The workshop aimed to raise awareness on the importance of the European Convention on Human Rights and the problems concerning the efficient execution of judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.

The participants shared their respective parliaments’ experiences concerning legislation and mechanisms for the application of the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights and supervision of the execution of judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.

Maja Videnovic highlighted the importance of protecting human rights and fundamental democratic values, stressing that the MPs; chief duty is to make human rights the focus of their work. She said that the parliaments’ supervisory role needs to be strengthened, as does that of independent state institutions. Speaking of the national parliaments’ role in the application of the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights, she said that every document that enters assembly procedure should be accompanied by a statement that it complies with international human rights conventions. Speaking of the judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, there is a need for an institutionalized mechanism within the parliament to keep the MPs abrast with court practice and the parliamentary committees need to be duly informed about the court judgements and their execution.

The participants of the workshop agreed what the chief trends as regards advancing the parliaments’ role should be to contribute to the human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.