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Anti-torture committee issues a report on Spain
Anti-torture committee acknowledges some positive steps in Spain, but calls for ending fixation in prisons and juvenile centres
GRETA report on Belgium: the authorities asked to improve the identification of child trafficking victims
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published today its second evaluation report on Belgium. The report assesses developments since the publication of GRETA’s first evaluation report on Belgium in September 2013 as regards the...
CPT signs monitoring agreement with International Criminal Court
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has concluded an Exchange of Letters with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to monitor the treatment of persons sentenced by the Court. Under the terms of the Exchange of...
Committee of Ministers: the Czech Republic hands over chairmanship to Denmark
The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from the Czech Republic to Denmark, at a meeting at the Organisation's Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of its 47 member States. Before handing over the chairmanship to his successor, the...
MONEYVAL publishes a report on Andorra
MONEYVAL welcomes reforms in Andorra to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, but calls for some improvements
Eastern Partnership: Council of Europe and EU present joint project results
The Council of Europe and the European Union have presented results for their joint projects in the six Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The projects, conducted under the Partnership for Good Governance initiative, were aimed...
Malta should step up efforts to enhance protection of women’s and migrants’ rights
“I welcome the government’s efforts to combat domestic violence in Malta. The transposition into domestic law of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, currently debated in parliament, is a decisive step forward. However, more...
Council of Europe Democracy Innovation Award goes to Russian investigative newspaper The Insider
Today, at the closing session of the World Forum for Democracy, the Council of Europe announced that the winner of its Democracy Innovation Award was the initiative The Insider. The Insider is an investigative newspaper that seeks to provide its readers with information about the current...
Council of Europe partners with leading technology companies to promote respect for human rights
The Council of Europe will strengthen its co-operation with the private sector in order to promote an open and safe internet, where human rights, democracy, and the rule of law are respected. Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland signed the agreement – in the form of an exchange...
Preventing corruption in respect of MPs, judges and prosecutors – Conference in Prague
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic are organising a conference in Prague on 9 and 10 November to discuss stepping up the implementation of measures to prevent corruption in respect of Members of Parliament, judges...
Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities should spare no effort to build a truly cohesive society and effectively protect media freedom
“The authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina should lay the foundations for a more cohesive society by tackling the disruptive legacy of the war. It is particularly crucial to step up the prosecution of wartime crimes and uphold the human rights of all civilian war victims, especially internally...
PEN International joins Council of Europe platform to protect journalists
The Executive Director of PEN International, Carles Torner, today signed the agreement to join the Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists with the Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland. The platform allows trusted media freedom organisations to...
Council of Europe pledge to promote gender equality for Roma and Traveller women in politics
Participants attending a Council of Europe conference on Roma and Travellers are pledging to promote gender equality for Roma and Traveller women in politics. The Council of Europe pledge takes into account that electoral quotas are often an effective means of achieving significant, rapid...
European Conference of Judges "Judicial Integrity and Corruption"
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland will open the European Conference of Judges: "Judicial Integrity and Corruption", to be held at the Council of Europe on 7 November 2017. This conference, organised by the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) will allow to...
Andorra should improve measures to prevent corruption in respect of MPs, judges and prosecutors - GRECO report
In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body (GRECO) concludes that Andorra’s framework to prevent corruption amongst members of parliament, judges and prosecutors is generally satisfactory, but calls for a number of improvements. GRECO welcomes Andorra’s efforts to...
Secretary General Jagland on official visit to Denmark
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, made an official visit to Denmark on 3 November where he met the Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anders Samuelsen, the Minister for Justice Søren Pape Poulsen and the Minister for Equal...
2017 Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue
“Migrants and refugees: challenges and opportunities - What role for religious and non- religious groups?”
French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Council of Europe
President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed France’s support for the Council of Europe and its institutions during a visit to the organisation’s headquarters in Strasbourg, where he met the Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland before making a speech at the European Court of Human Rights. During a...
Tackling disinformation in the global media environment – new Council of Europe report
A report published today by the Council of Europe examines the way in which dis-information campaigns have become widespread and, heavily relying on social media, contribute to a global media environment of information disorder. Whilst acknowledging that the direct and indirect impacts of...
World Forum for Democracy: ‟Is Populism a Problem?”
At this time when democracy is being undermined by people’s lack of trust in politicians and elites in general, the World Forum for Democracy 2017, being held from 8 to 10 November, will focus on the role of political parties and the media in the context of rising populism. One year after Donald...
2017 Crystal Scales of Justice Prize goes to Norwegian Court Administration
The Council of Europe has rewarded the Norwegian Court Administration the 2017 Crystal Scales of Justice prize for its initiative “Witness Service in Norwegian courts”. The Prize, which rewards innovative judicial practices in the European judicial institutions, was given on the occasion of the...
The situation of German minority in Denmark rather satisfactory, but media presence and general awareness need to be improved
The German language is in a rather satisfactory position in Denmark with regards to education and cultural life. However, German is hardly ever used before the courts; there is a lack of radio and television programmes in German, and of public awareness of the German minority in general. These...
Ending restrictions on family reunification: good for refugees, good for host societies
“Many refugees have to leave family members behind when they flee their homes. This adds more hardship to the trauma of exile”, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today. “Once they have found safety in Europe, being...
Ilgar Mammadov case: Council of Europe notifies Azerbaijan of intention to launch a special procedure for the execution of the judgment
The Committee of Ministers of the 47-nation Council of Europe has formally notified Azerbaijan of its intention to launch legal action related to the implementation of the Ilgar Mammadov v. Azerbaijan judgment from the European Court of Human Rights. The court ruled in May 2014 that the arrest...
Ending sexual exploitation and abuse of children: towards a world of trust
Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention celebrates its 10th anniversary
Italian Justice Minister Orlando signs “Blood Antiquities” Convention
The Minister of Justice of Italy, Andrea Orlando, signed today with Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni the new Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property (CETS No.221), known as the “Blood Antiquities” Convention. The Convention on Offences relating to...
Council of Europe launches Twitter campaign against illegal bird killing
The Council of Europe’s Bern Convention is launching a social media campaign to raise awareness on illegal bird killing. The launch coincides with a report by the BirdLife Partnership which underlines the extent of this environmental crisis. An estimated 36 million birds are illegally killed...
Secretary General appalled by attack against Russian journalist
Secretary General Jagland is appalled by the violent attack against Tatiana Felgenhauer, Deputy Editor of Ekho Moskvy, which took place on the premises of the well-known Russian radio station. The Secretary General wishes to express his support to Ms Fegenhauer, who is now hospitalised, and to...
Social rights committee condemns local authority housing in Ireland
The European Committee of Social Rights has partially upheld a complaint from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) against Ireland concerning local authority housing. The committee found Ireland to be in violation of the European Social Charter on the grounds that the government...
GRECO issues recommendations to prevent corruption to INGOs Conference
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published today an assessment of the framework to prevent corruption and address conflicts of interest of the Council of Europe's Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs). GRECO recommends a number of measures, including...
Testimonies and debate on reception of unaccompanied migrant children in European towns
On 18 October 2017, during its 33rd session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held a debate on the reception of unaccompanied migrant children in European towns. Yoomi Renström (Sweden, SOC) commented that although, in this year’s statistics, the number of...
Belgium: Congress adopts report on local democracy in a context of linguistic diversity in the municipalities with language facilities
On 19 October 2017, in Strasbourg, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe examined a report on the functioning of the organs of local democracy in a context of linguistic diversity in the “communes with facilities” in the Flemish region around Brussels (Belgium)....
Petr Mlsna: “Supporting local and regional democracy is a top priority of the Czech Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers”
Deputy Minister for Legislation and Archiving, Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Petr Mlsna, presented the key priorities of the Czech Chairmanship during the 33rd Congress Session in Strasbourg, on 18 October 2017. Among them, Mr Mlsna pointed out the importance of supporting...
Report: The situation of migrants and refugees in Serbia and transit zones in Hungary
“Thousands of migrants and refugees who travelled along the Western Balkans’ migration route in 2015 and 2016 are now stranded in Serbia in a precarious legal situation” says the Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees Ambassador Tomáš Boček in a report published...
Telephone conversation of Secretary General Jagland with Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland today had a phone conversation with the Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül. They discussed the latest developments regarding human rights defenders, including the Director and Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, Idil Eser and Taner...
Thorbjørn Jagland: “Member states have a duty to ensure Council of Europe principles are respected”
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, today addressed Congress members during their 33rd Session in Strasbourg, France. “Our Organisation, which covers the European continent from the Atlantic to Vladivostok, promotes fundamental standards, particularly those of the...
First evaluation of Greece’s compliance with the Council of Europe’s Anti-trafficking Convention: progress made, but gaps remain
In its first report on Greece, the Council of Europe’s expert group against human trafficking (GRETA) praises positive steps taken by Greek authorities to combat human trafficking, but also highlights a number of shortcomings. GRETA welcomes the adoption of anti-trafficking legislation, the...
Murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
Statement by Secretary General Jagland
Turkey: Anti-torture committee publishes report on 2015 visit to immigration detention centres
At the request of the Turkish authorities, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has today published the report compiled following its visit to a number of immigration detention centres in the country in June 2015. The report notes that the visit took place at a...
Switzerland should reinforce its human rights protection framework and better respond to the needs of vulnerable migrants
Reinforcing the institutional and legal framework for safeguarding and promoting human rights and enhancing the protection of migrants and asylum seekers are the key recommendations addressed to the Swiss authorities by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, in a...
Women in power: Major inequalities remain across Europe
European countries are still struggling to achieve gender balance in public decision-making, according to a new report from the Council of Europe. The report looks at progress made by 46 countries towards the goal set by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in 2003 of having at least...
Commissioner urges Azerbaijan to investigate allegations of human rights violations of LGBT persons recently arrested and detained in Baku
Today Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks published a letter sent on 9 October to Ramil Usubov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, in which he calls for thorough investigations into serious allegations of human rights violations of LGBT persons recently arrested and detained in...
Republic of Moldova: important advances on addressing domestic violence, but more progress needed in justice reform
Declaration by Human rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks at the end of his five-day visit to the country
33rd Session of the Congress
Unaccompanied refugee minors, local and regional democracy, situation in Catalonia and fight against corruption amongst the highlights
Ukrainian law on education: implementing the conclusions of the Venice Commission
The Assembly today expressed its concern about the articles relating to education in minority languages of the new Education Act recently adopted by Verkhovna Rada and deplored the fact that “there was no real consultation with representatives of national minorities in Ukraine”. While noting that...
The role of internet intermediaries as gatekeepers to freedom of expression – Conference in Vienna
The role and responsibilities of internet intermediaries, which critically influence the way we receive and impart information in the digital age, will be the focus of a conference on internet freedom, organized by the OSCE and the Council of Europe in Vienna on Friday 13 October. The function of...
CPT publishes highly critical report on prisons in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
In a report published today on its December 2016 visit, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) strongly criticises the conditions of detention and treatment of inmates at Idrizovo Prison, which holds some 60 % of the...
Germany ratifies Council of Europe convention to end violence against women
Monitoring procedure to be strengthened as a result
Call for Fourth Summit and harmonised rules for member states’ participation in the Organisation’s statutory bodies
PACE today unanimously called for a Fourth Council of Europe Summit to preserve and further strengthen the pan-European project in a Europe which has profoundly changed since the last Summit 12 years ago. Such a Summit of Heads of State and Government should define, at the highest political...
Petro Poroshenko: Ukraine is fighting on two fronts – one military, the other for reform
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said his country is fighting a war on two fronts at the same time – one to counter military aggression and restore its territorial integrity, and the other to implement difficult and complex reforms. Addressing PACE today in Strasbourg, he hailed his...
