Newsroom
Moldova: dissolution of parliament did not meet required conditions
In an opinion adopted today, the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, the Venice Commission, found that the conditions for the dissolution of parliament clearly did not exist in the Republic of Moldova on 7 or 8 June 2019. The Venice Commission considers that the Constitutional Court...
Lithuania: more needs to be done to combat human trafficking
Lithuania has made progress in tackling human trafficking in recent years, but improvements are needed to prevent trafficking for labour exploitation, protect children from trafficking and provide victims with assistance, accommodation, health care and access to compensation. These are among the...
New reports on minority and regional languages in Czechia and Hungary
The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of the Council of Europe has published reports on the situation with regional and minority languages in Hungary and Czechia. In the report on Czechia, the Committee notes that progress has been made, but draws...
Combating human trafficking in Germany
In a new report published today, the Council of Europe expert body on trafficking in human beings (GRETA) praises Germany for having significantly evolved its national legal framework against human trafficking since the first evaluation of the implementation of the Convention on Action against...
Re-run of mayoral election in Istanbul: Congress sends international observers
Following the decision taken on 6 May by the Turkish Supreme Election Council to cancel the 31 March election of the Mayor of Istanbul, a delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will observe the re-run of the mayoral election on 23 June 2019, at the...
Ireland : concerns over Roma and Travellers
Irish society has demonstrated increasing levels of tolerance in recent years, but national strategies or actions plans on key issues – such as the integration of Travellers and Roma communities – suffer from a lack of clear and concrete implementation plans. Furthermore, Traveller communities in...
Refugees and diverse societies, which policies for the intercultural city?
The Intercultural Cities (ICC) programme has launched a series of didactic and awareness videos addressing local governments wishing to evolve as intercultural municipalities. The videos give insights on how to adapt cities’ institutions and services to the needs of a diverse population by...
Death penalty in Belarus : execution condemned
The Committee of Ministers deeply deplores the execution of Mr Alyaksandr Zhylnikau, announced on 13 June 2019. It calls on the Belarussian authorities not to carry out the execution of Mr Vyachaslau Sukharko, condemned for the same crime as Mr Alyakasandr Zhylnikau. The Committee of Ministers...
Protecting victims of terrorism
A workshop on the protection of victims of terrorist acts will be organised on Thursday 20 June in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights. Its aim is to raise awareness of the Council of Europe Guidelines (2017) on the protection of victims of terrorism and to...
Member states must assume more responsibility for rescuing migrants at sea and protecting their rights
“European states’ approach to migration in the Mediterranean Sea has become much too focused on preventing refugees and migrants from reaching European shores, and too little on the humanitarian and human rights aspects. This approach is having tragic consequences”, said Dunja Mijatović, Council...
European Dialogue on Internet Governance in The Hague
A Council of Europe delegation will contribute to the debates of 2019 edition of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) to be held in The Hague on 19 and 20 June. Organised under the theme “Co-operating in the digital age”, the event will bring together representatives of...
Commission for Efficiency of Justice adopts new tools on cyberjustice and mediation
At its 32nd meeting (Strasbourg, 13-14 June 2019), the CEPEJ adopted a Toolkit for the implementation of the Guidelines on Cyberjustice, a European Handbook for Development of National Legislation on Mediation as well as Guidelines on designing and monitoring mediators training schemes. These...
GRECO: looking ahead after 20 years fighting corruption
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is organising an international conference in Strasbourg on 17 June to mark its 20th anniversary. Held under the auspices of the French Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the event will discuss GRECO’s achievements in assisting states to...
Strengthening data protection globally with “Convention 108+”
An international conference in Strasbourg on 12 June will discuss the role of the Council of Europe’s modernised data protection convention, “Convention 108+”, in fostering a common legal regime for data protection at global level and the need for states to accede swiftly to this treaty. Opened...
Italy ratifies Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions
Italy has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, during a ceremony today at the Palais de l’Europe, with Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni and Ambassador Michele Giacomelli, Permanent Representative of Italy to the Council of...
Anti-racism commission publishes its annual report
Hate speech and xenophobic populism remained major concerns in Europe in 2018
Statement of the Secretary General on the situation in the Republic of Moldova and the Venice Commission
I am extremely concerned by the latest developments in the Republic of Moldova. I call on the democratically elected Parliament, the legitimate Government and all political forces to act with restraint and responsibility. Recent decisions of the Constitutional Court are difficult to understand...
Statement concerning Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has made the following statement with regard to the situation of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov in Russia: “I am very much concerned and saddened by reports coming from Moscow alleging that investigative journalist Ivan...
Várpalota conference: Smart, democratic and inclusive cities
Faced with rapid urbanisation, climate change and increasing pressure on city services, including transport and healthcare, European cities must adapt by developing smart-city technologies. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has organised a conference on this topic, entitled "Smart...
Screening of persons working with refugee children insufficient to protect them from sexual abuse
European states have only partially implemented recommendations of 2017 to protect children affected by the refugee crisis from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, concluded an evaluation report adopted by the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Committee at its latest meeting and published today....
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The latest case-by-case decisions on the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The committee adopted 32 decisions concerning 16 member states at the end of its quarterly human rights...
Roma and Travellers’ history in school curricula: working towards a recommendation on their inclusion
Meeting in Toulouse
New anti-racism commission reports on Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovenia
This week the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published new reports on Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovenia, as well as conclusions on seven other countries. In its report on the Netherlands, (ECRI) welcomes the process to include further discrimination...
GRETA publishes second report on Finland
Anti-trafficking expert group urges Finland to improve the identification of child victims of human trafficking
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 4 to 6 June. Information on the cases to be examined during the meeting is available here. Decisions taken...
Committee on Bioethics organises seminar on public debate
The Committee on Bioethics (DHBIO) organises, under the auspices of the French Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, a High-level seminar on public debate as a tool for the governance of new technologies. The objective of the event will be to explore why public debate on biomedicine and human...
Congress to observe Istanbul mayoral repeat election on 23 June
Following the decision taken on 6 May by the Turkish Supreme Election Council to cancel the 31 March election of the Mayor of Istanbul and at the invitation of the Turkish authorities, a delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will observe the...
Fight against corruption in Latvia: Anti-corruption group regrets lack of progress
In a report published today on corruption prevention in Latvia in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group (GRECO) regrets the lack of measures concerning regulation on lobbying, parliamentary ethics and conflicts of interest. Despite...
Anti-corruption group calls for better rules to manage revolving doors in U.S. Congress
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) today published a report that takes aim at the persisting revolving door problem in the U.S. Congress. At a time when polls indicate all-time lows in government trust, the report stresses the need for passage of congressional...
Human trafficking: Experts underline the need to help victims
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has stressed the need for states across Europe to provide a wide range of assistance to victims of human trafficking. In its latest annual report, published today, GRETA sets out a series of legal...
Award-winning films supported by Eurimages in Cannes
The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which came to a close on Saturday evening, saw a total of 7 co-productions supported by the Eurimages Fund with 9 prizes. In official competition, the GRAND PRIX was awarded to Atlantique by Mati Diop (FR, SN, BE) and the prize for BEST DIRECTOR to...
Council of Europe-UNHCR seminar on protecting refugee and migrant children in Portugal
Key stakeholders from the Council of Europe, UNHCR (the United Nation’s refugee agency) and national experts from Portugal gathered in Lisbon this morning for the start of a seminar to discuss the “Effective Protection of Refugee and Migrant Children in Portugal”. The two-day event, organised...
Making women’s rights a reality: conference unifies efforts for global application of Istanbul Convention
French State Secretary Schiappa denounces backlash against women’s rights
Improving cooperation to end violence against women
From domestic violence to rape, to trafficking of migrant girls and female genital mutilation, violence against women takes many forms – and it requires concerted action to stop it. A Council of Europe conference in Strasbourg on Friday 24 May – open to media, in Room G03 of the AGORA building –...
Council of Europe to send experts to Yerevan
Telephone conversation between Secretary General Jagland and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan
Council of Europe publishes Annual Statistics on Probation
Over 1.8 million people under the supervision of probation agencies in Europe, according to survey
Commissioner for human rights publishes report on Hungary
Hungary should address interconnected human rights issues in refugee protection, civil society space, independence of the judiciary and gender equality
Using technology in managing offenders in prison and probation: conference in Ayia Napa
La conférence annuelle du Conseil de l’Europe des directeurs des services pénitentiaires et de probation, qui se tiendra les 21 et 22 mai à Ayia Napa (Chypre), portera sur les avantages et les risques liés à l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies dans la gestion des suspects et des auteurs...
France takes over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
The Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe passed today from Finland to France, after a meeting attended by 30 foreign affairs ministers from the Organisation’s member countries. Addressing the Committee of Ministers, the outgoing Chairman, Timo Soini, Minister for...
Foreign Ministers : rights, obligations and action priorities of Member States
As the Council of Europe is celebrating its 70th anniversary, over 30 Foreign Affairs Ministers from the 47 member states reaffirmed the importance of the Organisation as a unique platform for dialogue and co-operation. Meeting in Helsinki for their annual session, the Ministers declared that:...
Treaty ceremony on the margins of the Committee of Ministers’ meeting in Finland
On the occasion of the meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states on 16 and 17 May 2019 in Helsinki (Finland), a celebratory treaty event has allowed governments to sign and/or ratify a number of Conventions, as follows: Protocol amending the...
Ground-breaking international treaty on match-fixing to enter into force in September
The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, also known as the Macolin Convention, will enter into force on 1 September. Switzerland today became the fifth Council of Europe member state to ratify the convention – following Norway, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova...
Online child sexual exploitation and abuse addressed at a regional conference at the Council of Europe
The Council of Europe organised a regional conference on tackling online child sexual exploitation and abuse on 16 and 17 May in Strasbourg. It is the first major event of the Council of Europe’s project to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse @ Europe (EndOCSEA@Europe). While the exact...
Ministers for Foreign Affairs to discuss role of Council of Europe as the Organisation turns 70
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe’s 47 member States will hold their annual meeting on 16 and 17 May 2019 in Helsinki (Finland). On this occasion, the Ministers will be invited to take key decisions for the future of the Organisation which is currently facing a number of...
Tackling information pollution – high-level conference in San Marino
How do we begin to address the challenge information pollution? Since the results of the ‘Brexit’ vote in the UK, Donald Trump’s victory in the US and Kenya’s recent decision to nullify its national election result, there has been much discussion of how information disorder is influencing...
All lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex persons must be protected from discrimination in law and practice
Ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia marked on the 17th of May, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland urged for justice and full protection against discrimination for all persons, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity and...
Unboxing artificial intelligence: 10 steps to protect human rights
Ensuring that human rights are strengthened and not undermined by artificial intelligence is one of the key factors that will define the world we live in”, says Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in a Recommendation published today. This Recommendation – entitled...
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, on the use of sign languages in Europe
“I welcome the support expressed today by the Committee of Ministers to the promotion and protection of sign languages in Europe”, stated Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland on 14 May. In a reply to the Parliamentary...
Georgia: anti-torture committee commends authorities for combatting ill-treatment, urges to address informal prisoner hierarchy and lack of out-of-cell activities, improve mental health care
In the report on Georgia published today, the Council of Europe anti-torture Committee welcomed the absence of allegations of ill-treatment in the institutions visited, commended the efforts to address overcrowding, improve access to healthcare and living conditions. However, the committee urged...
Ethnic profiling: a persisting practice in Europe
“Racial or ethnic profiling in policing has been defined as “the use by the police, with no objective and reasonable justification, of grounds such as race, colour, languages, religion, nationality or national or ethnic origin in control, surveillance or investigation activities”. Though by no...
Germany: anti-torture committee calls on authorities to ensure better treatment of foreign nationals being removed by air
The monitoring of a return flight of Afghan nationals from Munich to Kabul (Afghanistan) on 14 August 2018 is the subject of a new report published today by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) (see the executive...
Cultural Routes: Carlos V European Award ceremony
The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation delivered today, on the occasion of Europe Day, the "Carlos V European Award" to the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme. His Majesty the King of Spain presented the prize to the Council of Europe´s Secretary General...
The European Union and the Council of Europe to strengthen their support for good governance in the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood
The European Union and Council of Europe are extending the Partnership for Good Governance programme to help strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The second phase of the programme (worth €17.5 million...
Secretary General Jagland: statement on Turkish Supreme Election Council’s decision on re-run of local elections in Istanbul
“With regard to the Turkish Supreme Election Council’s decision on a re-run of the local elections in Istanbul, I refer to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the only international body who had been invited to observe the local elections on 31 March. We...
Secretary General Jagland meets President Emmanuel Macron
Secretary General Jagland today met with President Emmanuel Macron for an exchange on the current challenges facing the organisation ahead of the French presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which begins on 17 May. Addressing the press alongside President Macron,...
70th Anniversary of the Council of Europe
Joint statement by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly Liliane Maury Pasquier and the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers Timo Soini
Sweden needs to raise awareness in the government and in the police about conflicts of interest and “friendship corruption”
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called for further measures to prevent corruption in Sweden in respect of persons entrusted with top executive functions, including ministers, state secretaries and senior political...
2019 Theme: Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation
World Press Freedom Day – 3 May 2019
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers
Genuine political commitment needed to protect press freedom
“The state of journalists’ freedom and safety in Europe has reached an alarming point. The killing of journalist Lyra McKee and the violence and intimidations against journalists covering demonstrations in several European countries are the most recent examples which show that press freedom in...
Freedom of expression: report assesses the situation in 2018
A report, published today on the eve of World Press Freedom Day by the Council of Europe´s Information Society Department, maps out the major threats to freedom of expression in Europe in 2018 and the actions that governments should carry out to counter them as a matter of priority. The report...
Anders Knape meets President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko
Congress President Anders Knape met President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 29 April 2019, in Minsk. Welcoming the interest of the Belarusian authorities to improve local self-government, President Knape underlined the Congress readiness to support the current process in this...
Police should improve interviewing practices to prevent ill-treatment, says anti-torture committee
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) today stressed the need for police forces in Europe to improve the way suspects are interviewed when carrying out criminal investigations. In its annual report, the CPT indicates that in...
Two Western Balkan countries still struggle with migration flows but face different challenges
Commending Bosnia and Herzegovina in its effort to provide shelter and basic services to the high number of arrivals of migrants and refugees, the Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees Tomáš Boček, stressed in a report published today, that access to asylum...
Young refugees should receive additional temporary support after the age of 18, recommends the Committee of Ministers
Recommendation of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to member states
Open day 5 May 2019: visit the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 60th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights, come and visit two distinctive buildings on an open day to be held on Sunday 5 May from 10 am to 6 pm. This open day will be an opportunity to learn about how the rights and...
Responses to prison overcrowding in Europe
High-Level Conference in Strasbourg
European human rights moot court competition
Students from University of Oxford (United Kingdom) were declared winners of the seventh edition of the European Moot Court Competition in English on the European Convention on Human Rights, after beating a team from the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridshi" (Bulgaria) in the final round. The...
Secretary General Jagland’s meeting with Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Secretary General Jagland today met with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. They discussed the increasing cooperation between the Council of Europe...
Secretary General: Decision by Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) to bar elected candidates from taking office raises questions of rule of law
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has written to the President of the Supreme Electoral Board of Turkey, Mr Sadi Güven Letter
Georgia: Venice Commission publishes urgent opinion on the nomination of Supreme Court judges
The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has just issued an “urgent opinion” for Georgia on the selection and appointment of Supreme Court judges, as requested last month by the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia. Text of the Urgent Opinion
Le comité anti-torture publie un rapport sur l’Andorre
Le Comité européen pour la prévention de la torture et des peines ou traitements inhumains ou dégradants (CPT) du Conseil de l'Europe a publié un rapport sur sa visite en Andorre en 2018, ainsi que la réponse des autorités andorranes. (Voir également le résumé du rapport). La visite a permis au...
Integration policies should not pursue migration-control goals
The Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees Tomáš Boček has published an Issue Paper on human rights aspects of immigrant and refugee integration policies based on a comparative assessment of 11 Council of Europe member states. The Issue Paper focuses on specific...
Congress calls on Turkey to respect the voters decision in the 31 March local elections
Reacting to reports from Turkey about elected representatives in the south-east of the country not having been appointed mayors despite their victory in the 31 March local elections, Anders Knape, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, stressed the...
PACE urges international action against money-laundering "laundromats"
PACE has expressed its deep concern at the extent of money laundering in Council of Europe member States, notably the recent examples known as the “Global Laundromat”, the “Azerbaijani Laundromat” and the “Troika Laundromat”, and has urged improved national mechanisms and international...
Nikol Pashinyan: "Armenia is today unequivocally a democratic country"
“Armenia is today unequivocally a democratic country with absolute freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and our government is continuing to enhance respect for human rights,” said Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, addressing the Assembly today. “We have managed to root out...
