Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Is the system of human rights under threat in Europe? In this video, I’m joined by Dr Andrew Forde, who offers a deep dive into the Council of Europe (CoE), one of Europe’s most influential yet often misunderstood institutions. In the video, he explains how it differs from the European Union and why it matters so profoundly. We discuss the origins of the CoE in the post-war order, the creation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and the groundbreaking role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in making fundamental rights legally enforceable. Dr Forde explains how rights now taken for granted, including freedom of expression, privacy, fair trial, and protection from torture, were shaped by landmark ECtHR rulings that allow individuals to hold states directly accountable.
We also discuss how the Court operates in complex political environments, including conflict and post-conflict situations in Cyprus, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe, as well as major interstate cases, chief of which, at present, involve warring Russia and Ukraine. We examine current pressures on the human rights system, including migration policy, climate change litigation, artificial intelligence, and growing political calls to weaken or reform the Convention. Dr Forde also addresses the Council of Europe’s expanding role in accountability for the war in Ukraine, and whether Europe can defend its human rights standards at a time of increasing geopolitical tension.
Dr Andrew Forde is Assistant Professor of European Human Rights Law at Dublin City University (DCU) and Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) since 2023. Over the past 20 years he has worked for the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe including as Human Rights Advisor to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and Political Advisor with a particular focus on human rights in conflict zones. During this time he led Council of Europe operations in Kosovo for 5 years as well as confidence-building measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He spent six years as a Principal Officer in the Irish civil service before becoming a full-time academic. He is a member of Ireland's election observation roster and on the Advisory Board of the Campaign to Uphold Rights in Europe. His first book European Human Rights Grey Zones - The Council of Europe and Areas of Conflict was published in 2024 by Cambridge University Press and his second, co-authored book on Russia's relationship with the Council of Europe was published in February 2025.
*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
01:29 Origin & Mandate of Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights
06:52 Landmark Cases Decided By ECtHR
14:05 ECtHR’s Role In Conflict Management
22:24 Key Cases On The ECtHR’s Agenda Today
28:43 Could ECtHR Override Peace Treaty Terms Agreed Between Russia-Ukraine?
33:53 The Anti-Immigration Lobby’s Push To Reform The ECHR
42:47 Looking Ahead, How Serious Is The Threat To European Human Rights?
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Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know
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Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel at no additional cost to you.
#CouncilofEurope #ECHR #HumanRights
Is the system of human rights under threat in Europe? In this video, I’m joined by Dr Andrew Forde, who offers a deep dive into the Council of Europe (CoE), one of Europe’s most influential yet often misunderstood institutions. In the video, he explains how it differs from the European Union and why it matters so profoundly. We discuss the origins of the CoE in the post-war order, the creation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and the groundbreaking role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in making fundamental rights legally enforceable. Dr Forde explains how rights now taken for granted, including freedom of expression, privacy, fair trial, and protection from torture, were shaped by landmark ECtHR rulings that allow individuals to hold states directly accountable.
We also discuss how the Court operates in complex political environments, including conflict and post-conflict situations in Cyprus, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe, as well as major interstate cases, chief of which, at present, involve warring Russia and Ukraine. We examine current pressures on the human rights system, including migration policy, climate change litigation, artificial intelligence, and growing political calls to weaken or reform the Convention. Dr Forde also addresses the Council of Europe’s expanding role in accountability for the war in Ukraine, and whether Europe can defend its human rights standards at a time of increasing geopolitical tension.
Dr Andrew Forde is Assistant Professor of European Human Rights Law at Dublin City University (DCU) and Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) since 2023. Over the past 20 years he has worked for the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe including as Human Rights Advisor to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and Political Advisor with a particular focus on human rights in conflict zones. During this time he led Council of Europe operations in Kosovo for 5 years as well as confidence-building measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He spent six years as a Principal Officer in the Irish civil service before becoming a full-time academic. He is a member of Ireland's election observation roster and on the Advisory Board of the Campaign to Uphold Rights in Europe. His first book European Human Rights Grey Zones - The Council of Europe and Areas of Conflict was published in 2024 by Cambridge University Press and his second, co-authored book on Russia's relationship with the Council of Europe was published in February 2025.
*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
01:29 Origin & Mandate of Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights
06:52 Landmark Cases Decided By ECtHR
14:05 ECtHR’s Role In Conflict Management
22:24 Key Cases On The ECtHR’s Agenda Today
28:43 Could ECtHR Override Peace Treaty Terms Agreed Between Russia-Ukraine?
33:53 The Anti-Immigration Lobby’s Push To Reform The ECHR
42:47 Looking Ahead, How Serious Is The Threat To European Human Rights?
*SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS*
If you enjoy the channel and would like to support independent analysis of international relations, conflict, and security, there are several ways you can help:
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
youtube.com/channel/UCEszqJb1FjYisBevHBIof3g
youtube.com/c/JamesKerLindsay?sub_confirmation=1
JOIN THE COMMUNITY AND BECOME A CHANNEL MEMBER
YouTube: youtube.com/c/JamesKerLindsay/join
Patreon: patreon.com/JamesKerLindsay
*MY LATEST BOOK!*
Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know
Oxford University Press global.oup.com/academic/product/secession-and-state-creation-9780190494049
Amazon amzn.to/2MPY3W2
Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel at no additional cost to you.
#CouncilofEurope #ECHR #HumanRights
