Press Release Press Division Ref: 902a08 Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60 Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11 [email protected] internet: www.coe.int/press

47 members : Commissioner Hammarberg in to discuss

Albania human rights and present his report Andorra Armenia Strasbourg, 10.12.2008 – On 12 December, the Council of Europe’s Austria Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, will arrive in Nicosia to Azerbaijan discuss major human rights issues with national authorities and representatives Belgium Bosnia and of international organisations. Herzegovina Bulgaria Commissioner Hammarberg will meet the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Croatia Dr. Kypros Chrysostomides, and representatives of the European Union and the Cyprus United Nations. On the occasion of the visit, he will also present his report based Czech Republic Denmark on the findings of a visit to the Republic of Cyprus carried out last July. The Estonia Commissioner will also cross the Green Line to meet with the leader of the Finland Turkish Cypriot Community, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat. Georgia The Commissioner is due to speak on the need to implement European human rights standards during a conference dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Hungary adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The event is hosted by Iceland the Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman), Ms. Eliana Nicolaou, and Ireland the University of Cyprus. Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Press contact in the Commissioner’s Office: Lithuania Stefano Montanari, tel. +33 6 61 14 70 37; [email protected] Luxembourg Malta Moldova * * * Monaco Montenegro The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent, non-judicial institution Netherlands within the Council of Europe, mandated to promote awareness of, and respect Norway for, human rights in the organisation’s 47 member states. Elected by the Poland Portugal Council’s Parliamentary Assembly, the present Commissioner, Thomas Romania Hammarberg, took up his duties on 1 April 2006. For further information on the Russia Commissioner’s activities, please visit www.commissioner.coe.int San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

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A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 47 member states.