The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) was set up
following a decision of the 1st Summit of Heads of
State and Government of the member States of the Council of
Europe, held in Vienna in October 1993, and strengthened by a
decision of the 2nd Summit held in Strasbourg in
October 1997. ECRI's task is to combat racism, xenophobia,
antisemitism and intolerance at the level of greater Europe and
from the perspective of the protection of human rights.
ECRI commissioned Human Rights Consultants to
conduct an independent review of the substantive work that it has
undertaken. HRC’s review covers ECRI’s
country-by-country work, its work on general themes and its
relations with civil society. It also reflects upon the impact of
ECRI's work.
The review - ECRI: 10 Years of Combating Racism - was completed in 2003, and was launched by ECRI at its 10th Anniversary Conference in Strasbourg on 18 March 2004.
The Conference
was opened by Walter Schwimmer, Secretary
General of the Council of Europe, 
Michael Head, Chair of
ECRI, Peter Schieder, President of the
Parliamentary Assembly, and Alvaro Gil-Robles,
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (pictured,
left to right).
The aim of the Conference was to take stock of ECRI's contribution to the fight against racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance in Europe in the past ten years, and to provide ECRI with fresh ideas for its ongoing and future work.
HRC Director Mark Kelly and Isil Gachet, Executive Secretary of ECRI, introduced the new review to conference participants.
Mark Kelly
with (left to right), Isil Gachet, Heike Klempa of ECRI's
Secretariat and Catherine Lalumière, Vice-President
of the European Parliament and former Secretary General of the
Council of Europe, and (right) with Fatima Elhassouni
of the organisation Young Women from
Minorities.
All photos: © Council of Europe
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