The Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is Europe's leading organisation in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The organisation was founded after the Second World War with the aim of strengthening stability and cooperation on the European continent and preventing wars by committing to common values. The Council of Europe consists of 46 member States and five observer States.
European Convention on Human Rights
The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) of 4 November 4 1950 entered into force for Liechtenstein on 8 September 1982. The Convention is unique in its form and scope and plays an essential role in the promotion of human rights, the protection of fundamental democratic principles and the rule of law in Europe. All residents of a member state can invoke these rights and claim them in the last instance before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Persons from Liechtenstein can also apply to the ECtHR if they have exhausted national legal remedies in Liechtenstein and consider their rights under the ECHR to have been violated. Here is the guide to the admissibility requirements for ECtHR complaints. The judgments of the ECtHR are binding. The decisions of the ECtHR concerning Liechtenstein are published in the Liechtensteinische Juristen-Zeitung (LJZ).
EGMR-Beschw-Nr-49158-99-Frommelt-gg-Liechtenstein
EGMR complaint no. 56422_09 Schädler-Eberle gg. Liechtenstein
U d ECHR (Fifth Section) July 9, 2014 on complaint no. 38191/12 in the case A.K. v. Liechtenstein
ECtHR complaint no. 23922_19 Gawlik v. Liechtenstein
EGMR complaint no. 6-151-00-S-R-u-a-gg-Liechtenstein
EGMR complaint no. 5010-04-Eugen-von-Hoffen-gg-Liechtenstein
EGMR complaint no. 10722-13-A-K-gg-Liechtenstein
EGMR-Beschw-Nr-32763-08-Schaedler-u-a-gg-Liechtenstein
EGMR-Complaint-No-34459-10-Bekermann-gg-Liechtenstein
EGMR complaint no. 28396-95-wille-gg-liechtenstein
Other conventions
There are more than 200 conventions of the Council of Europe covering a wide range of human rights issues. Liechtenstein has signed and ratified 91 of them. The full list of the different conventions is to be found here.
Supervisory bodies
The implementation of the standards laid down in various Council of Europe conventions is ensured by a number of monitoring committees. Some 50 experts from Liechtenstein work on these different committees alongside representatives of other States. The experts are either state government staff or independent outside consultants. A few examples of groups of experts are given below.
GREVIO (Combating violence against women and domestic violence)
The 2011 Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, opens the way for creating a legal framework at pan-European level to protect women against all forms of violence. The Convention is built on four pillars:
- Prevention of violence against women and domestic violence
- Protection from violence against women and domestic violence
- Prosecution and elimination of violence against women and domestic violence
- Co-ordination of legal and other measures among member States.
GREVIO is the independent expert body that, since 2015, has been responsible for monitoring the Istanbul Convention’s Contracting Parties to ensure that they put it into practice. To that end, GREVIO draws up and publishes reports evaluating the measures taken by the member States. In serious cases, GREVIO may initiate a special inquiry procedure against a member State and, where applicable, also adopt recommendations on the Convention’s themes and concepts. Liechtenstein ratified the Istanbul Convention on 17 June 2021.
Link to the first state report of Liechtenstein
MONEYVAL (Anti-Money Laundering)
MONEYVAL is a permanent and, as from 2011, independent monitoring body of the Council of Europe. It has the task of assessing compliance with the principal international standards to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism, as well as the effectiveness of their implementation. It also makes recommendations to national authorities regarding necessary improvements to their systems. Progress is regularly monitored through dynamic processes and recommendations made on building the capacities of national authorities.
Link to the Fifth Round Evaluation report on Liechtenstein
General information on Moneyval
GRECO (Fighting Corruption)
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) pursues the objective of improving its members’ capacity to fight corruption at both national and international level. In its multidisciplinary approach the Council of Europe develops a whole host of legal instruments to tackle corruption. GRECO monitors compliance with these standards and continues to make a major contribution by developing national capacities and technical co-operation programmes to fight corruption. There are peer reviews of member States’ implementation of recommendations and agreements in the sphere of corruption, and evaluation and compliance reports are adopted.
Link to fourth-round evaluation and compliance reports
ECRI (Combating Racism)
Set up in 1993, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) is a unique expert body that monitors action against racism, discrimination and intolerance in Europe. ECRI deals with phenomena of racism, discrimination and intolerance that are of a structural or general nature and, to that end, works closely with relevant national and international organisations and civil society players. Its activities entail country monitoring, thematic work and work with civil society. Individual complaints are handled by the European Court of Human Rights.
Link to the fifth country report on Liechtenstein and the concluding observations General information on ECRI
GRETA (Combating Trafficking in Human Beings)
GRETA has been operating as an expert group with the task of combating trafficking in human beings and monitoring implementation of the Council of Europe Convention underpinning its work since 2009. In this connection, GRETA carries out country visits and produces reports to evaluate the action taken by the member States to implement the Convention’s provisions.
Link to the report on Liechtenstein