Joint NGO Statement: Protocol 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights Must Not Result in a Weakening of Human Rights Protection

On the occasion of the opening of Protocol 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights for signature by the Council of Europe member states, Amnesty International, the AIRE Centre, the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Interights, the International Commission of Jurists, JUSTICE, Open Society Justice Initiative, and REDRESS stress that the amendments to the Convention foreseen by this Protocol must not be allowed to result in a weakening of the Convention system and human rights protection in Europe. The organizations recall the principle that the Convention must be interpreted in accordance with its object and purpose, taking into account the nature of the Convention as a treaty for the effective protection of human rights.