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Anti-torture Committee calls on Belgium to tackle prison overcrowding and the adverse impact of strikes on inmates
In a report published today, the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee (CPT) calls on Belgium to solve its chronic problem of prison overcrowding and to take measures to ensure that strikes of prison staff do not have a negative impact on inmates. During its visit to Belgium in 2013, the CPT...
Cyprus should enhance refugee protection and alleviate effects of austerity measures on human rights
“Despite some progress made in immigration law and policy, Cyprus’ asylum system still suffers from a number of shortcomings that need to be urgently redressed”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a report based on his visit to Cyprus...
Supervision of the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
Committee of Ministers publishes 9th annual report: Positive trends continue in 2015 – new record number of cases closed
Death penalty in Japan
In a Statement adopted today, the Committee of Ministers representing the 47 Council of Europe member states deplores the execution of Yasutoshi Kamata and Junko Yoshida in Japan on 25 March 2016. The Committee of Ministers recalls that capital punishment contravenes the principles set out in the...
Protecting and empowering people on the Internet - New Internet Governance strategy
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers today adopted its Internet Governance Strategy for 2016-2019, which aims to tackle the challenges to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the rapidly evolving online environment. With the strategy, the Council of Europe endeavours to help the...
Paris joins the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Network
The City of Paris today became a member of the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Programme, which provides support for the establishment of local strategies for managing diversity and integrating migrants and minorities. “I welcome the decision of the City of Paris to join the network of...
Statement by the Committee of Ministers on the terrorist attacks in Turkey and Belgium
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing the governments of the 47 member States, today condemned “in the strongest terms” the terrorist attacks carried out in Turkey and more recently in Belgium. In a Statement, the Committee of Ministers paid homage to the memory of the...
New challenges for children rights in Europe in focus of high-level conference in Sofia on 5-6 April
The refugee influx, rapidly developing digital environment, economic crisis – all these new challenges that Europe is facing today create new risks for human rights of children. How the member States of the Council of Europe can best address these challenges will be the key theme of a high-level...
Ukraine: accountability for serious human rights violations is key to reconciliation process
Statement by Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks following his visit to Ukraine in March 2016
Congress adopts Recommendation following 2015 local elections in Ukraine
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held a debate based on the findings of the observation mission of the local elections in Ukraine on 25 October 2015. Following the debate, the Congress adopted a Recommendation focusing on electoral reform and progress of...
