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A Critical Look at the Implicit Messages in the CDDH Outcome Document with Elements for the Chișinău Declaration
The outcome document ‘containing elements for a political declaration’ that the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) of the Council of Europe published on 20 March 2026 deserves a critical look. Thus, it can be established whether the CDDH managed to take…
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The Chișinău Process: Dialogue or Duress?
It has been a testing year for the European Court of Human Rights, from the letter of nine states in May 2025 to the Joint Statement of 27 to the Chișinău process that will culminate in a political declaration on migration on…
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A Statement Built on Shaky Ground: Unveiling the Controversial Assumptions in the 27 Countries’ Statement
On December 10, 2025, twenty-seven countries delivered a joint statement to the Council of Europe’s conference of ministers of justice, calling for an “updated interpretation” of the European Convention on Human Rights in light of what the signatories identify as “today’s challenges.”…
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Launch event: “Framing Human Rights: Authoritarianism, Migration, and Climate Change in the Council of Europe”
On Monday, 4 May 2026, an online event on “Framing Human Rights: Authoritarianism, Migration, and Climate Change in the Council of Europe” will be held at the Hertie School’s Centre for Fundamental Rights. This event launches a recent special issue in the…
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An Invitation to Interrogate the Longue Durée of European Human Rights and Its Exclusions
10 December 2025, twenty-seven Council of Europe (CoE) member states delivered a joint statement. This statement has launched the so-called “Chișinău process,” which is expected to lead to the adoption of a political declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)…
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The CDDH’s Chișinău Report, Article 3 and the ‘extra-territorial’ context
The main focus of this post is on the extra‑territorial application of Article 3. I have some sympathy with the CDDH’s calls for caution in that specific area and wish to raise some broader, related issues. However, I feel compelled to frame…
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Symposium on the Challenges of Chișinău
Since the adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights, the system has been recognized for its continuous and progressive evolution. Through slow but incremental change, over the past decades we have witnessed the adoption of new protocols that grant individuals access…
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New Book on EU Fundamental Rights in ECtHR Case-Law
Victor David (KU Leuven) has published the book EU Fundamental Rights as a Special Source for the European Court of Human Rights. Doing the opposite of many studies in this field, it looks at the influence of EU fundamental rights law on…
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New Podcast Episode ‘Lawyering Before the ECtHR’
The ‘Between Heat and Hope’ Podcast just released its new episode entitled ‘Lawyering Before the European Court of Human Rights‘. In the episode, Veronika Fikfak (University College London) shares her experience with human rights litigation before the ECtHR and the ‘European Human…
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The ECHR’s Procrustean bed: A final call for perspective in the Chișinău process
By Alice Donald and Andrew Forde In Greek mythology, Procrustes made visitors fit his bed by either stretching them or cutting off their legs. Sure, they would “fit” the bed, but at what cost? Applying an arbitrary approach to a complex problem…
