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Extraordinary meeting of Ministers’ Deputies (23 February 2024) - Second anniversary of full-scale aggression of Russian Federation against Ukraine
On 23 February, the Ministers' Deputies held an extraordinary meeting on the occasion of the second-year anniversary of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. They recalled the measures already taken by the Council of Europe and adopted a series of decisions,...
GRETA calls on Italy to better prevent human trafficking for labour exploitation and ensure effective sanctions for traffickers
The Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the Italian authorities to take further action against human trafficking, notably by strengthening measures to combat trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, ensuring effective...
Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine: Two years on
Council of Europe leaders reiterate support and solidarity
Two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Declaration of the Congress Bureau
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Marc Cools, has made the following statement: “24 February 2024 will mark two years since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On this occasion, the Congress Bureau adopted a Declaration in which it reiterated...
Experts concerned about reduction of minority languages’ use and learning in Latvia
The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities has expressed concern in an opinion about Latvia’s policy to reduce the use and learning of minority languages and has addressed a number of urgent recommendations to the Latvian authorities. While...
Poland: Small cells and lacking legal access for remand prisoners among concerns raised by anti-torture group
A new report by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) found problems regarding lacking legal assistance and prison cell sizes below the norm, among other issues. The report notes that most detained persons confirmed...
Challenging misunderstandings and myths about languages in Europe
With regard to attitudes towards languages in today’s society, two developments are of special concern for the Council of Europe. The first is a tendency on the part of public authorities and civil society to think that proficiency in one additional language is enough - as long as that language...
Minute of silence for Alexei Navalnyy
At the beginning of their meeting, on 21 February 2024, the Ministers' Deputies held a minute of silence in tribute to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyy, who died on 16 February at the Russian Artic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. On 16 February, the President of the...
Council of Europe commemorates two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
On 23 February, the Council of Europe will hold a ceremony to mark two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, followed by an extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers (to be broadcast live). At 9 am, on the Council of Europe forecourt, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović...
Photo exhibition “The DAWN" on Ukrainian children who suffered under Russian bombardment and occupation opens in Strasbourg
A photo exhibition has opened today, 19 February, at the Council of Europe, illustrating what the dawn of a new life would look like for Ukrainian children whose homes, villages and towns have suffered under Russian bombardment and occupation. Featuring pictures by French-Ukrainian photographer...
Sweden should ensure equal access to rights of all minorities through clearer guidance to its municipalities
Sweden continues to apply the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to the Jewish minority, Roma, Sweden Finns, Tornedalians and the Sámi people. The Advisory Committee’s Opinion on the implementation of the Framework Convention by Sweden concludes that despite some...
Death of Alexei Navalnyy: Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
"I am profoundly dismayed and outraged by the news of the sudden death of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyy in a Russian prison. The Russian authorities must conduct an immediate and thorough investigation and make the findings available to the public in line with their...
"There is little doubt that the Russian state bears full responsibility for the death of Alexei Navalny", PACE President says
Following the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Theodoros Rousopoulos made the following statement: "I am deeply shocked by today's terrible news of the death in prison of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny....
Death of Alexei Navalnyy: Statement by Committee of Ministers' President
Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport and President of the Committee of Ministers, Dominique Hasler made the following statement: "Saddened and deeply disturbed by the reported death of Alexei Navalnyy today, I, in my capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers of...
Congress President dismayed at the death of Alexey Navalny in Russia
Congress President Marc Cools has made the following statement today: “I am shocked and dismayed by the news of the death of Alexey Navalny in a Russian prison. On behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, I express my deep condolences to his family....
Protecting the human rights of sex workers
“The lived realities of sex workers across Europe raise serious human rights concerns. I call for an approach to sex work that is firmly based on human rights and focuses on the effective protection of sex workers’ rights, prioritising their safety, agency and bodily autonomy over stereotypes and...
Cinema attendance in Europe up by 18% in 2023, but is still below pre-pandemic levels
According to initial findings compiled by the Council of Europe’s European Audiovisual Observatory, cinema attendance in wider Europe rose to approximately 859 million admissions in 2023. This reflects a positive year-on-year rise of 18.1%, signifying an increase of 131.8 million tickets compared...
Rights of volunteer firefighters: Council of Europe concludes that France is in violation of the European Social Charter
In a new decision the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) concludes that France is in violation of the revised European Social Charter on the ground of the discriminatory difference in treatment with regard to remuneration between certain volunteer firefighters (VFF)...
Addressing delays in family law proceedings involving children: a key goal of a new EU-Council of Europe project in Slovenia
A new joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Ensuring the best interests of the child in civil court proceedings in Slovenia” has been launched in Bled. The project, co-funded by the EU and the Council of Europe and enacted by the Council of Europe's Children’s Rights...
Azerbaijan should step up investigations and prosecutions of money laundering and improve supervisory arrangements, says MONEYVAL
In the new report published today, Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL calls on Azerbaijan authorities to further strengthen measures to combat money laundering (ML), the financing of terrorism (TF) and financing of proliferation, in particular in the areas of preventive...
