(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Council of Europe rarely makes headlines in Switzerland, but a recent ruling of its supranational court against the Swiss government for failing to act on climate change is making waves. What is the Council of Europe, and what is Switzerland's role in it?
This content was published on May 5, 2024 - 10:30 11 minutes
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As a visual editor, Vera works with multimedia content formats. She produces photos and videos for original articles, helps colleagues with their research, and edits and prepares images and videos for SWI swissinfo's various online channels. She holds a bachelor's degree in Multimedia Production and completed an apprenticeship as a mediamatician.
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Benjamin von Wyl (text), Vera Leysinger (photos)
Deutsch de 75 Jahre Europarat: Was machen die Schweizerinnen und Schweizer eigentlich in Strassburg? Original Read more: 75 Jahre Europarat: Was machen die Schweizerinnen und Schweizer eigentlich in Strassburg? Français fr Que font les Suisses au Conseil de l'Europe à Strasbourg? Read more: Que font les Suisses au Conseil de l'Europe à Strasbourg? Italiano it 75 anni del Consiglio d'Europa: cosa fanno le svizzere e gli svizzeri a Strasburgo? Read more: 75 anni del Consiglio d'Europa: cosa fanno le svizzere e gli svizzeri a Strasburgo? 日本語 ja 欧州評議会75周年 スイスが加盟する意味は Read more: 欧州評議会75周年 スイスが加盟する意味は Русский ru К 75-летию Совета Европы: вагонные разговоры со швейцарскими депутатами ПАСЕ Read more: К 75-летию Совета Европы: вагонные разговоры со швейцарскими депутатами ПАСЕ
It's early morning at Basel railway station. Sibel Arslan walks up to the platform holding a cup of coffee, her second of the day. She did not get much sleep the previous night. Her last appointment was at 11pm.“Is it ok if we travel economy class?” the left-wing Green Party parliamentarian asks.
Arslan is on her way to Strasbourg, where the Swiss foreign policy expert pursues her other political career, namely as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. On the train, she skims the agenda of the day's session after having already studied it earlier.
Green parliamentarian Sibel Arslan's days are long in the week in which the Swiss session overlaps with that of the Council of Europe. Vera Leysinger / SWI swissinfo It's going to be a busy week for the Swiss delegates in Strasbourg. The special session of the Swiss parliament in Bern overlaps with the Council of Europe's spring session. At the same time, the Swiss representatives at the Council are campaigning on behalf of the former Swiss interior minister, Alain Berset, who is running for the post of Secretary General of the European body.
The Council of Europe is the“guardian of human rights, democracy and the rule of law”. It was founded in 1949 after the Second World War with the aim of creating lasting peace in Europe. It unites all European nations that claim to be democratic, which is a broad spectrum and allows countries like Azerbaijan to be a member. However, Azerbaijan's delegation was excluded from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for at least one year at the beginning of 2024. Belarus, the Vatican City State and Russia – following its exclusion in 2022 – are the only European countries that are not members.
The 46 member states have also signed the European Convention on Human Rights, whose implementation is monitored by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which is a supranatural court. Decisions of the ECHR are implemented by the member states and their courts. Residents of the member states can also bring their human rights issues before the ECHR.
The governments of the member states, which are usually represented by their ambassadors, meet in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. All member states have parliamentarians who represent them in the Parliamentary Assembly. The election observation missions are an important supervisory element.
In recent weeks people in Switzerland have been hearing a lot about the Council. In April the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), a surpranational court set up by the Council of Europe, ruled Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change. On the day of the ruling, the right-wing Swiss People's Party called on Switzerland to leave the Council of Europe.
More More Landmark ruling: Switzerland's climate policy violates human rights
This content was published on Apr 9, 2024 The European Court of Human Rights says the Swiss authorities are responsible for not implementing efficient climate change policies and for violating the right to life of a group of elderly women.
Read more: Landmark ruling: Switzerland's climate policy violates human rights
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