Regional systems 117 Contacts and further information The Secretariat European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Council of Europe Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs-DGHL F–67075 Strasbourg Cedex France Tel: 33 3 88 41 29 64 Fax: 33 3 88 41 39 87 E-mail: ecri@coe.int Website: www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/default_en.asp Commissioner for Human Rights The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Council of Europe, created in 1999 and mandated to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in all Council of Europe States. Mandate The objectives of the Commissioner for Human Rights are laid out in Committee of Ministers resolution (99) 50, in which the Commissioner is mandated to: • Foster the effective observance of human rights and assist member States in the implementation of Council of Europe human rights standards; • Promote education in and awareness of human rights in Council of Europe member States; • Identify possible shortcomings in laws and practices concerning human rights; • Facilitate the activities of national ombuds institutions and other human rights bodies; • Provide advice and information regarding the protection of human rights throughout the region. The Commissioner’s work focuses on encouraging reforms that will achieve tangible improvement in human rights promotion and protection. The Commissioner cannot act upon individual complaints. However, he or she may receive information from any source, including individuals and NGOs, and can take wide-ranging initiatives on the basis of such information if it reveals a systematic human rights problem within a particular country. Among the specific themes to which the Commissioner devotes attention are the eradication of discrimination and the rights of children and migrants. The Commissioner cooperates with a broad range of international and national institutions, as well as human rights monitoring mechanisms. The most important intergovernmental partners of the Commissioner include the United Nations and its specialized agencies, the European Union and OSCE (see chap. XIII). The Commissioner also cooperates closely with leading human rights NGOs, universities and think tanks. Activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights The Commissioner seeks to engage in ongoing dialogue with Council of Europe member States and conducts official country visits to examine and evaluate the human rights situation when he or she deems it necessary. These visits commonly include meetings with the highest representatives of Government, parliament and the judiciary, as well as leading members of human rights institutions and civil society. During country visits, the Commissioner engages in