Newsroom
Setting up a European network of police forces
At a conference on the role of the police in a democratic society attended by high-level representatives of European Ministers of the Interior on 20 and 21 October, the Council of Europe proposed to set up its own permanent high-level network of the police forces of the 47 member states. Some 90...
New factsheet on the execution of ECHR judgments concerning environment
Although the European Convention on Human Rights does not contain an explicit right to a clean and quiet environment, the Court has developed its case-law and established that where an individual is directly and seriously affected by noise or other pollution, an issue may arise under the...
Ukraine: Congress conducts remote observation of local elections on 25 October
After receiving an invitation from the Ukrainian authorities, from 19 to 20 October the Congress will carry out a remote observation procedure for the local elections that will take place on 25 October. This new remote format has been introduced as a temporary procedure in exceptional situations,...
Secretary General condemns terrorist attack in France
We deplore the horrific terrorist attack against a teacher yesterday at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and express our solidarity with those close to the victim, with the French people and with President Macron. We will not allow our rights and freedoms to be threatened by extremists of any kind. See...
European Anti-trafficking Day: Human trafficking will not be tolerated
In a statement to mark Anti-Trafficking Day, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has called for full respect for the rights of victims of trafficking in human beings during the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of...
Secretary General on working visit to Moscow
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić in Moscow on 19 and 20 October for meetings on key issues facing the Organisation. The Secretary General met with Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council and Konstantin...
Daphne Caruana Galizia’s final interview released on third anniversary of her death
The last interview ever given by Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been released today to mark the third anniversary of her assassination on 16 October 2017. The interview, carried out on 6 October 2017, was one of 20 with journalists from across Council of Europe member...
Protection of national minorities in Spain: Progress regarding Roma, but anti-discrimination laws needed
In an Opinion evaluating Spain’s level of compliance with its commitments towards the Spanish Roma under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention acknowledges the progress made by the country in providing social...
New study: journalists speak out on undue pressure
A new study has made an in-depth analysis of undue pressure exerted against journalists to prevent them from reporting freely and of the strategies they use to overcome fear and continue to perform their public watchdog mission. “A Mission to Inform: Journalists at Risk Speak Out”, authored by...
Anders Knape: “The Congress Charter has a key role for promoting local democracy and Europe’s pluralist society model”
To mark the 35th anniversary of the opening for signature of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Anders Knape, made the following statement: “The European Charter of Local Self-Government was opened for signature on 15...
Council of Europe leaders make joint statement on Belarus
The Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, the President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Rik Daems, and the Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić,...
Online Venice Commission plenary marks 30 years of newsworthy legal advice
Because of continued concerns over Covid-19, an “on location” celebration that was scheduled to mark 30 years of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission had to be postponed. Instead a virtual plenary session was held late last week. It resulted in the adoption of many newsworthy opinions and...
Minorities in Hungary: Roma need “urgent” help for education, housing and health care
In its latest opinion on Hungary, the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) found that persons belonging to the Roma minority face structural difficulties in all spheres of public life, including education, employment...
National minorities in Bulgaria: more needed to combat segregation and hate speech
Bulgaria has made progress in the implementation of the Framework Convention through advancing non-discrimination legislation, promoting education for Roma children and supporting religious rights. However, the legal framework for exercising minority cultural, linguistic and participation rights...
Digital solutions to fight COVID-19: shortcomings protecting privacy and personal data
A new Council of Europe report has identified a number of shortcomings in the protection of privacy and personal data in some of the legal and technical measures adopted by governments to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among the 55 African, Latin-American and European countries which...
World Day against the Death Penalty, 10 October 2020: joint declaration by Secretary General and EU High Representative
Today on the World and European Day Against the Death Penalty, the European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirm their opposition to the use of capital punishment in all circumstances and call for the universal abolition of the death penalty. We welcome the continued decline in the use of the...
A ‘Living Instrument’ for Everyone: Advancing Equality for LGBTI persons
A conference to mark the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights has taken place in Strasbourg. Entitled “A ‘Living Instrument’ for Everyone: The Role of the European Convention on Human Rights in Advancing Equality for LGBTI persons”, it was organised by the Council of...
Secretary General appoints Special Representative on Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Hatred and Hate Crimes
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has appointed the Council of Europe’s Director of Communications Daniel Höltgen, to the new position of Special Representative on Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Hatred and Hate Crimes. Commenting on the appointment, the Secretary General said: “On Friday it...
New study: Slovenians consider sexual abuse of children a serious problem, but nearly half would not be able to recognise its signs
A majority of Slovenians consider sexual abuse of children to be a serious problem, with nearly one in five having experienced at least one form of sexual abuse. However, awareness of this type of abuse is low, as parents don’t feel comfortable discussing it with their children, and schools don’t...
Even in difficult times, Partnership for Good Governance programme keeps delivering
An online event to reflect on the mid-term results of the second phase of the European Union and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance (PGG), launched in 2019 for the Eastern Partnership region, started today under the title ‘Improving the lives of citizens through better Governance’....