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Youth participation in focus at Cultural Routes Forum in Hungary
More than 350 participants from over 30 member states of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) attended the 13th Annual Advisory Forum on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Visegrád, Hungary (25-27 September) to explore “Transmission and...
Secretary General at the United Nations General Assembly
“During the Council of Europe’s 75th anniversary year, we will be making the case for as many countries as possible to sign and ratify our key conventions, at a time of democratic backsliding, for our member states to do ever more to uphold our values, both in words and in action. That is the way...
Congress experts discuss foreign interference with local and regional electoral processes in Europe
Meeting in Strasbourg on 26-27 September 2024, the Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government – an advisory expert body for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities...
Exchange of views at the Committee of Ministers on the abolition of the death penalty focused on the situation in Belarus
On 25 September, the Minister Deputies had a thematic exchange of views on the abolition of the death penalty which was focused on the situation in Belarus, the only country in Europe which...
Award of 2024 Václav Havel Prize a highlight of PACE autumn session
The award ceremony for the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, which honours outstanding human rights defenders worldwide, will be among the highlights of the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), from 30 September to 4 October. An overall winner will be...
Slovakia: GRECO delegation urges tangible progress to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity in government and police
Following meetings in Bratislava on 26 September the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has called on the Slovak Republic to fully implement its recommendations to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity within the central government (persons with top executive...
Vilnius conference: multilevel governance's key role in strengthening democratic resilience
Improving participation, a clear distribution of competences between levels of governance, and dynamic dialogue between all actors can help ensure that effective multilevel governance counters populism and the polarisation of society. These were among the key takeaways of a conference organised...
Solitary confinement in prisons and its alternatives: a human rights perspective
Solitary confinement of prisoners is still widely used in many countries in Europe and around the world, although many studies suggest that it is often extremely damaging for prisoners’ physical and mental health and not conducive to their resocialisation. So how to mitigate this damage, and what...
Journalist safety campaign: improving cooperation between journalists and police at public events
As part of the Council of Europe's Campaign for the Safety of Journalists "Journalists Matter", a special seminar in Strasbourg is bringing together representatives of governments, police forces, press freedom organisations and associations of journalists to discuss the role of the police in...
European Day of Languages: Greetings from Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania
On the European Day of Languages, we can all better appreciate what it means to be European and celebrate our unity in diversity. It is no coincidence that as early as 1599, Mikalojus Daukša, the publisher of the first books in Lithuanian, wrote in his "Postilė" chapter The Preface Unto...