Despite the considerable efforts of the European Court of Human Rights to streamline internal procedures, its formidable caseload still threatens to paralyse the entire court system. In order to facilitate the reform of the Court, Switzerland hosted a ministerial conference of the 47 Council of Europe member states in Interlaken on 18 - 19 February 2010. This conference is one of the priorities of the Swiss presidency of the Council of Europe, which began in November 2009. It is also a reaffirmation by Switzerland of its longstanding commitment to protecting human rights and to ensuring the long-term survival of the ECtHR.

The event was co-chaired by Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs and incumbent chairperson of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, and by Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the Swiss Justice Minister.

© Conseil de l'Europe

Reform of the European Court of Human Rights: joint declaration reached in Interlaken

By issuing a joint declaration the representatives of the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe confirm their intention to secure the long-term future of the ECHR.
 Interlaken Declaration 

Alexander Konovalov, Russian Justice Minister and Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe © Yoshiko Kusano

Statement by Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, on the occasion of the deposit by the Russian Federation of the its instrument of ratification of Protocol No 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights witnessed by Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf in Interlaken on 18 February 2010.
 Statement