At an informal meeting on 8 July 2021, delegations from the Council of Europe’s 47 member States held an exchange of views with representatives of international civil society organisations active in the area of the protection of the freedom of exercise of the profession of lawyer and the defence of the rights of lawyers.
The problems faced by lawyers in Council of Europe member States with respect to the independent and safe exercise of their profession have drawn the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and inspired intergovernmental work at the request of the Committee of Ministers.
The aim of the exchange of views was to find out more about the contribution and the expectations of these organisations towards a safe and enabling environment for lawyers and improved standards of protection, and to underline the role of civil society and professional associations in the work of the Council of Europe in this area as well. The exchange of views was part of the follow-up to the decision taken by the Committee of Ministers (Helsinki Ministerial Session, May 2019) to protect and promote civil society more effectively by improving the participation of civil society organisations in the work of the Council of Europe.