Launch of Irish-funded Programme to broadcast the European Court of Human Rights public hearings on the internet

Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs, today welcomed the launch of a programme to broadcast the public hearings of the European Court of Human Rights on the internet. The project is being funded by Irish Aid at a total cost of €290,000 over two years.

Minister Ahern said:

“Ireland has been an active member of the Council of Europe since its foundation in 1949 and strongly supports the work of the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights.

“The European Court of Human Rights, which ensures the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, is the most important forum for the protection of human rights in Europe. Its judgments have guided not only member states of the Council of Europe, but other countries throughout the world.

“In Ireland, we are very familiar with the work of the Court.  This is not the case everywhere, above all in the Council of Europe’s newer member states in Eastern Europe. We are therefore very proud to support this project, which will help to improve the visibility of the Court and promote a wider understanding of countries’ civil and human rights obligations of countries bound by the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Note to Editors:

This programme is seen as a major initiative by the European Court of Human Rights, who has arranged to hold a press conference to officially launch the programme at 5.00 p.m. on 25 June 2007 in the Palais des Droits de l’Homme, Strasbourg. This press conference will be held at the start of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly week.

The President of the Court, Mr. Jean-Paul Costa, the Registrar of the Court, Mr. Erik Freiberg, and the Irish Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Mr. James Sharkey will attend the press conference and will be available to take questions from journalists.

The Public hearings of the European Court of Human Rights can be accessed by a link on the Court’s website: www.echr.coe.int .