Last Tuesday, ECPM MEP Marek Jurek presented a draft-version of his Convention on the Rights of the Family. This document was created following an initiative of Mr Jurek and drafted by experts of Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture.

In his opening remarks, Mr Jurek underlined that “it is the first time the we are presenting a proposal for an international act the proposes concrete action, beneficial for the families and their natural role in society. It stresses also the obligation of the state and civil society towards family and family life. This proposal is addressed to all European Union Member States and then to the entire world, especially to the those that reject some forms of attack against the family”. Mr Jurek added that traditional family is the most important cell that makes sure our societies can function and that a state cannot provide any public goods without the participation of families. Finally, he underlined that the presented text is an effort to proclaim the universal values that are represented in the family life.

ECPM President MEP Branislav Škripek added that the convention aims to strengthen the countries and people that want to protect the traditional definition of marriage. “Countries should be protected against pressure of EU authorities or other external pressure as marriage is a national competence.” He mentioned Romania as an example of a broader movement that seeks to (re)define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Recently, 3 million signatures have been collected in Romania to call for a referendum that asks for the definition of traditional marriage in the constitution.

The draft text seeks to codify basic principles pertaining to the institution of family that do not all enjoy the protection of international law and national constitutions. These principles include treating the family as the basic foundation of society, protecting human life from conception to natural death, supporting families, recognizing the family as the best development environment for the child and protecting the identity of a marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Although many of these principles have been enshrined in the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights, they often remain empty declarations.

Therefore, ECPM welcomes this effort to contribute to the European discussion on the future of the family. Promoting family values and human dignity is and will remain a key point for the ECPM, not least in the early run-up to the 2019 European Parliamentary Elections.