Council of Europe - Highlights 2020 (2021)

In 2020, violations of fundamental human rights principles in Europe were more worrying than ever. A clear and worrying degree of democratic backsliding was noted in our continent, across the Council of Europe’s various fields of action.

■■■ Although the trend often predated the coronavirus pandemic, there is no doubt that individuals’ rights and liberty have been curtailed in ways that would be unacceptable in normal times.
■■■ However, 2020 was also a year in which the Council of Europe showed its ability to adapt while continuing with its work. Although Covid-19 imposed drastic measures on everybody, with publications, remote meetings and ongoing exchanges between the various leaders and the member states, the Council of Europe was able to continue sounding the alarm about these setbacks to our values, as well as defending freedoms throughout Europe.
■■■ This is because our Organisation has strong legal instruments and unique awareness-raising powers. In 2020, for instance, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was signed in November 1950. It was an opportunity to reiterate, loudly and clearly, that the values of human rights and the principles of democracy and the rule of law will continue to guide us, including during periods of great turbulence such as we are experiencing at the moment.
This publication presents the work carried out in 2020 by the different bodies and sectors of the Council of Europe, highlighting its particular strengths and achievements.