The Week Ahead: Key Events and Meetings

To mark its 75th anniversary, the Council of Europe is offering a unique audio experience featuring 12 works of art that are emblematic of the organisation’s history, heritage and values. L’Atelier de l’Europe (Europe’s workshop), a 12-episode podcast in French, will be available from 1 May.

The podcast immerses listeners in the works of several well-known artists, transporting them through time and space. From the Palais de l’Europe, the Council of Europe’s headquarters designed by the architect, Henry Bernard, past the bust of Winston Churchill, a section of the Berlin Wall and some more contemporary works, L’Atelier de l’Europe sets out to explore the Council of Europe’s collection of works of art, which includes many treasures.

In a unique dialogue, it combines the accounts of artists and historians with testimonies of diplomats and political leaders and all those who have shaped the history of the Council of Europe.

The podcast will be available from 1 May on www.coe.int/podcasts and on music streaming platforms. The first episode, on the Palais de l’Europe, is entitled “The balance of forces”.

Contact: Estelle Steiner, tel. +33 3 88 41 33 35

6 May, Zagreb

As part of the celebrations to mark the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić will participate in the launching of the book titled “75 Years of the Council of Europe” written by the first Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to the Council of Europe, Vladimir Matek.

Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, tel. +33 6 86 32 10 24

6 May, Kristiansand (Norway)

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ Vice-President Bernd Vöhringer, will speak at the opening of the fifth European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights organised by the City of Kristiansand and the Council of Europe, within the framework of the annual Democracy Week in Kristiansand. The theme of the conference is “Sustain and defend Democracy and Human Rights in Europe 2024”. Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge will deliver a statement on the occasion of the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

Programme - Contact: Päivi Suhonen, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89

6-9 May, North Macedonia

A 21-member Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) delegation, led by Alfred Heer, will observe the parliamentary elections and the second round of the presidential election, alongside observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament, and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

A joint press conference is scheduled on Thursday 9 May at 3 pm (local time) in Skopje (time and place to be confirmed).

More information - Contact: Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93

7 May, Strasbourg

The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) will issue two publications concerning Belgium: an addendum to GRECO’s second compliance report on measures to prevent corruption in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors and, in addition, a second compliance report on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central government and law enforcement agencies.

GRECO and Belgium - Contact: Andrew Cutting, tel. +32 485 21 72 02

7 May, Strasbourg

The European Court of Human Rights will notify in writing ten judgments and/or judgements concerning Albania, France, Georgia, Greece, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.

More information – ECHR Website, tel. +33 3 90 21 42 08

7 May, Kyiv (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

A round table “Youth, Ukraine, Europe: Resilience, Recovery, Reconstruction” will be organised by the Council of Europe Youth Department, together with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry for Youth and Sport. The round table will be among the first events to mark the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe. Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Erlend Falch, Head of the Youth Department Tobias Flessenkemper, Acting Minister for Youth and Sports, Matvii Bidnyi, Member of Verkhovna Rada and Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly Maria Mezentseva will be among speakers in the opening session.

The event will begin at 9.30 am. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

Draft programme - Contact: Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41

8 May, Chișinău

The Council of Europe will launch the first phase of a new project aimed at supporting the Republic of Moldova’s Office of the Ombudsperson in protecting human rights in the country. The project’s objectives are to ensure better protection of citizens’ rights and to improve the mechanism for seeking redress by strengthening the capacity of the Ombudsperson’s Office to address human rights violations effectively.

Contact: Jaime Rodriguez, tel. +33 6 89 99 50 42

8 May, Râmnicu Sărat (Romania)

A conference dedicated to “Youth involvement in local development-challenges, constraints and opportunities” will take place in, in the framework of the EU/CoE Joint Programme ROMACT “Building capacity for Roma Inclusion at Local Level”.

The event will address difficulties faced by the youth, including Roma youth, as regards active participation in democratic processes and will present good practices from ROMACT localities in the field in order to support cooperation between local, regional and national levels in Romania and ensure effective youth inclusion. The event will welcome relevant government representatives, members of the Parliament, representatives of diplomatic missions, ROMACT municipalities and experts to exchange on issues such as youth participation at local level, socio-economic deprivation, access to quality education, employment and health and explore ways of addressing new arising challenges.

Contact: Panos Kakaviatos, tel. +33 6 98 37 64 04

9-12 May, Strasbourg

The Council of Europe and its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) will take part n a number of events to raise awareness of their activities.

As part of the Fête de l’Europe 2024 organised by the City of Strasbourg, a stand will be open to visitors on Thursday 9 May from 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm (Place du Château).

From 10 to 12 May, during the Strasbourg Races, a stand will be available to inform the general public about the work of the Council of Europe, which is celebrating its 75^th anniversary, and the role of the EDQM (60th anniversary) in protecting public health.

Contact: Estelle Steiner, tel. +33 3 88 41 33 35