At meeting with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks, the President of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma said that Estonia considers the activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights very important and supports in every way the independence and impartiality of this office, Riigikogu reported.
Ergma confirmed Estonia’s commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. “Our people are our most important and valuable capital and naturally the state must pay increasing attention to it.” In the issue of citizenship of children, the President of the Riigikogu highlighted the role and desire of the parents in the granting of citizenship to their child. “It is important that the information on the opportunities to apply for citizenship for a child is brought even more effectively to parents who do not have Estonian citizenship. Their freedom of choice must not remain limited due to lack of knowledge,” Ergma noted.
The President of the Riigikogu and the Commissioner for Human Rights also spoke of the impacts of the economic situation on human rights, as well as the need for the availability of education to all children.
The Commissioner for Human Rights also met with members of the Human Rights Group of the Riigikogu today. The Chairman of the Group Mart Nutt explained at the meeting that the issue of Internet freedom is very topical at the moment and Estonia is striving to promote this issue in the UN Human Rights Council.
The CE Commissioner for Human Rights is on a visit to Estonia from 25 to 27 March. Besides the meetings in the Riigikogu, he has meetings at ministries and he also visits the Maarjamäe Centre of Tallinn Children’s Home.