Newsroom
Secretary General condemns terrorist attacks in Turkey, conveys condolences
Statement on the Istanbul bomb attacks
Turkey : state of emergency justified but measures taken excessive - Venice Commission
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts – the Venice Commission – concludes that Turkish authorities had been confronted “with a dangerous armed conspiracy” and had “good reasons” to declare the state of emergency, but that measures taken by the Government...
Lithuania: ensure better protection for persons with disabilities, children and victims of domestic violence
“I welcome the commitment expressed by the authorities to move away from the practice of placing children without parental care and people with disabilities in institutions. However, many persons continue to live in an institutional environment. The authorities should intensify their efforts to...
International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December
To mark the International Anti-Corruption Day, the president of the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO), Marin Mrčela, today made the following statement: “Combating corruption is not only a matter of new laws, but also a matter of ethics and individual behaviour,...
Hate speech is not free speech, says Secretary General ahead of Human Rights Day
Speaking ahead of Human Rights Day on 10 December, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has warned that hate speech and free speech should not be confused. “We look back at what has been achieved and we think of the many people who have endured hardship and given...
Abolition of death penalty and public opinion
The death penalty is a violation of fundamental human rights: the right to life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. It does not deter crime more effectively that other punishments, and it is impossible to ensure that innocent people are not executed. The...
National human rights structures: protecting human rights while countering terrorism
Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks publishes his latest Human Rights Comment
Secretary General Jagland on official visit to Moscow for talks with President Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is visiting Moscow on 6-7 December 2016 with an official visit to meet with the President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Speaker of the Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation...
Counter-terrorism operations in the South East of Turkey caused widespread human rights violations
“Numerous human rights of a very large civilian population in South-Eastern Turkey have been violated as a result of curfews imposed and anti-terrorism operations conducted there since August 2015. I call on Turkey to stop using curfews in such a manner, investigate all allegations of human...
Under-representation of women in political life undermines democratic processes in the Eastern Partnership countries: new study
Democracy should apply to all women and men equally, concluded participants at an international conference that took place in Kyiv on 1 December, where a new regional study on the situation in Eastern Partnership countries was presented. The event focused on women’s political representation in...
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
In the run-up to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December), the head of the 47-nation Council of Europe has called on European governments to draw on the newly-adopted Disability Strategy (2017-2023) to make human rights a reality for all. Secretary General Jagland said:...
Mexico to join the Council of Europe’s drug policy platform The Pompidou Group
Mexico will become the 39th member of the Council of Europe’s drug policy cooperation platform The Pompidou Group, it was announced today by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Earlier this month in Venice, Ambassador Santiago Oñate Laborde of Mexico presented Mexico’s drug policies...
Council of Europe at the 2016 Internet Governance Forum
The protection of privacy and personal data continue to face unprecedented threats – linked to mass surveillance and other risks. Cybercrime is increasing as the internet and communication technology develop across borders. International co-operation and the effective implementation of legally...
Hungary should make money-laundering fight a greater priority
The Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing body (MONEYVAL) in its report published today, welcomes that the number of investigations and prosecutions for money laundering in Hungary are on the rise. However, it considers that the fight against money laundering...
Budapest ministerial sports conference
Council of Europe and WADA sign partnership agreement
Ministerial sports conference in Budapest: a unified approach to integrity in sport
Speaking at the opening of the conference, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, stressed the need for a unified approach to integrity in sport to address challenges: “there will be no progress on match-fixing unless governments agree to, and...
Ireland: advance equality of Travellers and women
“I am deeply concerned at the persisting social exclusion and discrimination Travellers are confronted with in Ireland”, said the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks today, concluding a three-day visit to the country. With Travellers having been affected in a gravely...
End violence against women: 25 November
25 November : International campaign for the elimination of violence against women. The Human Rights Channel website includes an “Actions” page which asks you to share this message on the web and on social media. >Help us to help them!
New opinion on the role of court presidents
The Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) adopted an opinion on the role of court presidents. In this Opinion, the CCJE clarifies the role of court presidents concerning the representation of the court, relations within the court with other judges, and presidents’...
Refugees speak out at Lisbon Forum, amid calls to improve coordination of humanitarian aid
Refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria explained their experiences at this year’s Lisbon Forum, as calls were made to improve coordination to assist them as humanitarian crises continue. Adam, a 26-year-old Syrian student in Portugal, explained how programmes like the Global Platform for...
Celebrating 10 years of stronger Council of Europe/EU relations
Secretary General Jagland and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, are launching a series of initiatives to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union. In the presence...
Committee of Ministers: Estonia hands over chairmanship to Cyprus
The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from Estonia to Cyprus, 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 outgoing Chair,...
Doping, match-fixing and good governance on the agenda of Sport Ministers conference in Hungary
European Sport Ministers will meet on Tuesday 29 November in Budapest (Hungary) at a conference organised by the Council of Europe under its Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), aimed at more effectively combating doping, promoting implementation of the Convention on match-fixing and...
Armenia: positive developments for life prisoners, problems with prison conditions
In its new report on Armenia published today, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) noted positive developments in the treatment of life-sentenced prisoners, but pointed out remaining problems with ill-treatment in the police custody, understaffing and lack of...
Russian Federation: The Group of States against Corruption publishes its Second Compliance Report
The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group (GRECO) today made public its Second Compliance Report on the Russian Federation concerning incriminations (criminalisation of corruption) and transparency of party funding. GRECO concludes that the Russian Federation has now implemented...
Deputy Secretary General at WADA meeting in Glasgow
Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni participated today, as one of the European representatives, to the Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Prior to this meeting, public authorities' officials met in London, at the invitation of the Council of...
Azerbaijan: Statement by Secretary General Jagland on the decision of the Supreme Court today rejecting the appeal by Ilgar Mammadov
“Today, Azerbaijan’s highest court has failed to uphold the country’s legal obligation to execute the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights. The severity of this development for Azerbaijan as a member of the Council of Europe cannot be underestimated. Azerbaijan’s flagrant disrespect of...
Intolerable detention conditions during Belgian prison strike says Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee
In its report published today, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has described the disturbing situation it found during its visit in May 2016 to Huy, Ittre and Jamioulx prisons, as well as in the social defence...
End Child Sex Abuse Day
European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
Treaties of Nijmegen Medal for the European Court of Human Rights
President Guido Raimondi has received the prestigious Treaties of Nijmegen Medal on behalf of the European Court of Human Rights at a ceremony in the Netherlands on Friday 18 November. The prize is awarded every two years to a key international figure or institution in recognition of their...
Official visit of the President of Poland Andrzej Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda today paid an official visit to the Council of Europe. Following a meeting with Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, President Duda had an exchange of views with the Ministers’ Deputies. He also met with Guido Raimondi, President of the European Court of Human...
Cybercrime: towards a new legal tool on electronic evidence
“The 15th anniversary of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is a turning point, in that the Convention is now reaching out into the ‘clouds’,” said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, at the opening of the 2016 Octopus conference. Data, and therefore electronic...
Migrants in limbo in Europe have the right to live in dignity
“In some countries, they call them “invisible persons”, in others – “ghosts”. Throughout Europe there are many migrants, primarily rejected asylum seekers, who live in a state of protracted legal and social limbo without any long-term prospects.”, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe...
European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
Statement by Jürgen Ligi, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Protecting you and your rights: the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime fifteen years on
Fifteen years after its adoption, the Budapest Convention remains the most effective international treaty on cybercrime and the rule of law in cyberspace. Achievements and challenges, such as access to electronic evidence and the use of information technology for terrorist purposes, will be...
Internment of Gypsies by France between 1940 and 1946
Special Representative for Roma Issues welcomes President Francois Hollande’s historic acknowledgement
"Public Service Media and Democracy" conference in Prague 10-11 November 2016
On 10 November 2016 in Prague, the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schultz and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, will open a conference on ‘Public Service Media and Democracy’. The conference is jointly organised by the Council of Europe and its...
Democracy Innovation Award
The Council of Europe’s Democracy Innovation Award goes to German initiative in favour of higher education for refugees
2016 Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue
The role of education in the prevention of radicalisation
World Forum for Democracy (7-9 November 2016, Strasbourg)
“Democracy and equality: does education matter?”
Statement by Jürgen Ligi, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Situation in Turkey
Conference in Tallinn on children’s rights in migration crisis and digital environment
An international conference on Children’s rights in the migration crisis and the digital environment is taking place in Tallinn, Estonia from 3 to 4 November 2016. It is held under the current Estonian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In his opening speech,...
Secretary General Jagland concerned about the situation of Ildar Dadin
Thorbjørn Jagland yesterday expressed his concern about allegations of ill-treatment of human rights activist Ildar Dadin in a telephone call to Alexander Konovalov, Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation. The Secretary General underlined the importance of the joint work carried out by the...
Nominations for UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 2017
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced the opening of nominations for the 2017 Nansen Refugee Award. The award is bestowed on a person or group for outstanding work on behalf of the forcibly displaced, and aims to showcase the values of perseverance and conviction...
Rotterdam: Summit of Mayors for the “Alliance of European cities against violent extremism”
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the City of Rotterdam and the European Forum for Urban Security (Efus) are organising a Summit of Mayors for the “Alliance of European cities against violent extremism” on Wednesday 9 November 2016 in Rotterdam, the...
Anti-torture committee critical of treatment and conditions of migrants and refugees in Hungary
In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) welcomes cooperation of Hungarian authorities during its visit last year to detention centres and police detention facilities for foreigners, but...
The Czech Republic should improve measures to prevent corruption among MPs, judges and prosecutors
In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on the Czech authorities to make substantial reforms to strengthen the prevention of corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors (see also the Czech version of the report) GRECO...
Turkey: Secretary General Jagland concerned about state of emergency measures and freedom of expression
Council of Europe of Secretary General Jagland has commented on recent developments in Turkey in a statement released on Monday: "It is highly questionable if the raid against Cumhuriyet can be justified as a proportionate measure, even under the state of emergency. I am also concerned about the...
Secretary General on official visit to Monaco
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland will have an Audience with Prince Albert II of Monaco and meet the followings officials: - Mr Philippe Narmino, Director of Judicial Services - Mr Serge Telle, Minister of State - Mr Christophe Steiner, Chairman of the National...
Statement by the Spokesperson of the Secretary General on the arrest of co-mayors of Diyarbakır
It is a matter of particular concern to the Council of Europe when democratically-elected representatives are deprived of their liberty. We will ask the authorities in our member state Turkey to provide us with the necessary explanations.
