Newsroom
Kosovo*: High time to restore social cohesion and safeguard media freedom
“Many victims of the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo*, in particular displaced persons, families of missing persons and victims of wartime sexual violence, are still trying to re-build their lives, find out the truth about their loved ones and access justice. The on-going political deliberations have...
New search engine to follow the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
The Council of Europe’s Department for the Execution of Judgments launched a new search engine which aims to improve the visibility and transparency of the process of execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights: HUDOC-EXEC This new search engine (based on the existing HUDOC-ECHR...
Challenges to gender equality and women’s rights continue to thrive in Europe
The Council of Europe has just published the 2016 annual report on the implementation of its 2014-2017 Gender Equality Strategy by its member states which looks at how existing challenges to women’s rights are being addressed. Among the challenges identified in the report is the critical...
Decentralisation in Ukraine: political settlement needed for building lasting peace, says Secretary General
Ukraine urgently needs an inclusive and sustainable political settlement on which lasting peace can be built, and decentralisation remains a major part of it, said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland today in Strasbourg. Speaking at the event “Decentralisation in Ukraine:...
Deputy Secretary General in Lucca for protection of cultural property through criminal law
Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini Dragoni will participate in an international seminar on “A New Perspective on the Protection of Cultural Property through Criminal Law”, which will take place on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th of February in Lucca, Italy (Complesso di San...
Ukraine: Statement of the Secretary General on the worsening humanitarian situation in Donbas
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland made the following statement today: “I am deeply concerned by news from Donbas and reports of heavy fighting, resulting in the loss of lives and a worsening humanitarian situation affecting many civilians including children. We are particularly concerned about...
High time for states to invest in alternatives to migrant detention
“The use of migrant detention across Europe, whether for the purpose of stopping asylum seekers and other migrants entering a country or for removing them, has long been a serious human rights concern.” says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human...
Anti-trafficking experts urge Italy to better protect unaccompanied children
The Council of Europe Group of experts against human trafficking (GRETA) has published today a report on the implementation of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by Italy. The report assesses the specific situation of forced returns of victims of trafficking from Italy...
New Convention on Cinematographic Co-production at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam
In common with many other creative industries, the film industry now operates as part of a worldwide content market. Digital technology has made this possible by reshaping not only how films are made, but how they reach their audience. To respond to these challenges, the Council of Europe opens...
Secretary General on a visit to Georgia
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is in Georgia on an official visit on 30 January 2017, to meet high-level officials and discuss the co-operation of the country with the Council of Europe. The Secretary General’s agenda includes meetings with the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili;...
Isle of Man: strong legal basis for tackling money laundering, but improvements needed in practice
European experts have praised the Isle of Man’s legal system for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism, whilst also expressing a number of concerns about how it works in practice. Today’s report from the Council of Europe’s expert committee on money laundering and the financing...
Data Protection Day: guidelines to protect the people behind Big Data
Ahead of Data Protection Day on 28 January, the Committee of the Council of Europe´s Data Protection Convention, also known as “Convention 108”, adopted this week Guidelines on Big Data aiming to assist policy makers and organisations processing personal data to place people at the centre the...
President Raimondi presents the European Court of Human Rights’ results for 2016
Speaking at the annual press conference of the European Court of Human Rights on 26 January 2017, President Raimondi took stock of the year 2016 and reported that the volume of incoming cases, after falling over the previous two years, had considerably increased. This had largely been the result...
Assembly rapporteur’s visit to Rome focuses on “Youth against corruption”
Eleonora Cimbro (Italy, SOC), rapporteur for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will conduct a fact-finding visit to Rome on 1-2 February, in the context of the preparation of her report on “Youth against corruption”. This visit aims to examine, in particular, the role...
European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) publishes its annual conclusions for 2016
European Committee of Social Rights finds 166 violations related to employment, training and equal opportunities in 34 countries in 2016
Klaus Werner Iohannis: "Euro-phobia is not just against the values of the EU, but those of the CoE too"
“One of the main challenges we all face in Europe is, unfortunately, the rise of populism, radicalism, xenophobia and Europhobia. Europhobia is not just against the values of the European Union. It is also very much against the fundamental values, principles and norms of the Council of Europe,”...
Committee of Social Rights publishes its Conclusions 2016: Live webcast of the press conference on 25 January
The European Committee of Social Rights will make public its Conclusions 2016 on state compliance with the European Social Charter as regards to rights related to employment, training and equal opportunities. The publication of the Committee’s conclusions and findings will be marked by a press...
Media freedom under serious threat in many European countries
PACE has expressed its concern at the many cases of serious threats to media freedom in Europe listed by the Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, set up by the Council of Europe in 2015. A resolution adopted today by the Assembly, on the basis of a report by...
Secretary General addresses PACE: tackling the challenges of populism, fake news, terrorism and migration; the situation in Turkey
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland attributed the rise of populism in Europe and elsewhere to a widespread loss of faith in democratic institutions. He said the solution was to find answers to the everyday problems faced by...
Nicos Anastasiades expresses his determination to resolve the Cyprus problem
A resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the values of the Council of Europe, respecting liberties and human rights, is a sine qua non condition for stengthening democratic security in Europe and the south-eastern Mediterranean region, said Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus,...
Commemoration events for victims of the Holocaust
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland today opened a series of ceremonies to mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. In front of the commemorative stone on the forecourt of the Palais de l’Europe, addresses and wreath-laying were also made by Nicos...
EU and Council of Europe should combine strengths in a ‘strategic partnership', said Commissioner Hahn
The EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn has hailed the Council of Europe’s role as a “moral compass”, and called for the Council of Europe and the EU to combine their strengths in a strategic partnership to boost their shared values in a time of change. Addressing parliamentarians in...
Ioannis Kasoulides: Cypriot chairmanship to focus on strengthening democratic security in Europe
“The main theme we have chosen for our chairmanship is the strengthening of democratic security in Europe,” said Ioannis Kasoulides, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus and Chair of the Committee of Ministers, addressing the Assembly today. Given the series of recent terrorist attacks, he...
Monitoring visit by the Congress to Switzerland
A delegation from the Congress will carry out a monitoring visit to Switzerland from 23 to 25 January 2017. The delegation will examine the situation on local and regional democracy in the light of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, ratified by the country in 2005....
Monaco doit consolider les progrès accomplis en matière de protection des droits des enfants, des personnes handicapées et des personnes LGBTI
« Monaco a accompli ces dernières années des progrès importants en matière de protection des droits de l’homme. Ils doivent cependant être consolidés, notamment en améliorant encore la protection des droits des personnes les plus vulnérables, telles que les enfants, les personnes handicapées et...
Secretary General’s Opinion on the European Pillar of Social Rights
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has published today his Opinion on the European Union initiative to establish a European Pillar of Social Rights. In his letter to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, Council of Europe Secretary General highlighted the fact that this...
Italy: GRECO calls for reinforced measures to prevent conflicts of interest in Parliament and the judiciary
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published today its Fourth Round Evaluation Report on Italy. It focuses on the prevention of corruption amongst members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. GRECO praised Italy for the measures taken in recent years to...
United States encouraged to enhance measures to prevent conflicts of interest in respect of Members of Congress, judges and prosecutors
In a report published today, the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) acknowledges that the United States has in place a solid legal, ethical and institutional framework to prevent and fight corruption in respect of Members of Congress, judges and prosecutors....
Georgia should continue reforms to prevent corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, says new report
In a report published today, the Council of Europe's anti-corruption body, Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), acknowledged considerable progress in reducing corruption in Georgia and improving the country’s standing in international indices, and called on the Georgian authorities to...
Slovenia: Parliament must ensure that legislative reform on migrants complies with human rights obligations
“Slovenian parliamentarians should reject amendments to the Aliens Act that are contrary to international human rights and refugee protection standards by which Slovenia is bound”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a letter addressed to...
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2017: call for nominations
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the Vaclav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation, has today issued a call for nominations for the 2017 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The Prize, created in 2013, aims to reward outstanding civil society action...
Russia: decriminalising domestic violence would be a clear sign of regression, says Secretary General Jagland
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland sent a letter today to the Chairpersons of the State Duma and the Federation Council of the Russian Federation expressing his deep concern at the legislation which, if adopted, would decriminalize domestic violence in Russia. “I call upon you...
The media and journalism in Europe, highlight of the Parliamentary Assembly winter part-session
Debates on attacks against journalists and media freedom in Europe, the challenges and accountability of online media and journalism, and the need to end cyberdiscrimination and online hate speech will be at the heart of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) winter plenary...
Study on the rights of children in biomedicine
The Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) has published a study prepared at its request by researchers from Uppsala University Department of Law (Sweden) on the challenges posed to the rights of the child by scientific and technological developments in biomedicine. The study will be used as the basis...
Terrorist attack in Jerusalem, Israel
Statement by Thorbjørn Jagland, Council of Europe Secretary General
New Year’s Eve terrorist attack in Istanbul
Statement by the Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Ioannis Kasoulides, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus
Council of Europe colloquy on protecting cultural heritage from destruction and trafficking
High-level representatives from international organisations and national governments, as well as academic experts, are in Strasbourg today for a colloquy aimed at strengthening cooperation to protect cultural heritage from wanton destruction and preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural...
Secretary General Jagland condemns terrorist attack in Istanbul
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland condemning the terrorist attack in Istanbul "In these first hours of 2017, my heartfelt thoughts are with all those affected by the bloody terrorist attack on innocent people in Istanbul who were celebrating the New Year. The Council of...
Congress rapporteurs complete fact-finding mission to Turkey
From 18 to 20 December 2016, the rapporteurs on Turkey of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Anders KNAPE (Sweden, EPP/CCE) and Leen VERBEEK (Netherlands, SOC) carried out the second part of their fact-finding mission to Turkey, to investigate the recent...
Recent terrorist attacks in Europe
Statement by the Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Ioannis Kasoulides, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus
Suspected terrorist attack in Berlin: Secretary General statement
'The Council of Europe mourns with Germany today for the victims of the suspected terror attack on a Christmas market in Berlin which killed and injured so many innocent people. The responsible way in which the German authorities are handling and communicating this crisis is exemplary. I express...
Statement by Secretary General Jagland on murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov
"I am shocked and deeply saddened by the assassination of the Russian Federation's Ambassador to Turkey in Ankara today. I present my sincere condolences to the Russian authorities and to the family and colleagues of Ambassador Karlov. All of us at the Council of Europe express our solidarity...
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland condemns terrorist attack in Turkey
Statement on bomb attack in Turkish city of Kayseri
North-South Prize 2016 recognises efforts towards migrants, refugees and democracy
The North-South Center of the Council of Europe is pleased to announce that Ms Guisepina Nicolini, Mayor of the City of Lampedusa, and Ms Mbarka Brahmi, member of the Tunisian parliament have accepted the nomination of the jury of the North South Prize to be the recipients of the 2016 North South...
Anti-torture committee criticises inadequate safeguards for foreign nationals returned by air from Italy and Spain
In two reports published today on Italy and Spain, the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT) criticises the lack of adequate safeguards for foreign national returned by air from these countries, in particular concerning the way the individuals concerned are informed of their imminent...
Cooperation with national human rights bodies to protect freedom of expression and journalists
The Council of Europe and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) are jointly organising on 15 December in Strasbourg a high level seminar to discuss the potential for co-operation to promote and protect freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in member...
Key to Europe becoming a death penalty free area lies in Belarus, say participants at Minsk conference
A conference on the abolition of the death penalty and public opinion, organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus was held in Minsk today. Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Yevgeny Shestakov and the UK Ambassador to Belarus Fionna Gibb...
Latvia urged to ensure gender equality and foster an inclusive society
Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks releases report on his visit to the country in September
GRECO report: Greece should step up its fight against corruption in politics
A new report by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) on Greece finds that transparency in party financing and the incriminations of bribery and trading in influence have not improved further since it last issued a report in June 2015. Despite recommendations by GRECO...
Committee of Ministers reviews the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
On 7-9 December, representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe held their fourth “Human Rights” meeting of 2016, during which they examined the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in keeping with the supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers,...
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...
