Joint Submission by the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) and the Association of Greek Conscientious Objection (AGCO)
to the UN Universal Periodic Review
25th session of the UPR Working Group, April/May 2016
In this joint submission, the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection and the Association of Greek Conscientious Objection provide information under sections B and C as stipulated in the Universal Periodic Review: information and guidelines for relevant stakeholders’ written submissions (Rev 17/03/2015)
Brussels, 21 September 2015
Submitting stakeholders: Mr. Friedhelm Schneider (President of EBCO), Mr. Yiannis Gklarnetatzis (President of AGCO).
Keywords: Conscientious objection, freedom of conscience, human rights, civilian service, military service, conscription, Ministry of Defence, committee, violations, discrimination, prosecution.
The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) was founded in 1979 in Brussels, Belgium, as an umbrella organisation for national associations of conscientious objectors, with the aim of promoting collective campaigns for the release of the imprisoned conscientious objectors and lobbying the European governments and European/UN institutions for the full recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military service and the end of the discrimination against conscientious objectors. EBCO is involved in drawing up the annual report of the Committee on Civil Liberties of the European Parliament on the application by the Member States of its resolutions on conscientious objection and civilian service, as determined in the “Bandrés Molet & Bindi Resolution” of 1994; provides expertise and legal opinions on behalf of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe; enjoys participatory status with the Council of Europe since 1998 and is a member of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe since 2005; is a full member of the European Youth Forum since 1995.
The Association of Greek Conscientious Objection (AGCO) is the member organisation of EBCO in Greece.