How can human rights be made a tangible reality at grassroots level?  This issue was debated by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 27 March 2017, with the participation of Nils Muiznieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and Roland-François Weil, UNHCR Representative to the European Institutions.

“We all agree about the importance of involving local and regional authorities in human rights.  We also agree about the need to clarify the concrete obligations which human rights entail in practice for subnational authorities,” said Harald Bergmann (Netherlands, ILDG), Congress Spokesperson on Human Rights.  “Many successful examples have shown that integrating human rights in public policies does not necessarily demand additional resources, or involve legal or technical constraints,” he added.

The resolution adopted proposes the adoption of a handbook on human rights setting out examples of good practices already conducted in many European cities.  The first volume focuses on three particularly vulnerable categories: refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

This Handbook is the first in a series that will cover other groups or topics and will be complemented by an internet platform allowing other European cities to share their experiences in the field of human rights.

The Congress urges local and regional authorities and their administrations in Council of Europe member states to adopt and use the Handbook on Human Rights in their policies, for the benefit of their authorities’ citizens.

Source: https://www.coe.int/en/web/congress/-/council-of-europe-congress-launches-tool-for-promoting-human-rights-at-local-and-regional-level-in-europe