curriculum:

standard level:

6. Protection of rights and freedoms.

The student:

3) justifies the importance of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

extended level

38. A global and European system for the protection of human rights.

The student:

1) describes the system for the protection of human rights operating under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations International Covenants on Human Rights;

2) evaluates the importance of the International Criminal Court in the Hague for the system for the protection of human rights worldwide;

3) characterises the systems for the protection of human rights under the Council of Europe and the European Union.

• new curriculum:

standard level:

IV. Human rights and their protection.

The student:

3) explains the importance of the Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the context of the European Court of Human Rights; presents the conditions which have to occur so that it handles the citizen’s complaint (...).

extended level

XII. Human rights and their international protection.

The student:

6) characterises the system for human rights protection of the European Union (Charter of Fundamental Rights, European Ombudsman's activities) and of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The general aim of education:

The student explains the specificity of human rights and freedoms as well as the basic mechanisms of their protection.

Learning outcomes:

The student:

• is able to name organisations covered by the European system for the protection of human rights and analyses their impact on the quality of life of the citizens of the European Union.

• characterises the activity of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights.

• presents the catalogue of rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and describes the system of their protection.

• explains what the Charter of Fundamental Rights (of the European Union) is and presents the rights and freedoms it guarantees.

• presents the activities undertaken by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in the field of human rights.

Key competences:

• communicating in a foreign language,

• digital competence,

• learning to learn,

• social and civic competences.

Teaching methods:

• discussion,

• Oxford debate,

• teaching conversation using interactive scheme, interactive exercises.

Forms of work:

• self‑learning,

• group work,

• whole‑class activity.

Material & equipment needed:

• computers with loudspeakers/headphones and internet access,

• multimedia resources from the e‑textbook,

• interactive whiteboard/blackboard, felt‑tip pen/a piece of chalk.

Lesson plan overview (Process):

Introduction:

1. The teacher presents the goal of the lesson: You will analyse the functioning of the European system for the protection of human rights.

2. Classes conducted using the method of the Oxford debate on “The European system for the protection of human rights ensures effective protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual”. During one of the previous meetings the teacher should describe the topic to the students, assign them appropriate roles and explain the method, if necessary. The teacher may also suggest watching the animation (Exercise 3). When preparing the debate, students should use the information contained in the abstract (including interactive scheme) and other sources, and cooperate during preparation of arguments.

Implementation:

1. The teacher invites students to the debate. At first, the teacher asks them to prepare the room, i.e. to arrange chairs and tables properly. The teacher writes down the topic of the debate on the board and invites students to take appropriate seats according to the roles assigned to them: Marshal, Secretary, four speakers of the Proposal, four speakers of the Opposition and the audience.

2. Students discuss the topic and the teacher supervises the debate and assists the Marshal and the Secretary if necessary.

3. The teacher discusses the results of the debate with the students. The teacher the students asks about their impressions, evaluation of arguments and speeches.

4. The teacher asks the students to do Exercise 1. Willing/selected students read out the answers, the teacher explains and corrects the students' statements, if necessary.

Summary:

1. To sum up, the teacher asks each student to create a crossword, with the use of a generator in the abstract, with slogans related to the issues discussed during the lesson. Then the students exchange crosswords or do several of them together. The teacher ensures that the task is done correctly.

2. Homework proposal:

a. Which of the three institutions of the European system for the protection of human rights (Council of Europe, European Union, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) seems to you to be the most effective in completion of this task? Justify your answer.

b. Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise at the end of the chapter.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

European system for the protection of human rights

The European system for the protection of human rights is widely recognized as the most effective of all regional systems. It is a result of a fairly long tradition of shaping the idea of protecting rights and freedoms on the European continent. The terrible experiences of the second world war were also of great importance. After the war had ended, the democratic states of Western Europe decided to build a system for protection of human rights and democracy based on common values and international organizations. Central and Eastern European countries joined this system only after 1989.

The European system is highly institutionalized. This means that organizations have been established on the European continent that set standards for the protection of human rights and control whether or not states observe them. The institutionalization of this system is evidenced by the fact that it operates within the framework of as many as three organizations: the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The high efficiency of the European system for the protection of human rights results from the fact that the European states have managed to develop highly effective mechanisms for the enforcement of rights. In addition, it is the result of the political homogeneity of the continent. Almost all European countries (with the exception of Belarus) are currently considered democratic countries. This obviously makes it easier to adopt standards on human rights, but it does not mean that there are no violations of these rights in Europe. The level of protection of individual rights and freedoms is very diverse. In some countries, this is due to short democratic traditions.

The Council of Europe brings together almost all European countries. Its main goal is to maintain and increase the unity between its members. It primarily deals with the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy, as well as cooperation in the field of culture. The Council of Europe is often confused with the institutions of the European Union: the European Council and the Council of the European Union, whereas, like the UN, it is an international governmental organization on its own. The statute of the Council of Europe was signed on May 5, 1949 in London. The Council of Europe is one of the oldest international government organizations. Currently 47 countries are its members.

The most important organs of the Council of Europe:

The Committee of Ministers includes the foreign ministers of the member states. It is the only decision‑making body of the Council. As far as human rights are concerned, the Committee of Ministers adopts conventions and directives addressed to the governments of the member states.

The Parliamentary Assembly is composed of representatives of national parliaments. It has the right to adopt resolutions which are addressed to member states or other international organizations. The Parliamentary Assembly adopted about 2,000 resolutions - most of them are thematically related to the protection of human rights.

The office of the Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1999, on the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Council of Europe. The Commissioner was appointed because of the difficulties in fulfilling human rights standards by the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The Commissioner's main tasks are to promote human rights and educate in this matter. The Commissioner is also entitled to visit the member countries in which violations of rights and freedoms guaranteed in documents adopted by the Council of Europe are committed, and draw up reports on the basis of his visits. He may also participate in cases heard by the European Court of Human Rights.

In the matter of human rights, the Council of Europe has adopted dozens of conventions. The most important of them is the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Other significant documents include:

• European Social Charter (1961),

• European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987),

• European Prison Rules (1987),

• European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (1992),

• Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1995).

In recent years, the issues of combating intolerance, racism and xenophobia have also appeared in the work of the Council of Europe. A special European Commission against Racism and Intolerance has been operating since 1994, the aim of which is to counteract these undesirable phenomena. Since the beginning of the 1990s, it is also important to help new democracies. The Council of Europe assists countries in creating constitutions, trains lawyers, government officials, strengthens states in meeting the standards of human rights protection, including national minorities, supports the activities of non‑governmental organizations.

The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international agreement concluded by the states belonging to the Council of Europe, and its signing is a condition of membership in this organization. This document refers to the catalogue of rights and freedoms contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Therefore, the most important thing is not what rights and freedoms are guaranteed, but the establishment of a control procedure that allows for demanding to cease the infringement of rights, and restore the conditions consistent with them, and to grant adequate financial compensation to victims. The Convention was signed in Rome on November 4, 1950, and entered into force on September 3, 1953.

Initially, the European communities did not deal with the protection of human rights. The organization's activities were focused on economic integration. At the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, the issue of protection of human rights appeared in the case law of the Court of Justice. Gradually, the increase of interest in the issues of human rights has also occurred among other Community bodies. The most active advocate for introducing human rights issues into Community policies was the European Parliament.

The creation of the European Union on the basis of the Maastricht Treaty was of great importance for the protection of human rights. In the preamble to the Treaty, the member states have confirmed their dedication to the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. They also referred to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The establishment of EU citizenship and the appointment of the EU Ombudsman were very important for the protection of human rights, too.

The adoption of the Treaty of Amsterdam was a breakthrough in the protection of human rights in the European Union. The Treaty states: „The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, on principles that are common to the member states.” In addition to the rules, the Treaty provisions also include the possibility of imposing sanctions on member states that violate these rules. On the basis of the Treaty, the Union was obliged to take action to combat discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, disability, age and sexual orientation, and to promote equal opportunities for women and men.

In 2000, the most important document for the European Union human rights protection system – the Charter of Fundamental Rights – was adopted at the Nice summit. In accordance with the treaties currently in force (Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) “the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities . These values are common to the member states in a society based on pluralism, non‑discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men”. The protection of human rights is now one of the fundamental objectives of the European Union. It is also important that the issue of the protection of human rights has become an element of the EU foreign policy. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union contains numerous provisions on the protection of personal data, the prohibition of discrimination, protection of consumer rights, rights derived from EU citizenship and the status of churches, religious associations and communities, philosophical and secular organizations.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights contains a catalogue of political, social and economic rights classified in the titles (chapters): Dignity, Freedom, Equality, Solidarity, Citizenship and Justice. On the one hand, the catalogue confirms the rights and freedoms guaranteed in earlier international human rights documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms or the European Social Charter, on the other hand it includes rights guaranteed in the EU system, such as the prohibition of cloning of individuals. In article 51, it was stipulated that in the implementation of EU law, the provisions of the Charter apply to both the EU bodies and institutions and the member states.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization whose aim is to prevent conflicts in Europe. It was established as a result of the transformation of the Conference on Security and Co‑operation in Europe (CSCE) into an organization that is able to face the challenges of the 21st century. When we talk about the “human dimension” of the OSCE, we mean the activity of states in the framework of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (and then the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) for the protection of human rights.

From the beginning of the CSCE process, human rights were closely related to security and cooperation issues. On August 1, 1975, European states and the United States and Canada signed the Helsinki Accords (final act of CSCE). The act includes the principle of respect for human rights. Until 1989, human rights in the CSCE negotiations were a platform for confrontation between socialist states and Western countries, and not cooperation. The fundamental changes were brought about the end of the 1980s. In the years 1986‑1989, a review conference of the CSCE was held in Vienna, where for the first time the socialist and capitalist states were able to adopt mechanisms of control in the field of human rights. They were based on the exchange of information between states and conducting bilateral negotiations on matters concerning human rights. Since 1989, there have also been many specialist meetings devoted to human rights, including in Paris (1989), Copenhagen (1990) and Moscow (1991).

The turn of the 1980s and 1990s brought many political and economic changes in Europe. As a consequence, the CSCE functions have been modified. From the field of inter‑block competition, it transformed into a cooperation forum. In its activity, the CSCE focused on preventing conflicts of a national and ethnic nature. Compliance with human rights was a major problem here. At the beginning of the 1990s, the first institutions dealing with human rights were created in the CSCE. These were the Office for Free Elections created in 1990, then transformed into the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and the High Commissioner on National Minorities appointed in 1992. In 1997, the institution of the Representative on Freedom of the Media was established in the OSCE structure, who controls the compliance of member states with the standards regarding freedom of mass media. The most important OSCE institution in the field of human rights is the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The Office monitors the state of respect for human rights in all 57 OSCE member countries. Its representatives carry out election observation missions in the member states and disclose all irregularities in their conduct to the public. In addition, the Office organizes numerous trainings and conferences. Its headquarters are located in Warsaw. The High Commissioner on National Minorities also deserves attention. The activity of this institution has contributed to the weakening of many tensions on the national background, including in Romania, Slovakia or the Baltic States.

The OSCE's human dimension activities are based on political rather than legal obligations, which fundamentally differentiates this organization from other security systems (e.g. within the Council of Europe or the UN). In addition, in the OSCE, the protection of human rights is linked to the problems of international security, economic development or culture.

The European system for the protection of human rights, alongside American and African one, is one of the regional human rights protection systems. Of these systems, it is by far the most institutionally and most efficiently developed. The Council of Europe plays the most important role in the European system - within its framework, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was adopted, on the basis of which the European Court of Human Rights was created. The support of the human rights protection system at the international court dealing with individual and state complaints turned out to be not only a pioneering solution on a global scale, but also a solution that is copied in other regional human rights protection systems.