The government adopted a decision to support the Minister of Justice Goran Klemenčič in his candidacy for COE Commissioner for Human Rights, and instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send it to the Council of Europe.
The procedure for appointing a new Commissioner was launched this summer, and at the end of November 2017 a selection procedure is going to be held to determine the shortlist of three candidates. The new Commissioner will then be elected at the winter plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the second half of January 2018.
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial extra-judicial institution, set up by the Council of Europe in 1999 with the aim of raising awareness and respect for human rights in the EU Member States.
The conditions to be met by the Commissioner-designate are to be a distinguished personality who has shown high moral integrity as well as being widely-recognized human rights expertise, and having made a public commitment to the values ??of the Council of Europe, along with the personal authority necessary for the effective implementation of the related mandate. The government considers that Klemenčič meets these conditions, and therefore supports his candidacy.
According to the government’s assessment, the candidacy of the Slovenian representative would be a continuation of Slovenia’s activities for promotion of reputable experts in international bodies, and confirmation of the importance that Slovenia gives to human rights, while at the same time helping to strengthen the nation’s reputation and role in this field.
Since 2014, Klemenčič has served as the Minister of Justice, before being Chairman of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption from 2010 to 2014. In the past, he has worked for several years as a project manager and adviser to the Council of Europe’s Criminal Issues Department.
Since April 2012, the duties of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe have been performed by the Latvian-American human rights activist and politician Nils Muižnieks.
