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Today, on 25 November 2025, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Council of Europe, Agnese Vilde, submitted, on behalf of the Republic of Latvia, an instrument of ratification on Latvia's accession to Protocol No.16 (the Protocol) to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the Convention) to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
In accordance with Article 8, paragraph 2, of the Protocol, it will enter into force in respect of Latvia on the first day of the month following the three-month period following the date on which Latvia submitted the instrument of ratification to the Council of Europe. Namely, the Protocol will enter into force in Latvia on 1 March 2026.
Further information
On 6 November 2025, the Law on Protocol No.16 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by which the Saeima supported Latvia's accession to the Protocol came into force. With the entry into force of the Protocol in Latvia, the Supreme Court (Senate) and the Constitutional Court will have the right to request the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) to provide an advisory opinion on questions of principle relating to the interpretation or application of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention or the protocols thereto. The conclusions reached in the Court's advisory opinions are not legally binding, but they provide insights and guidance on the interpretation and application of the rights guaranteed by the Convention and its protocols.
The Protocol opened for signature on 2 October 2013 and entered into force on 1 August 2018, when 10 Parties to the Convention acceded to it. The Protocol has now been ratified by 26 States parties to the Convention: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ukraine and today Latvia. Three other States parties to the Convention have signed the Protocol: Italy, Norway and Türkiye.