France, Dec. 11 -- At a Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday, justice ministers from the organisation's 46 member states defended the need to revamp the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for the modern age.

It came six months after nine countries - including Italy, Denmark, Poland and Belgium - published a letter criticising the ECHR for setting "too many limits" on their power to expel people from their territories.

The 46 nations will now work towards adopting a "political declaration" on the issue of migration at a summit next May.

Alain Berset, secretary-general of the Council of Europe, which oversees the convention, said signatory countries were not calling for the treaty itself to be rewritten.

"It was ...