Newsroom
GRECO report on Cyprus
Council of Europe anti-corruption group regrets slow progress in Cyprus over transparency of party financing and incriminations
Ukraine Anti-torture Report
Authorities take action to combat ill-treatment and intimidation in colonies
Secretary General condemns executions in Indonesia
The head of Europe's 47-nation human rights organisation has condemned eight executions in Indonesia. "The death penalty is a terrible injustice which can never be put right," said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland. Through the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council...
Secretary General Jagland in Sarajevo
Thorbjørn Jagland is visiting Sarajevo for meetings with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Zvizdić. Secretary General Jagland will also meet Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak, Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Semiha Borovac and other government...
Victims and survivors of Holocaust honored at concentration camp in France
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland joined European leaders at a commemoration ceremony on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the only Nazi concentration camp that was located in France. Located in the Vosges Mountains close to the Alsatian village of Natzwiller, the Struthof camp operated...
6th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Cultural Heritage
Cultural Heritage in the 21st century for living better together: a common strategy for Europe
FIFA should hold new vote on 2022 World Cup bid, says PACE
The decision to assign the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was so “radically flawed” by illegal payments that FIFA should hold a new vote under cleaned-up procedures, according to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). “Large sums of money” paid to over 30 senior African football...
Nils Muižnieks: 2014 was a bad year for human rights in Europe
“Last year thousands of people died who should not have died, primarily in the Mediterranean Sea and in eastern Ukraine. They should not have died in a Europe that prides itself on being a space where the rule of law and democracy prevails, on a continent that claims to have drawn lessons from...
Migratory flows in the Mediterranean: the EU should “carry out an urgent and concerted action”
The Assembly today called on the member States of the EU to adopt a comprehensive approach to deal with mixed migratory flows across the Mediterranean, with a view “to carrying out an urgent and concerted action”. At the end of an urgent debate based on a report by Thierry Mariani (France, SOC),...
Didier Reynders: The cradle of our civilisation must not become the grave of those aspiring to be part of it
“It is totally contrary to our vision and our values that the cradle of our civilisation should become the grave of those aspiring to be part of it”, said Didier Reynders, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, today in his statement to the Parliamentary Assembly,...
Procedures 'based on self-determination' for changing gender on ID documents
Transgender people should be able to change their name and gender on birth certificates and identity documents, and European governments should “develop quick, transparent and accessible procedures” for this, “based on self-determination”. In a resolution adopted today, the Parliamentary Assembly...
Putting the child’s best interest first in any placement decision
The Assembly has expressed concern at its plenary session in Strasbourg over the violation of children's rights in some countries, when social services take children into care too rashly. This is all the more tragic when decisions are irreversible, such as in cases of adoption without parental...
Europe must bring a halt to the humanitarian disasters
Jean-Claude Frécon: "Europe must bring a halt to the diabolical sequence of humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean"
Dresden in Germany and Vara in Sweden are the winners of the 2015 Europe Prize
The 2015 Europe Prize – the highest level of the Prize which is awarded each year by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the town most active in promoting the European ideal – has been awarded jointly to the towns of Dresden in Germany and Vara in Sweden. The capital of...
Mass surveillance is counter-productive and "endangers human rights"
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has said that the mass surveillance practices disclosed by US whistleblower Edward Snowden “endanger fundamental human rights” and divert resources that might prevent terrorist attacks. Approving a draft resolution based on a report by...
The King of the Belgians: "let us build and preserve a decent society"
In his speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, the King of the Belgians called for the establishment and preservation of a decent society, expressing his regret at “too many situations in which men and women are not treated with...
Anne Brasseur: the situation in Ukraine and the migration tragedy are our two main challenges
"Human rights are universal. Refugees must be able to live in dignity and in decent conditions! As a guardian of human rights and fundamental freedoms, our Assembly is duty bound to ring the alarm bell and launch a discussion about how we can better address the migration issue from a human rights...
Decentralisation in Ukraine: Council of Europe and Ukrainian Government to set up network of regional hubs to promote reform
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, and the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Henadii Zubko, today laid the foundations for further decentralisation across Ukraine by agreeing a major new network of regional offices to support the reforms. This is a joint initiative...
Situation in Ukraine discussed at the Committee of Ministers
During the meeting of the Committee of Ministers on the 15th of April, Sir Nicolas Bratza, Chair of the International Advisory Panel on Ukraine (IAP), presented to the Ministers' Deputies the report of the IAP reviewing the investigations conducted into the violent events in Maidan. The Deputies...
Human trafficking: Many European states not doing enough for child victims
Governments across Europe need to step up their efforts to identify child victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support they are legally entitled to, according to a new report from the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA)....
Secretary General Jagland at Global Conference on Cyberspace
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is addressing the opening session of the Global Conference on Cyberspace on 16 April in The Hague. The conference aims at discussing the most important developments in cyberspace, and issues ranging from Internet governance and...
Bosnia and Herzegovina referred to FATF International Cooperation Review Group
Council of Europe refers Bosnia and Herzegovina to FATF´s International Cooperation Review Group for insufficient progress on amendments to anti-money laundering legislation
Secretary General at International Forum for Sports Integrity
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is addressing the 1st International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI) : an initiative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that aims to strengthen and co-ordinate all activities to protect clean athletes from match fixing, manipulation of competitions...
A common legal space for both sides of the Mediterranean
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland welcomes representatives from participating countries
Anti-torture Committee report on Spain
Council of Europe anti-torture committee issues report on treatment of irregular migrants in Spain
Supporting democracy in the Southern Mediterranean: Council of Europe/EU initiative
As radical Islam and other challenges limit the hopes of the Arab Spring, a new Council of Europe-EU programme to improve democratic governance in Europe’s southern neighbourhood–with the full co-operation of partner countries in the region–is to be launched on 10 April. High-level government...
International Roma Day (8 April)
Council of Europe initiatives
Arson attack in Germany
Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland has condemned the arson attack on a home for asylum seekers in Troeglitz in eastern Germany
Iran talks statement
Secretary General welcomes joint statement on Iran nuclear talks
HeforShe campaign
Secretary General Jagland backs groundbreaking gender equality campaign in the name of 'strong, safe and prosperous societies'
Recommendations on the protection of personal data in the workplace
The Council of Europe has issued a Recommendation to its 47 member states spelling out the principles they should follow in their national legislation concerning the processing of personal data of employees and job candidates, for example with regard to health data or the monitoring of...
Protecting the global free flow of information on the Internet
The Council of Europe has called upon its 47 member states to promote and protect the free flow of information on the Internet, and to ensure that any blocking of content complies with human rights standards and does not interfere with international Internet traffic. The Committee of Ministers of...
Jagland urges Crimean Tatar TV station to continue
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has expressed his concern over the withdrawal of the broadcasting license for the ATR television station serving Crimean Tatars. “A pluralistic media offer and diversity of content are as important in Crimea as they are anywhere...
Launch of an Internet platform to protect journalism and promote safety of journalists
The Council of Europe is launching today –in co-operation with five partner organisations– an Internet platform aimed at protecting journalism and promoting the safety of journalists. Via the platform, the partner organisations –Article 19, the Association of European Journalists, the European...
Turkish extremist attack
“We must be united in fighting terrorism and united in fighting its causes”
Azerbaijan: Anti-Money Laundering Committee report
Council of Europe calls on Azerbaijan to step up actions to prevent and combat money laundering and terrorism financing
Maidan violence investigations fail European human rights standards
International Advisory Panel presents its review in Kyiv
Remembering the homosexual victims of the Holocaust
"We will not forget the suffering of the past. We will work every day to make sure it doesn’t repeat itself in the future", said Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary of the Council of Europe at the opening of a seminar in Paris on 27 March 2015 on Gay and Lesbian lives in Europe during...
European Convention on Human Rights
European justice ministers back new action plan for implementing human rights judgments
Guaranteeing the rights of LGBT people at local and regional level
The Congress debated and adopted the resolution and recommendation presented by Yoomi Renström (Sweden, SOC) on “Guaranteeing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people’s rights: a responsibility for Europe’s towns and regions”. The texts call on local and regional authorities to...
Report on Maidan violence investigation
International Advisory Panel to present its report in Kyiv on Tuesday
Combating radicalisation in Europe: Congress proposes grassroots measures
The Congress adopted a resolution and a recommendation on 25 March 2015 focusing on the role of local and regional authorities in combating and preventing radicalisation. The Congress will draw up guidelines on preventing radicalisation and manifestations of hate at grassroots level, to be...
European Convention on Human Rights
Implementing the human rights convention: Justice Ministers gather in Brussels
A new convention on trafficking in human organs
The Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs, the first ever international treaty to combat this crime, has been opened for signature at an international conference organised by the Council of Europe and the Spanish government in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). More than...
28th Congress Session begins
"Local responses to human rights challenges – migration, discrimination, social inclusion" is the overarching theme of the two annual sessions of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the March session which started yesterday, then in October. The first day of the...
Supervision of the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
Committee of Ministers publishes 8th annual report: Encouraging results in 2014 – record number of cases closed
Ukraine: Constitutional amendments necessary for effective justice reform
An opinion issued today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, “the Venice Commission”, states that the main obstacles to ensuring an independent judiciary in Ukraine lie in constitutional provisions. Even though Ukraine is facing a particularly trying time, ensuring an...
Human Rights in Serbia
Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks urges Serbia to safeguard human rights of persons with disabilities and displaced Roma
Secretary General condemns deadly attack in Tunisia
All of us at the Council of Europe are shocked at the horrific terrorist attack in our partner country Tunisia. I extend my deepest condolences to all those suffering from the attack and express my solidarity with the people and government of Tunisia.
Trafficking in human organs
Council of Europe convention to be opened for signature at Santiago de Compostela conference
A walk against organ trafficking
Santiago de Compostela to host a Council of Europe walk against organ trafficking
Council of Europe and Ukraine launch new Action Plan
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Klimkin are launching the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017. In Kyiv 17-18 March, Mr Jagland is meeting President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chair of the Verkhovna...
Execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments
Committee of Ministers publishes final versions of decisions and resolutions adopted at first special “human rights” meeting for 2015
Say NO to racism
European Action Week against Racism and Discrimination: 16-22 March 2015
International Women's Day
Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General: "Violence against women won’t stop until we eliminate gender inequality"
Council of Europe calls upon Russia to release Nadia Savchenko
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today called upon the Russian authorities to release Nadia Savchenko without delay on humanitarian grounds. The Committee of Ministers expressed its concern about the rapidly deteriorating health situation of Ms Savchenko, on hunger strike since...
Council of Europe condemns murder of Boris Nemtsov
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, meeting today in Strasbourg, condemned the murder of the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Boris Nemtsov, on 27 February in Moscow. In a statement, the Committee called for a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation into...
Corporal punishment of children
Council of Europe finds France in breach of the European Social Charter
Anti-torture committee: 25 years preventing ill-treatment and torture
What are the challenges to improving prevention of ill-treatment and torture?
Didier Reynders calls on Russia to release Nadia Savchenko and other Ukrainian citizens
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders is concerned about Nadia Savchenko, who started a hunger strike eleven weeks ago to protest against her detention in Russia. The health of Mrs. Savchenko is rapidly deteriorating. Just like any other person under the...
Statement by the Secretary General on the murder of Boris Nemtsov
"I am shocked and appalled by the murder of well-known Russian politician and liberal opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. I express my sincere condolences to his family and friends and to all the Russian people. This political murder is a sign of the climate of hate and intolerance developing in...
European Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Team from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens wins 2015 edition
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes in cases concerning Azerbaijan before the European Court of Human Rights
Today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Hilal Mammadov against Azerbaijan, in which he stresses the systematic deficiencies in the area of freedom of expression,...
Racism and intolerance
Anti-racism Commission publishes reports on Greece and Norway, and conclusions on implementation of recommendations by Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg and Montenegro
Secretary General Jagland welcomes Bosnia Herzegovina’s commitment to undertake necessary reforms
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland welcomed Bosnia Herzegovina’s commitment to undertake reforms in the framework of the European Union Accession Process. He described the declaration by the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina as "an important step in addressing outstanding...
IDA offers Eurimages a 9th Oscar
The 87th Oscars Ceremony, which took place last night in Los Angeles, rewarded the co-production Ida (PL, DK) supported by Eurimages and directed by Pawel Pawlikowski with the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. This film, which has won numerous prizes at the European Film Awards in December,...
Maidan violence investigations
International Advisory Panel overseeing investigations of Maidan violence to deliver report on 31 March
Pennsylvania death penalty moratorium
Council of Europe welcomes moratorium on death penalty in Pennsylvania
Council of Europe on Copenhagen attacks
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, meeting today in Strasbourg, firmly condemned the deadly attacks at the weekend against a cultural centre and a synagogue in Copenhagen. In a Declaration adopted by the 47 Council of Europe member states, the committee stressed that these...
Secretary General joins White House summit to counter violent extremism
Travelling to Washington for the Whitehouse Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will today join leaders, stakeholders and opinion formers in the global fight against terrorism. Speaking on the importance of education in combatting radicalisation, the...
Human rights report on France
France: persistent discrimination endangers human rights
Secretary General condemns desecration of Jewish graves vandalised in Sarre-Union
In a statement on Monday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, condemned the desecration of Jewish graves in Sarre-Union: “I join the French government and President Hollande in condemning this barbaric act of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is on the rise not only in...
Secretary General on Copenhagen shooting
Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland made statement on Copenhagen shooting, stressed commitment to freedom of expression
Child relocation: recommendations on preventing and resolving disputes
Parental disputes over child relocation have become common in Europe and worldwide in recent decades. There is a high potential for conflict as a result of such disputes, and the need to prevent them or resolve them in a satisfactory way is increasing. To encourage the prevention and resolution...
