Protocol No. 12 to the

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by th ...

(ETS No. 177) is an anti-discrimination treaty of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

. It was adopted on November 4, 2000, in Rome and entered into force on April 1, 2005, after tenth ratification. As of 2017, it has been ratified by 20 States (from 47 CoE member states).

Core provisions

Article 1 – General prohibition of discrimination. 1 The enjoyment of any right set forth by law shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status. 2 No one shall be discriminated against by any public authority on any ground such as those mentioned in paragraph 1.

Unlike Article 14 of the Convention itself, the prohibition of discrimination in Protocol 12 is not limited to enjoying only those rights provided by the Convention.

Application

The first case, where the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a ...

has found a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 12, was

Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina ''Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina'' (27996/06 and 34836/06) was a case (merged from two) decided by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in December 2009, in the first judgment finding a violation of Article 14 of ...

, adjudicated in 2009.

References

{{Reflist

External links

TextChart of signatures and ratifications
Treaties concluded in 2000 Council of Europe treaties European Convention on Human Rights Anti-discrimination treaties Treaties of Albania Treaties of Andorra Treaties of Armenia Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina Treaties of Croatia Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of Finland Treaties of Georgia (country) Treaties of Luxembourg Treaties of Montenegro Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of Portugal Treaties of Romania Treaties of San Marino Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of Spain Treaties of North Macedonia Treaties of Ukraine Treaties entered into force in 2005 Treaties extended to Aruba Treaties extended to the Netherlands Antilles