Alain Berset acknowledged growing criticism of the 75-year-old treaty, but said any changes must also respect ‘our core values’
The European convention on human rights (ECHR) must adapt while continuing to uphold its core values, the head of a European rights council has said.
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe (CoE), acknowledged growing criticism of the 75-year-old treaty, but said reform should be approached with care and rooted in shared democratic principles.
In an interview with the Times, Berset, who took office earlier this year, said the legal framework underpinning the convention, which applies to 46 countries, including the UK, should not be treated as untouchable.
“We are witnessing a world where things are changing rapidly,” he said. “It is accelerating. We see this, and it means that it is normal that we must also adapt to this. We need adaptation. We need discussion about the rules that we want to have, and there is no taboo.”
