The GNCHR at the ENNHRI Leadership Forum 2025
(c) Photo Courtesy ENNHRI
As a member of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), the Greek National Commission for Human Rights participates consistently and actively in the work and the administration of the European Network. At this year's Leadership Forum, which was aimed at the heads of NHRIs and senior executives and was successfully organized by the ENNHRI Secretariat in Brussels on September 24-26, 2025, the GNCHR was represented by its Scientific Staff Coordinator. Ms. Eva Tzavala coordinated the discussion among her counterparts on the relationship between NHRIs and ENNHRI with the Council of Europe, in the spirit of the Reykjavik Declaration on the future of the Council of Europe (2023) and the Secretary General's proposal for a New Democratic Pact for Europe (2025). The Head of the Council of Europe's Human Rigths Directorate , Ms. Claire Ovey, also participated in the Forum's proceedings.
The Greek National Commisison works closely with the Office of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the monitoring bodies of international conventions adopted within the framework of the Council of Europe (CPT, GREVIO, GRECO, ECRI, etc.). The GNCHR maintains a special relationship with the European Court of Human Rights, as it translates its thematic factsheets into Greek, promotes its case-law and the ECHR, and intervenes in pending cases or at the execution phase of judgments to support the work of the Court and the Committee of Ministers. In recent years, the Greek National Commission has also used the tools available for NHRIs in their relationshop with the European Committee of Social Rights, which monitors the implementation of the Revised European Social Charter.
The Leadership Forum discussed, among other matters, issues of cooperation with the European Union and its special bodies and agencies.
At the same time, internal administrative and organizational issues of NHRIs were examined, with particular emphasis on enhancing the effectiveness of their mandate and activities, in the context of the new landscape currently taking shape in Europe for human rights. NHRIs are guardians of human rights at national level, with a critical role and increased responsibilities in times of crisis.
