Abstract
When the Council of Europe celebrated its 50th Anniversary in May 1999 it decided to set up a new and independent institution: a Commissioner for Human Rights. The main focus of the Commissioner's work is placed on assisting governments in their implementation of human rights standards. While the Commissioner must protect the independence of his institution, he also seeks common cause with many others such as the European Union (EU), and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), both within the Council of Europe and outside it. The chapter provides four examples which illustrate the concrete significance of the Commissioner's contribution - and some of the problems: Chechnya, The United Kingdom, Armenia, and The South Ossetia Conflict. The rapid development of the Commissioner for Human Rights' action and its tangible productivity already allow us to see certain dilemmas which it faces in the framework of human rights diplomacy. Keywords: Commissioner for Human Rights; conflict situations; Council of Europe; human rights diplomacy
Published Version
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