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Strengthening a youth perspective within the Council of Europe: Congress Secretary General meets youth representatives
“Many young people are still not able to contribute meaningfully to political debates or can only do so under agendas that they have not shaped themselves”, stressed Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori, praising in this regard the important work done by the Joint Council on Youth to overcome...
Parliamentary Assembly spring session
A debate on the application by Kosovo* for membership of the Council of Europe, and vote on a draft opinion, will be one of the highlights of the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), taking place in Strasbourg from 15-19 April. There will also be a joint...
Preventing corruption in France: progress report on central government and law enforcement agencies
The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body (GRECO) has just published a report evaluating the measures taken by the French authorities to implement the recommendations from 2019 on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central government (top executive functions) and law enforcement...
Three climate change rulings from the European Court of Human Rights
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has today issued three separate rulings on cases related to climate change. In the case of Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, the Court found violations of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) and...
Deputy Secretary General visits Republic of Moldova
During his two-day visit to the Republic of Moldova, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge has expressed his support for the authorities’ efforts to strengthen healthcare for prisoners, and promote gender equality and action to combat violence against women. He also held a series of meetings with...
Launch of “Journalists Matter” campaign in Ukraine
The Ukrainian national chapter of the Council of Europe “Journalists Matter” Campaign for the Safety of Journalists is being launched in Kyiv on 9 April during the roundtable “Safety of journalists and other media actors in Ukraine in the context of martial law”. The event is organised by the...
Secretary General makes official visit to Armenia
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, and President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan during an official visit to Armenia. During her meetings, the Secretary General discussed the follow-up to the...
International Roma Day: Congress supports Roma rights
As the world marks International Roma Day on 8 April 2024, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, R, SOC/G/PD), Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, reaffirms the Congress’ commitment to protecting the rights of Roma...
Award for Innovative School Projects in History Education
The HISTOLAB Award for Innovative School Projects in History Education goes to eight schools from France, Ireland, Serbia, Spain and Türkiye and one transnational project. The Award was presented to students and teachers from the winning schools during the HISTOLAB European Innovation Days in...
New Recommendation on equality for Roma and Traveller* women and girls
Ahead of International Roma Day, the Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation to the 46 Council of Europe member states to ensure equality for Roma and Traveller women and girls and address the specific vulnerabilities they face. International Roma Day is a moment for us to celebrate...
We cannot truly support Roma and Traveller communities without empowering women and girls
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
SLAPPS: abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists must be stopped
Alarmed by the chilling effect that abusive lawsuits have on freedom of expression and public participation, the Committee of Ministers has issued a Recommendation to its 46 member states aimed at countering the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), often used against...
Draft legislation on “transparency of foreign influence” in the Parliament of Georgia
Statement by the Secretary General
New Toolkit to debunk fake news in history classes
The Council of Europe and the European Union have developed a new tool to prepare young people to evaluate content online and in the media, to identify historical distortions, and to think critically about the content they encounter. The “Toolkit for History Classes: Debunking Fake News and...
Secretary General delivers keynote speech at the Conference of Participants of the Register of Damage for Ukraine in The Hague
“The world has just marked two years since the liberation of Irpin and Bucha, where terrible crimes were committed against civilians. This tragic milestone is a further reminder of what is at stake and how important it is that we do everything we can to support Ukraine and its people as the...
Council of Europe Congress: Local elections in Türkiye overall well organised and respecting the will of the voters
Despite certain deficiencies observed in the electoral campaign, local elections in Türkiye were overall well organised and respected the will of the people – these were the preliminary findings of the election observation mission of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional...
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya asks the Congress to support democracy in her country
The goal of the Belarusian democratic forces was to decentralise governance and foster greater empowerment and autonomy within local communities, stressed Leader of the Belarusian democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressing the Congress session on 27 March 2024. Convinced that the...
Fight the upsurge in antisemitism and anti-muslim hatred: a major challenge for European cities and regions
The events in the Middle East have led to an unprecedented upsurge in antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents in Europe. During the thematic debate on 26 March, Congress members shared both recent information regarding their local authorities and also best practices for preventing violence and...
Natural disasters and climate hazards: Congress calls on its members to be better prepared
Council of Europe member states are increasingly confronted with natural disasters and climate hazards, and local and regional authorities are in the first line to respond. To do this in the most effective, yet democratic manner, it will be crucial for local and regional authorities to develop a...
Congress President: Local and regional authorities can usefully contribute to the execution of Court judgments
“Local and regional authorities can make a valuable contribution to the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on involuntary detention and treatment for mental health reasons”, stressed Congress President Marc Cools, speaking on 27 March 2024 at the Conference on "Of...
Local self-government: France must pursue decentralisation and clarify division of powers, says Congress
The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has called on France to pursue decentralisation, clarify the division of powers between the state and subnational authorities and provide better protection for mayors. Adopting its recommendation based on a report by Bryony Rudkin...
PACE committee recommends that Kosovo* be invited to become a member of the Council of Europe
The Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has recommended that Kosovo* be invited to become a member of the Council of Europe. Approving a draft Opinion during a meeting held today in Paris, based on a report by Dora Bakoyannis...
Support for Ukraine, need to halt democratic backsliding top US visit agenda
Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge has concluded a three-day working visit to the United States (25-27 March), where he found widespread support for Ukraine, concern about democratic backsliding around the world, and a hunger for working together to find solutions. Starting in Washington DC,...
Two years of war: Council of Europe Congress calls for greater support to Ukraine
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted on 26 March 2024 a Declaration on the second anniversary of the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, presented by Martine Dieschburg-Nickels (Luxembourg, L, ILDG) and Gunn-Marit Helgesen (Norway, R, EPP/CCE). The...
Secretary General meets Minister of Justice of Moldova
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru. The meeting focused on the close co-operation under the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021-2024, especially in the...
Secretary General marks Council of Europe 75th anniversary at Congress session
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has marked the importance of the Council of Europe 75th anniversary in her speech at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities session, coinciding with its 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of its youth initiative. “I am very pleased with the...
Young Ukrainian musicians play at the opening of the 46th Congress session
The 46th session of the Congress opened in Strasbourg today to the sound of the European and Ukrainian anthems played young musicians from Ukraine. The 3-day session’s agenda features debates on two years of the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, with the adoption of a declaration, and on...
Congress members committed to protecting the rights of the children of Ukraine
The situation of the children of Ukraine was at the heart of the debate of Congress members on Tuesday 26 March. Daria Herasymchuk, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and Child...
Secretary General election: Committee of Ministers submits candidatures to Parliamentary Assembly
The Committee of Ministers has decided to submit to the Parliamentary Assembly, for appointment to the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, with effect from 18 September 2024, the following candidatures: Alain BERSET (Switzerland) (Curriculum vitae) Indrek SAAR (Estonia)...
Azerbaijan should end the intimidation and harassment of journalists and civil society activists
“The increasing repression faced by journalists and civil society members in Azerbaijan is reason for deep concern”, says the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, referring to the arrests, detentions and judicial harassment that are stifling freedom of expression in...
