The environmental challenges we face today are unprecedented, and have emerged as an issue that threatens global democracies. This was the central theme of the last seminar of our project "VOCES - Voices of civil society for a more sustainable democracy: dialogue between Europe and Latin America" entitled "Challenges of environmental democracy". In this event...
The potential of universal jurisdiction remains untapped, although a positive trend stands out. This is what the 2024 edition of the Universal Jurisdiction Annual Report prepared by TRIAL International, in collaboration with Civitas Maxima, the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), the International Federation for Human Rights...
On the 16th of April 2024, the DIRECTIVE (EU) 2024/1069 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 April 2024 on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings (‘Strategic lawsuits against public participation") has finally been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Directive...
In the complex and diverse landscape of rule of law crises, the conversation must expand beyond institutions and embrace the crucial role of individuals and communities in finding solutions to the challenges affecting society as a whole. Equally, respect for human rights must be present at all times when facing a crisis. This approach was...
Crimes against humanity are a category of crimes that can often be traced back to the post-World War II statutes of the Nuremberg and Tokyo military tribunals. It should be recalled that, unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity, such as genocide, can be committed in peacetime as well as in armed conflict. While the same acts that...
Today the Committee of Ministers finally of the Council of Europe (CoE) adopted the Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2 on countering the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Despite not being legally binding on Council of Europe members, it will significantly influence norms across 46 nations. It calls on member states to devise comprehensive and effective strategies...
On 3 April, the fourth seminar took place as part of our project VOCES - Civil society voices for a more sustainable democracy: dialogue between Europe and Latin America. In this case, it was held under the title "Political instability: immediate consequences". This event counted with the outstanding participation of María Fernanda Poveda, who participated...
In a scenario where diverse current issues are increasingly intertwined, the preservation and transmission of democratic memory stands as a fundamental pillar for the construction of a democratic society and a resilient rule of law. In this context, the online seminar we organized yesterday March 13 entitled "Art, Culture and Expression in Democratic Memory" framed...
In a global context where environmental awareness and care for the environment are at the top of political agendas, last Tuesday marked a significant milestone for Europe with the approval of a new regulation that increases the number of environmental offenses under European Union criminal law. The urgency of protecting our planet from highly damaging practices...
Today, the European Parliament (EP) adopted the Directive on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings (‘Strategic lawsuits against public participation’), informally known as Daphne’s Law in honour of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia In a landmark decision for freedom of expression and human rights advocacy, the EP...
