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Implementing European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is holding its quarterly meeting to oversee the execution of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 7 to 9 June. Information on the cases to be examined in detail this week is available here (*) Decisions...
Secretary General in discussions with senior EU representatives
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has taken part this week in a series of meetings with senior representatives of the European Union. On Monday the Secretary General had a video exchange with the EU High Representative and European Commission Vice-President for External Affairs, Josep...
Opinion on same-sex unions draft law presented to Serbian authorities
An expert opinion on the draft law on same-sex unions was prepared by the Council of Europe’s Directorate General for Democracy upon the request of the Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue of Serbia. The Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Tobias Flessenkemper,...
MONEYVAL: States must improve their effectiveness against money laundering and terrorist financing
There is a serious need to improve the effectiveness of states’ action against money laundering and terrorist financing, concludes the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing body MONEYVAL in its annual report for 2020, released on 4 June 2021. The report finds...
Romania urged to effectively prosecute human traffickers and ensure access to compensation for their victims
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged Romania to ensure that human trafficking offences lead to effective and dissuasive sanctions and that victims of trafficking have access to compensation. In a new report evaluating access to...
Human trafficking: Montenegro should do more to punish perpetrators and ensure access to justice and compensation for victims
In a new report on Montenegro the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking group GRETA calls on the authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to justice and compensation, and to ensure that perpetrators are punished. GRETA acknowledges that progress has been made in some areas since the...
Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2022 – Council of Europe launches call for candidates
The call for candidates for the 2022 Raoul Wallenberg Prize has been launched in Strasbourg by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić - The Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers is also committed to promoting the call for nominations to the 2022 edition of the...
Cybercrime Convention Committee approves E-evidence Protocol
The 24th plenary of the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY), representing the Parties to the Budapest Convention, on 28 May 2021 approved the draft “2nd Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on Enhanced Co-operation and Disclosure of Electronic Evidence”. “Criminals have stepped...
Israel accedes to Council of Europe’s anti-Human Trafficking convention
Israel has become the first-non European country to accede to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings . The Convention was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 3 May 2005, following a series of other initiatives by the Council of...
United Kingdom - Publication of Fifth Round Compliance Report
GRECO has published today its Fifth Round Compliance Report on the United Kingdom, on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies, as adopted by GRECO at its 87th Plenary Meeting (Strasbourg, 22-25 March 2021),...
CPT Armenia report: Inter-prisoner violence, informal prisoner hierarchy, luxurious conditions for some inmates
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) in its new report on its periodic visit to Armenia in December 2019, welcomed some positive developments in the penitentiary system (progress in addressing overcrowding, easier transfers of inmates to outside hospitals,...
Belarus: further pressure on human rights
Statement by Spokesperson for Secretary General
PACE rapporteur calls for immediate release of Belarussian journalist
Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC), General Rapporteur on media freedom and the safety of journalists for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has today expressed his grave concern at the arrest and detention by the Belarusian authorities of Raman Pratasevich, co-founder of...
Let us make Europe a safe place for environmental human rights defenders
In 2017 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a group of dedicated grassroots environmental activists staged a 500-day-long protest against the construction of new hydropower dams on the Kruščica river. The fight led by local women, who later came to be known as the Brave Women of Kruščica, met with many...
Strengthening human rights in Tunisia
As part of a joint Council of Europe/EU project “Support for independent bodies in Tunisia (PAII-T)”, a two-day online conference on “Independent bodies serving citizens: strengthening human rights in Tunisia” is highlighting the project’s achievements and its impact on citizens. Participants –...
Foreign Affairs Ministers set the Council of Europe’s course for the next four years
Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 47 Council of Europe member states have agreed on a Strategic Framework for the organisation for the next four years at their annual session. The Ministers underlined the Council of Europe’s role and responsibility for ensuring the implementation of its...
Hungary takes over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
Hungary has taken over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Germany during a video-conference meeting with representatives of the Organisation’s 47 member States. Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, gave an overview of his country’s...
Foreign ministers discuss democracy and human rights situation in Europe
Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states will hold their annual session by videoconference on Friday 21 May 2021. Chaired from Hamburg by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the meeting will provide an opportunity for ministers to take important decisions for the...
Icelandic minister: Integrated support services to boost children's wellbeing will pay off in future
“When families seek support for their children, they often feel like they are in a maze, walking in impasses, obliged to tell their story from the beginning every time and to co-ordinate the work of specialists they sometimes do not fully understand,” said Icelandic Minister of Social Affairs and...
Council of Europe’s anti-racism commission publishes conclusions on Croatia, Liechtenstein, Malta, the Republic of Moldova and Portugal
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published its conclusions on the implementation of its priority recommendations made to Croatia, Liechtenstein, Malta, the Republic of Moldova and Portugal in 2018. As for Croatia, ECRI concludes that the authorities have...
Let the rainbow arc bend towards justice, says Secretary General on IDAHOT Day
Progress is not even, attitudes are slow to change, and discrimination against LGBTI people remains deeply embedded in some European societies, warned Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić on the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and...
COVID-19, challenges to human rights and the danger of widening social divisions
In online remarks to the sixth annual Delphi Economic Forum today, the Council of Europe’s Secretary General stressed the ”proactive approach” taken by the Council of Europe to meet human rights challenges associated with COVID19. As 11 May 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the Council of...
Democracy is in distress, finds the Council of Europe Secretary General’s annual report for 2021
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has highlighted a “clear and worrying degree of democratic backsliding” in her latest annual report on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the continent. “In many cases, the problems we...
Let’s “widen the circle of support” for treaty to protect women and girls against violence
In a speech to mark the 10th anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić outlined the success of the treaty over the past decade, urging...
Ukraine: Venice Commission publishes two urgent opinions
The rationale behind the draft legislation in Ukraine aimed at the establishment of an Ethics Council to assist the process of election (appointment) of the High Council of Justice (HCJ) members is welcomed, as it intends to urgently address the previously raised issue of integrity and ethics of...
Deputy Secretary General opens European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights in Kristiansand
The 2nd European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights in Kristiansand has marked Europe Day 2021 in Norway, despite the ongoing Covid pandemic. The international event, with a focus on freedom of expression, was jointly organised by the Council of Europe, the University of Agder, Kilden...
10 years of the Istanbul Convention: Bringing hope, promoting respect and inspiring change to end violence against women
The Committee of the Parties of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, have issued a declaration to mark 10 years since it was opened for signature on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul. The Committee...
Anti-torture committee warns against impact of austerity measures on prison conditions
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has issued a set of minimum requirements for conditions of detention in European prisons, concerned by the negative effects of pre-existing austerity measures in certain states, which could be exacerbated by possible deeper...
Protecting vulnerable groups in crisis situations: more effective structures and procedures needed
The Committee of Ministers has adopted Guidelines for the 47 member states to help them in upholding equality and protecting against discrimination and hate during the Covid-19 pandemic and similar crises in the future. The Committee stresses the importance of establishing effective structures...
Europe Day 5 May 2021: 72nd Anniversary of Council of Europe
Joint statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and Committee of Ministers Chair Heiko Maas
Migration and asylum: Council of Europe to increase protection of vulnerable persons
The Committee of Ministers have adopted an Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025). “Migrants and asylum seekers face particular challenges, in the Covid-19 pandemic, notably access to healthcare and vaccinations. We are increasing...
Council of Europe anti-torture committee publishes report on Finland
The Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CPT) has commended Finland of the tangible progress achieved in several areas, but regretted that a number of its long-standing recommendations remain unaddressed. In its report the CPT welcomed the...
Vaccine passes: protecting human rights and personal data
Statements by the Bioethics Committee and the Data Protection Convention Committee
Georgia: Venice Commission opinions on Election Code and election of Supreme Court judges
Proposed amendments to the Election Code of Georgia include some positive changes but raise some new concerns which add to long-standing fundamental issues that remain unaddressed, said the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR in their joint urgent opinion on draft amendments to the Election Code...
Journalism and Covid-19: Press freedom is essential in times of crisis
Joint statement by Council of Europe Secretary General and German Federal Justice Minister
The Secretary General presents her vision for improving the implementation of social rights in Europe
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, made public today her proposals (SG/Inf(2021)13) for improving the implementation of social rights in Europe by reinforcing the European Social Charter system. Improving the implementation of social rights in Europe and...
Human rights and the environment: New online course for legal professionals
The Council of Europe’s HELP programme (Human rights Education for Legal Professionals) has launched a new online course on the environment and human rights. The six-hour course, which is available free of charge via the HELP online platform, has been developed by experts on the European...
Bulgaria should improve access to justice and compensation for victims of trafficking
In a new report on Bulgaria published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking group GRETA calls on the authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to justice and compensation, and to ensure the sustainability of anti-trafficking measures through the allocation of appropriate...
Committee of Ministers: European states must step up efforts to protect children’s privacy in digital environment
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, European states should enhance safeguarding measures in processing personal data of children, notably health-related data and data collected in education settings, to minimise potential adverse effects, including the public identification of a child as a...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office visits Council of Europe
Ann Linde, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, visited the Council of Europe on 28 April 2021. She met with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, to discuss co-operation between the two organisations. During the meeting, she deposited...
Secretary General: European governments should show stronger political will to protect press freedom
In a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić urged European governments to show stronger political will to protect journalists and independent journalism in order to put a stop to the deterioration of media freedom in...
Covid-19: what measures to combat fake vaccines?
Amid the rise in counterfeiting and other illegal activities related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Council of Europe is issuing new recommendations to governments based on its Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (MEDICRIME...
A 10th Academy Award for Eurimages!
During the 93rd Academy Awards Ceremony which took place last night, the Academy Award for International Feature Film went to ANOTHER ROUND by Thomas Vinterberg, a co-production between Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands supported by Eurimages, the Fund's 10th Academy Award in this category. Two...
La Secrétaire Générale rencontre Éric Dupond-Moretti, ministre français de la Justice
Le 23 avril, la Secrétaire Générale Marija Pejčinović Burić a rencontré Éric Dupond-Moretti, Garde des Sceaux, ministre de la Justice de la République Française, au siège du Conseil de l’Europe à Strasbourg. La Secrétaire Générale et le ministre ont eu un échange sur la coopération entre le...
High-level webinar: impact of Covid-19 policies on human rights in Europe
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has delivered a keynote speech on Covid-19 policies and their impact on human rights at a webinar organised on 27 April 2021 by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). Other speakers at the online event included: Salla...
PACE calls on Turkish authorities ‘to put an end to laws and practices that contravene democratic standards’
The Assembly today strongly reiterated its call on the Turkish authorities “to put an end to laws and practices that contravene democratic standards, to revise its legislation and constitutional framework in order to ensure the separation of powers, to restore freedom of speech and media freedom,...
PACE invites Committee of Ministers to use all tools at its disposal to free Alexei Navalny
PACE has invited the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to “use all the tools at its disposal”, including under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to ensure full and prompt execution of the Strasbourg Court’s ruling in the case of Navalnyye v. Russia, and in particular...
Armenia: electoral legislation amendments welcomed but further improvements needed
The Council of Europe’s body of constitutional legal experts, the Venice Commission, and the OSCE/ODIHR have published an urgent joint opinion on amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislation of Armenia. Having examined the conformity of the procedure of their development, as well as...
Secretary General reiterates deep regret over Navalny’s imprisonment
Letter to the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation
Covid-19 and social rights: statement by European Committee of Social Rights
The European Committee of Social Rights statement is aimed at highlighting those rights of the European Social Charter that are particularly affected by the Covid-19 crisis, such as employment and labour rights, the right to social security, social and medical assistance, the right to be...
