Greece is a party to the major international human rights treaties concluded under the auspices of the U.N. Since 2000, Greece has submitted initial or periodic reports to the main human rights treaty bodies, namely the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee against Torture, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. The submission of these reports gave a unique opportunity for an open, frank and constructive dialogue with the members of the above Committees. The Concluding Observations of the relevant treaty bodies provide valuable guidance in the endeavor of the Greek authorities to fill any gaps in the national system of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

 

 

Furthermore, Greece actively participates in the deliberations of Working Groups and Committees entrusted with the task to reflect upon and to elaborate new international instruments in the field of human rights. At the regional level, Greece has signed and/or ratified the major human rights instruments in the framework of the Council of Europe. As a party to the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Greece has enacted legislative provisions in order to ensure full compliance with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. Strongly attached to the principle of universality, indivisibility, interrelatedness and interdependence of all human rights, Greece has also ratified the Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter Providing for a System of Collective Complaints. Τhe Greek Parliament has adopted a law ratifying Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances.