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Anti-torture committee calls upon states to review the treatment of life-sentenced prisoners
In its annual report, published today, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) calls upon the 47 Council of Europe’s member states to review their treatment of life-sentenced prisoners according to the individual risk they present, and to provide for their possible...
Council of Europe recommends states to regularly evaluate their level of Internet freedom
The Committee of Ministers today adopted a Recommendation to its 47 member states encouraging them to periodically prepare national reports evaluating their level of respect for human rights with regard to the Internet, and to share their findings with the Council of Europe. The recommendation...
Council of Europe adopts guidelines to protect media freedom and journalists
The Council of Europe today adopted a set of guidelines aimed to ensure the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists in its 47 member states. In a Recommendation, the Committee of Ministers – the organisation´s decision-making body- encouraged states to review their national...
Le Secrétaire Général Jagland rencontre Manuel Valls
La lutte contre le terrorisme, une priorité commune
Democracy through education: European ministers back new tool
Education ministers from across the continent have given their backing to a new tool to help teach democracy and democratic values in schools and other settings. Following a two-day conference in Brussels, representatives of the 50 countries covered by the European Cultural Convention also agreed...
New Council of Europe/EU cooperation agreement for the Western Balkans and Turkey
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, and the European Union’s Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, today made the following statement: “We are happy to announce that the European Commission and the...
New European Roma Institute to promote Roma and Travellers’ cultural heritage
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland made the following statement on the occasion of International Roma Day. “45 years ago, Roma people from across the world came together for the first World Romani Congress, near London, to congregate around their common identity. “Today...
European education ministers to discuss new teaching tool for promoting democracy
Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Education, Brussels, 11-12 April 2016
Nominations for UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 2016
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced the re-opening of nominations for the 2016 Nansen Refugee Award, from Tuesday 5 April to Monday 25 April. The award is bestowed on a person or group for outstanding work on behalf of the forcibly displaced, and aims to...
Escalation of violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region
Statement by Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
In times of crisis, Europe cannot afford to disregard children’s rights
With the new challenges Europe is facing today, governments cannot afford to put children’s rights on the backburner, said participants of the Council of Europe conference that started in Sofia today. “Keeping Europe anchored in democracy, universal human rights and the rule of law is our...
Secretary General on official visit to Poland
Yesterday 4 April, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland had meetings with: The President of Poland, Mr Andrzej Duda The Prime Minister, Ms Beata Szydło The Speaker of the Sejm Mr Marek Kuchciński The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Witold Waszczykowski The Minister of Justice, Mr...
Businesses begin to recognise their human rights responsibilities
The effects of business practices on human rights have become a central issue for human rights protection. For a long time already, concerns have been raised about malpractices related to labour rights, health and safety at work and the use of child labour by some business enterprises. Later on,...
Secretary General Jagland urges return to Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire
Statement by Council of Europe of Secretary General Jagland: "I am dismayed and deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities at the contact line in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Council of Europe urges both sides to stop this totally unnecessary bloodshed which leads nowhere except...
Deputy Secretary General at 500th anniversary of the Ghetto in Venice
Deputy Secretary General has taken part in the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Ghetto in Venice and in the opening of the exhibition on the European Route of Jewish Heritage. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni unveiled a commemorative plate by the Council of Europe at the local Jewish...
Anti-torture Committee calls on Belgium to tackle prison overcrowding and the adverse impact of strikes on inmates
In a report published today, the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee (CPT) calls on Belgium to solve its chronic problem of prison overcrowding and to take measures to ensure that strikes of prison staff do not have a negative impact on inmates. During its visit to Belgium in 2013, the CPT...
Cyprus should enhance refugee protection and alleviate effects of austerity measures on human rights
“Despite some progress made in immigration law and policy, Cyprus’ asylum system still suffers from a number of shortcomings that need to be urgently redressed”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a report based on his visit to Cyprus...
Supervision of the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
Committee of Ministers publishes 9th annual report: Positive trends continue in 2015 – new record number of cases closed
Death penalty in Japan
In a Statement adopted today, the Committee of Ministers representing the 47 Council of Europe member states deplores the execution of Yasutoshi Kamata and Junko Yoshida in Japan on 25 March 2016. The Committee of Ministers recalls that capital punishment contravenes the principles set out in the...
Protecting and empowering people on the Internet - New Internet Governance strategy
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers today adopted its Internet Governance Strategy for 2016-2019, which aims to tackle the challenges to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the rapidly evolving online environment. With the strategy, the Council of Europe endeavours to help the...
Paris joins the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Network
The City of Paris today became a member of the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Programme, which provides support for the establishment of local strategies for managing diversity and integrating migrants and minorities. “I welcome the decision of the City of Paris to join the network of...
Statement by the Committee of Ministers on the terrorist attacks in Turkey and Belgium
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing the governments of the 47 member States, today condemned “in the strongest terms” the terrorist attacks carried out in Turkey and more recently in Belgium. In a Statement, the Committee of Ministers paid homage to the memory of the...
New challenges for children rights in Europe in focus of high-level conference in Sofia on 5-6 April
The refugee influx, rapidly developing digital environment, economic crisis – all these new challenges that Europe is facing today create new risks for human rights of children. How the member States of the Council of Europe can best address these challenges will be the key theme of a high-level...
Ukraine: accountability for serious human rights violations is key to reconciliation process
Statement by Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks following his visit to Ukraine in March 2016
Congress adopts Recommendation following 2015 local elections in Ukraine
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held a debate based on the findings of the observation mission of the local elections in Ukraine on 25 October 2015. Following the debate, the Congress adopted a Recommendation focusing on electoral reform and progress of...
Local and regional democracy in France
On 22 March 2016 the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on local and regional democracy in France following a monitoring visit in May 2015 to Paris, Reims, Ay-Champagne and Châlons-en-Champagne. This is the first monitoring report since...
Jagland: Brussels terrorist attacks targeted European values
At a news conference today, following a meeting with Bujar Nishani, President of the Republic of Albania who is paying an official visit to the Council of Europe, Secretary General Jagland expressed his sympathy and condolences to the people of Belgium after explosions in Brussels claimed several...
Terrorist attacks in Brussels
Statement by Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Jean-Claude Frécon: "Local authorities are able to rise to the challenges facing our societies"
At the opening of the 30th Session of the Congress, the President of the Congress, Jean-Claude Frécon denounced the barbaric attacks committed in recent weeks in several cities and today in Brussels. (more...) Statement by Jean-Claude Frécon Webcast of the debate File - 30th Session of the Congress
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
States should sanction the use of hate speech, while safeguarding freedom of expression, says Council of Europe anti-racism commission
148 prisoners released in Azerbaijan: PACE President applauds decision
“I have received the good news that 148 persons have been released today in Azerbaijan, including Anar Mammadli, winner of the Vaclav Havel Prize, along with political activists, journalists and human rights defenders,” said Pedro Agramunt, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council...
Missing persons: Nine ways for European governments to establish the truth and support victims
“The protracted inability of European countries to shed light on the fate and whereabouts of tens of thousands of persons who are missing or disappeared following conflicts or dictatorships across the continent is an open wound for their relatives and constitutes a serious human rights violation....
EU-Turkey migration agreement: Secretary General welcomes European Commission's clarifications
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has welcomed the clarifications by the European Commission for further developing cooperation between the European Union and Turkey in tackling the migration crisis. “It is extremely important that every application for asylum...
Turkey: lack of openness in parliamentary process and independence of judiciary are sources of concern
In a report published today, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on Turkey to pursue reforms to prevent and curb corruption. The report focuses on corruption prevention in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. It includes a large number of recommendations to...
Anti-torture Committee report on “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published today the report on its visit to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” in October 2014 together with the response of the national authorities. The report examines...
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes on Estemirova case at European Court of Human Rights
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, publishes today his written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on a case concerning the killing of prominent Russian human rights defender Natalia Estemirova. Observing that the murder of Natalia...
Refugee crisis: GRETA report
Urgent need to protect children from human trafficking, say Council of Europe experts
La Commission de Venise publie un nouvel avis sur la France
Commission de Venise : mieux encadrer la réforme constitutionnelle en France afin de respecter pleinement les normes européennes
European Social Charter: “Turin Forum” on Social Rights in Europe
Which role for social rights in a European “crisis exit” environment? An Inter-parliamentary Conference and an international Forum (Turin, 17-18 March) organised by the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the City of Turin and the Council of Europe, will focus on the main challenges for social rights in...
Committee of Ministers: Decisions on execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Committee of Ministers today published the decisions and resolutions adopted at its 1250th special “human rights” meeting (8-10 March 2016) during which it has examined the state of implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The list of the cases which were subjected...
Russian law on Constitutional Court incompatible with international obligations, must be amended, says Venice Commission
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts (the Venice Commission) determines that empowering the Russian Constitutional Court to declare international decisions, including judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as “unenforceable” is incompatible with...
Statement on the risk of a new humanitarian disaster on another Balkan border - Tabanovce
Statement by Tomáš Boček, Special Representative of the Secretary General for migration and refugees
Poland constitutional crisis : Respect Constitutional Tribunal judgments - Venice Commission
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, the Venice Commission, on recent amendments to the law on Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal concluded that crippling the Tribunal’s effectiveness would undermine democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The opinion...
Declaration by Daniel Mitov, Chair of the Committee of Ministers
The case of Ms Nadiya Savchenko has been raised on a number of occasions within the Committee of Ministers. The Committee has already expressed its concern about Ms Savchenko’s health condition and called on the Russian authorities to release her without delay on humanitarian grounds. In my...
Penal Statistics 2014 from Council of Europe Member States
European prisons make some progress to reduce overcrowding, according to Council of Europe survey
European Court of Human Rights judgments: Committee of Ministers examines implementation
The representatives of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe will examine the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights between 8 and 10 March 2016. This supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers is provided for under Article 46 of the European Convention on...
Europe must stop violence against women and sexist hate speech
Statement by the Secretary General
Human rights of refugee and migrant women and girls need to be better protected
For the first time since the beginning of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, women and children on the move outnumber adult men. While in 2015 about 70 % of the population on the move were men, women and children now make up nearly 60% of refugees and other migrants crossing into Europe....
Secretary General Jagland's statement on Zaman media group
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
New action plan to tackle transnational organised crime
New forms of transnational organized crime - such as trafficking in human beings, human organs or illicit arms, and smuggling of migrants - together with traditional types of cross-border organised criminality, require co-ordinated action at international level. The Council of Europe has adopted...
