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Official award ceremony of the 2023 Europe Prize to the city of Bolesławiec
On 18 August, the city of Bolesławiec (Poland) held a ceremony to celebrate the official award of the Europe Prize 2023, in the presence of a large public and representatives of twinned cities, the business sector, schools, the church and various associations, the President and municipalities of...
Belarus: Statement by PACE rapporteur on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the presidential elections
“The 3rd anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections of 2020 in Belarus is a moment to mark our solidarity with all those Belarusians who have chosen freedom, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law,” said Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC), rapporteur on “Call for a national political...
PACE’s General Rapporteur for political prisoners strongly condemns Alexei Navalny’s recent sentencing
“I strongly condemn Alexei Navalny’s sentencing on 4 August to further nineteen years in prison under a special regime for ‘extremism’-related charges, during a closed hearing in a penal colony,” today said Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), PACE’s General Rapporteur for political prisoners. Mr...
Green skills for Youth: towards a sustainable world
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
10 August 1949: first session of PACE forerunner held in Strasbourg
La première session de l’Assemblée consultative, qui devint plus tard l'Assemblée parlementaire du Conseil de l'Europe (APCE), se tint le mercredi 10 août 1949, dans l’aula du Palais universitaire, place Brant, à Strasbourg. Le président provisoire, l’homme d’État français Edouard Herriot,...
Greece marks anniversary of joining the Council of Europe
On 9 August 1949, Greece became the eleventh member of the Council of Europe. The organisation had been founded in London three months earlier on 5 May by the ten original member countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United...
8 August 1949: first meeting of the Committee of Ministers
Monday 8th August 1949 marked the start of a momentous week for the Council of Europe. It began with a meeting chaired by Belgium’s long-serving Foreign Minister Paul Henri Spaak, which saw the first gathering of the Committee of Ministers. Later in the week there was a similar debut for the...
15th anniversary of armed conflict between Georgia and Russia
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
Human Rights situation in Russia
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
Environmental sustainability: a priority for social inclusion
The Council of Europe Bank (CEB) works hard to keep the environmental footprint of its social investments as light as possible. Not only is this essential for our planet, but the Bank believes that social inclusion and progress on the environment, particularly climate action, go hand in hand, and...
Environmental sustainability: a priority for social inclusion
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) works hard to keep the environmental footprint of its social investments as light as possible. Not only is this essential for our planet, but the Bank believes that social inclusion and progress on the environment, particularly climate action, go hand...
European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: let’s keep Roma history alive to shape an inclusive Europe today and tomorrow
Ahead of European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, has called on all states to remember the hundreds of thousands of Roma lives lost during World War II and to ensure that Roma history is kept alive to shape the Europe...
Congress supports Ukraine in strengthening dialogue between national, regional and local authorities
Invited to open a meeting of a new body – the Ukrainian Congress - created by President Zelenskyy to consult with Ukrainian local and regional authorities, the Council of Europe Congress stressed the importance of sustaining local democracy to ensure a full democratic recovery after the war. In...
Humanitarian Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
Pylos shipwreck investigation: Human Rights Commissioner addresses letter to Greek Prime Minister
In a letter to the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, stresses that Greece has a legal obligation to conduct effective investigations into the Pylos shipwreck, which resulted in the death of more than 80 persons...
Against multiple crises backdrop, the fight against human trafficking must remain high on all stakeholders’ agenda, says GRETA
Multiple crises, conflicts and the climate emergency increase vulnerabilities to human trafficking and diversify trafficking risks, which is why governments and other stakeholders must allocate adequate attention and resources to combating it. This is the message from the Inter-Agency...
Poland: Venice Commission recommends repealing “fundamentally flawed” Law on State Commission to Investigate Russian Influence
In an urgent opinion, the Venice Commission recommends that the Polish authorities revoke the “Law on the State Commission to Investigate Russian Influence on Internal Security in the Republic of Poland between 2007 and 2022” at their earliest convenience to prevent it from having a negative...
Fitch Upgrades Council of Europe Development Bank to 'AAA', stable outlook
Fitch Ratings has upgraded the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) to its highest rating: AAA stable outlook, up from the previous AA+ rating, which was assigned two years ago together with a positive outlook. With this decision, the CEB now has the highest rating with all the major credit...
Anniversary of the Oslo and Utøya attacks: ‘We must keep on drawing the lessons from this terrorist act’ says PACE President
“12 years ago, 77 innocent people were massacred in Norway by a far-right terrorist in what was the deadliest attack in Norway’s history since the end of World War II. The majority of victims were teenagers, participating in a socialist youth camp at the island of Utøya. I wish the families and...
22 July 1964: Convention on the Elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia opened for signature
We all expect the medicines we take – from cholesterol-lowering drugs to antibiotics or vaccines – to be safe, effective and of high quality. The European Pharmacopoeia (also referred to as the Ph. Eur.) plays a pivotal role in making sure that is the case. The Ph. Eur. is the legally binding...
Albania and the Republic of Moldova mark 28 years of Council of Europe membership
On the same day in July 1995, Albania and the Republic of Moldova respectively became the 35th and 36th members of the Council of Europe. Representing Albania on July 13 was the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alfred Serreqi, while the Republic of Moldova was represented by its Minister of...
Human Rights Commissioner: European states’ migration co-operation with Tunisia should be subject to clear human rights safeguards
“Council of Europe member states should insist on clear human rights safeguards in any further migration co-operation with Tunisia”, says Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in relation to the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and...
Romania should step up efforts to investigate and prosecute money laundering and strengthen supervision
A new report from the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL calls on the Romanian authorities to further strengthen measures to combat money laundering (ML) and the financing of terrorism (TF) (See Executive Summary). The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the...
Council of Europe Week in the Republic of Moldova: art, flash mobs and films raise public awareness of human rights issues
From 10 to 16 July 2023, on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of Republic of Moldova's accession to the Council of Europe, the Office in Chisinau, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, organised a “Council of Europe Week 2023”. The programme was put together...
Seat of Register of Damage: Secretary General signs agreement with the Netherlands
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has signed the host State Agreement with the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding the Seat of the Register of Damage, caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Forty-three members are participating in the Enlarged Partial...
CPT issues reports on Belgium and Cyprus, monitoring a Frontex-supported return operation to the Democratic Republic of Congo
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published two reports on its 2022 ad hoc visits to Belgium and Cyprus in the context of a Frontex-supported return operation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, together...
Accountability for crimes during war of aggression against Ukraine: Committee of Ministers exchange of views with civil society
On 10 July, the Committee of Ministers Rapporteur Group on Legal Co-operation held an exchange of views with representatives of civil society on accountability for crimes during the war of aggression against Ukraine. Under the theme “The Accountability for Crimes Under International Law Committed...
Congress addresses UN High-Level Political Forum
The United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York is taking place against a critical backdrop: most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be achieved as planned by 2030. To speed up their implementation, the Congress is calling on states worldwide to empower cities and...
MONEYVAL calls on North Macedonia to improve investigation and prosecution for combating money laundering and financing of terrorism
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL calls on North Macedonia’s authorities to further strengthen its measures to combat money laundering (ML), financing of terrorism (FT) and financing of proliferation (FP), in particular in the investigation and...
Liverpool Summer School tackling illiberal democracies, post-summit challenges and opportunities
The Liverpool Summer School on the Law of the Council of Europe (3-14 July) has begun, with 42 young scholars from 15 Council of Europe member states. This is the first such Summer School that Liverpool University has hosted and comes just two months after the Summit of Heads of State and...
Secretary General meets EU Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Dubravka Šuica, the European Union (EU) Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography. Highlighting the strategic partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Union, the Secretary General and Vice-President Šuica...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Latvia
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published the report on its May 2022 periodic visit to Latvia, together with the response of the Latvian authorities. The main objective of the visit was to review the treatment and...
“Let us remember Srebrenica and learn from it”
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
Deputy Secretary General meets the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva
Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge had a meeting with Volker Türk, United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. The meeting focused on strengthening relations between the two organisations and their complementarity, including in the implementation of the...
Luxembourg needs a 24/7 national specialist helpline and gender-sensitive risk assessment to counter violence against women
In its first report on Luxembourg, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) welcomes the “resolute measures” taken by the authorities to stop domestic violence over the past two decades, which reflect a positive political...
Secretary General underlines Council of Europe role at Dubrovnik Forum 2023
“To prevent the “next Russia” we need to recognise the damage that is done by the rise of extreme populism, nationalism and “anti-rights” movements”, highlighted Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić at the Dubrovnik Forum 2023 "Navigating the Global Reshuffle". While addressing the...
Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2024: call for nominations officially launched
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has officially launched the call for nominations for the Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2024 on 5 July 2023. The 10,000 euros prize is awarded every two years to an individual, group of individuals or an organisation that has achieved something...
25th Anniversary of European Social Charter Collective Complaints Procedure: in pursuit of human rights and social justice
The 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter (ETS No. 158) has been marked by an event organised by the Council of Europe’s Department of Social Rights, attended by a wide range of leading stakeholders (governments, social partners, civil...
Secretary General meets Bujar Osmani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia and OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and Minister for Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani. Underlining the longstanding positive relationship between the Council of Europe and the OSCE, the Secretary General and Chairman in Office...
Significant increase in sanctions and measures without deprivation of liberty in Europe: SPACE II annual statistics for 2022
The number of persons in Europe subject to sanctions and measures which keep offenders in the community grew significantly from January 2021 to January 2022, consolidating the last decade’s general trend, in contrast with the decrease caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous year. These...
Secretary General on official visit to Georgia
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the President and key ministers during an official visit to Georgia. Meeting Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili, the Secretary General reaffirmed the Council of Europe’s full support to the ongoing reform process, highlighting the strategic...
Secretary General supports the authority of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić today made the following statement: “I strongly condemn the adoption of the Law on the non-application of decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Republika Srpska by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska....
Migration: Anti-torture committee reports on November 2022 visit to UK
The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT) has published the report on its ad hoc visit to the United Kingdom in November 2022, together with the response of the UK authorities. The focus of the visit was to examine the treatment of foreign nationals arriving by small boat in the UK...
The European Union deposited the instrument of approval of the “Istanbul Convention”
The European Union has ratified today the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CETS No. 210), known as “Istanbul Convention”. In a ceremony at the Palais de l’Europe, in the presence of Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić,...
The Conference of Participants of the Register of damage caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine holds its first meeting
The Conference of Participants of the Register of damage caused by the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine held its constitutive meeting, bringing together the representatives of more than 40 countries. The Register will serve as a record of evidence and claims for damage, loss or...
Secretary General meets Minister of Culture of North Macedonia
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has exchanged views today with Minister of Culture of North Macedonia, Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska. The Secretary General highlighted the measures taken to ensure non-discrimination, diversity and inclusion and address the challenges of democratic...
European incarceration rate increased following the end of Covid-19 lockdown measures: Council of Europe’s annual penal statistics released
The end of lockdown measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic produced a rebound effect in the incarceration rates in many European countries between January 2021 and January 2022: the median incarceration rate rose by 2.3% in countries exceeding one million inhabitants, according to the Council...
Austria and detention: While vast majority of detainees report no ill-treatment, a new report outlines some poor conditions and a shortage of health-care staff in prisons
For persons held in police custody in Austria, the “vast majority” of detainees interviewed by a delegation of the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) made no allegations of ill-treatment, according to a CPT...
MONEYVAL publishes follow-up reports on Albania and Slovenia
The Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL has published new reports on Albania and Slovenia assessing measures to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing. In a follow-up report released on 21 June, MONEYVAL finds that Albania has improved its measures for tackling money...
Secretary General on official visit to the United Kingdom
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met key ministers and personalities during an official visit to the United Kingdom. Meeting the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly, the Secretary General highlighted the Fourth Summit of the Heads of...
Council of Europe’s commission against racism and intolerance publishes monitoring reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, conclusions on Norway
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published this week new monitoring reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The Commission outlines areas of progress, outstanding issues and provides recommendations for improving the situation. It has also published...
Anti-torture committee critical of police ill-treatment and poor living conditions for remand prisoners in Montenegro
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its ad hoc visit to Montenegro, which took place from 7-13 June 2022, together with the response of the Montenegrin Government. To address the...
Slovenian President makes the case for the Council of Europe in tackling regional and global problems, climate crisis, international law violations
Advocating the Council of Europe’s role as the legal bedrock of Europe, promoting the human right to clean and healthy environment, working with the young people, continuing support to Ukraine in fighting against Russia’s aggression and thinking about post-war reconstruction, as well as...
Secretary General highlights Council of Europe role at Ukraine Recovery Conference
“The Council of Europe has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine. This includes doing what we can to ensure that when peace comes, it is just and durable. A firm foundation on which the country can rebuild with strong, democratic institutions. A clear European perspective and a positive...
Secretary General meets Slovenian President
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia. At their meeting, which took place in Strasbourg, the Secretary General commended Slovenia and the President for their support for the promotion of the protection of the right to...
Latvian Foreign Minister: Ukraine must receive all the support it needs
“The Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik was an important milestone for the organisation at a critical time and resulted in strong European unity in responding to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” said Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Chair of the Committee of...
Secretary General meets Committee of Ministers Chair Rinkēvičs
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has had an exchange of views with Edgars Rinkēvičs, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia. The meeting focused on the implementation of the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government decisions and on the...
States need to improve criminal asset recovery in combatting money laundering, says MONEYVAL Committee
In its annual report for 2022 the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing body MONEYVAL warns that the recovery of proceeds from crime across states remains insufficient and calls on governments to step up their efforts to strengthen their national frameworks for...
World Refugee Day: The Council of Europe maintains its focus on protecting the vulnerable
Each year on 20 June, the world marks World Refugee Day, to draw attention to the plight of millions of people who have been forced to flee war, violence and persecution and to the international obligations under the United Nations 1951 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Refugees. In the face...
Council of Europe Secretary General meets Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met Péter Szijjártó, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. They discussed the follow up to the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government and the role of the Council of Europe to uphold peace and democratic security in Europe. They...
Secretary General’s Question Time at Parliamentary Assembly
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has responded to parliamentarians’ questions at the PACE Summer session’s Question Time. During a lively Q & A session, Marija Pejčinović Burić highlighted the results of the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in...
Hungary Foreign Minister addresses PACE
Addressing the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), which is meeting in Strasbourg for its 2023 Summer Session, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, referred to the foreign policy of his country in the context of the war of aggression against Ukraine. ...
Parliamentary Assembly Summer plenary session
A joint urgent debate (*) on the political consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics, will be a highlight of the Summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)...
Serbia urged to strengthen criminal justice response to human trafficking, improve assistance to victims
Over the past five years, several legislative changes relevant for combatting trafficking in human beings were adopted in Serbia. However, further steps are needed to ensure effective access of victims to justice and effective remedies, said the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking body GRETA in...
Council of Europe Commission for the Efficiency of Justice adopts “Backlog reduction tool”
The Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) has adopted a new tool designed to help countries reduce backlogs of court cases, a frequent issue encountered by many states and highly detrimental to the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, as...
Anti-trafficking body urges Slovenia to better identify victims of human trafficking
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking group GRETA calls on the Slovenian authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies, and to strengthen the identification of victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and amongst...
GRECO calls on European governments to ensure access to information to help fight corruption
The Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) has expressed concern about the restrictive application of the right of access to information in some European states and called on authorities to respect international standards in this field. In its annual report for 2022,...
Summary of Iceland’s Presidency of Committee of Ministers
The Council of Europe has published a summary of Iceland’s six-month Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, which came to an end on 17 May 2023 in Reykjavík at the 4th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe. Iceland took over the Presidency on 9 November 2022,...
GRETA publishes 2022 annual report, highlighting the need for more action and resources to tackle human trafficking in Europe
The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its annual report for 2022 which provides an overview of its activities, including meetings, evaluation visits, country reports and round tables, as well as its co-operation with Council...
Venice Commission publishing opinions that were adopted in latest plenary session
The Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts of the Venice Commission are publishing several opinions that they had adopted during their latest closed plenary in Venice on 9 and 10 June. Published opinions include the following: An interim opinion on Article 49.3 of the Constitution of...
Secretary General meets Justice Minister of Armenia, welcomes progress in execution of judgments
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Grigor Minasyan, Minister of Justice of Armenia. She welcomed Armenia’s excellent progress with regard to the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. In this context, she noted the recent establishment of the...
Spain urged to guarantee compensation to victims of human trafficking and to step up investigations of trafficking for labour exploitation
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the Spanish authorities to guarantee effective access to compensation to victims of human trafficking and to increase proactive investigations into trafficking for labour exploitation. In a...
Secretary General addresses 56th Joint Meeting of Council of Europe Development Bank in Athens
Addressing the 56th Joint Meeting of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić underlined the CEB’s actions and their positive impact across its member states. Speaking at the event in Athens, the Secretary General welcomed the decision made last year...
Poland must take further steps to tackle human trafficking, say Council of Europe experts
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the Polish authorities to take further action against human trafficking, notably by effectively preventing and combating trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and improving the...
