The Week Ahead: Key Events and Meetings

An event on “Confidence in Tomorrow” will be organised in the framework of the celebrations of the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe under the Presidency of Liechtenstein. Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein Domenik Wanger will deliver opening speeches.
The event seeks to further renew and strengthen the close relationship between the mission of the Council of Europe and the current and future generations of young people. It is organised for young people to share their aspirations and commitment to a democratic Europe and to contribute, as irreplaceable partners for the present and the future of Council of Europe to shaping the future of democracy and human rights on the European continent.
The programme will feature plenary sessions, working groups organised according to the key themes of the event, integrating also themes brought up by the participants; a specific attention will be placed on the application of the Reykjavík Principles for Democracy in the shaping of the mutual roles of the participants and the Council of Europe.
The opening of the photo and video competition for young Europeans “Human Rights: Camera, Action!” dedicated to the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe will be announced to participants and launched online on 14 May.
The programme will also feature a dialogue session on 16 May with Ministers of Foreign Affairs attending the solemn Committee of Ministers meeting. Key messages of the youth event will be conveyed by the young participants as part of the official programme of the celebrations in the Strasbourg Opera House on 16 May.
Programme - Concept note - Contact: Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41

The Foreign Ministers of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe will hold their annual session on 17 May, against the background of the Organisation’s 75^th anniversary.
The agenda will include the measures which the Council of Europe is continuing to take in response to the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, implementation of the Reykjavik Declaration (adopted at the Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2023) and the adoption of a Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
At the end of the meeting, Liechtenstein will hand over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers to Lithuania. The Liechtenstein Minister for Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport, Dominique Hasler, will take stock of her presidency. The Lithuanian Prime Minister, Ingrida Šimonytė, will present the priorities of her country’s presidency.
A press conference is scheduled at 1 pm on Friday 17 May with the Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein, the Prime Minister of Lithuania and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić.
On 16 May, the Foreign Ministers will take part in a ceremony to mark the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe.
More information - Contact: Estelle Steiner, Tel. +33 3 88 41 33 35

13-15 May, Barcelona, El Born Centre for Culture and Memory (Spain)

President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ Chamber of Regions Tunç Soyer will participate in the General Assembly and Festival of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA).
On 13 May, he will address the panel dedicated to “Local Democracy, engaging globally: a European Perspective”.
The festival’s agenda also includes panels and events on migration, participatory democracy, gender equality, digitalisation and many other issues. The new Governing Board of ALDA, will be elected on 13 May.
Contact: Jaime Rodriguez, tel. +33 6 89 99 50 42

14 May, Strasbourg

The European Court of Human Rights will notify in writing 12 judgments concerning the Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia and Russia.
More information – ECHR Website, tel. +33 3 90 21 42 08

14 May, Berlin  

Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge will participate in the conference on “How can interreligious engagement help to re-invigorate the European democracies?”.
Contact: Päivi Suhonen, tel. +33 6 69 76 52 89

14-15 May, Lublin (Poland)

On the occasion of its 5th meeting, the Committee of Experts on Intercultural Inclusion will continue its work towards the development of tools for building member state capacity on intercultural integration and inclusion in support of the implementation of the Recommendation on multilevel policies and governance for intercultural integration at national level. The meeting will be held in camera.
On 14 May, a press briefing will be held at Lublin City Hall at 9.00 am and the welcoming words at 9.30 am will be open to the media.
Draft annotated agenda – Contact: Panos Kakaviatos, tel. +33 6 98 37 64 04

14-16 May, The Hague (Pulchri Studio)

IDAHOT+ Forum will be organised jointly by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands and the Council of Europe, ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia, and Intersexphobia (IDAHOT) marked on the 17 May.
The Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and the Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O' Flaherty, will be among high-level speakers at the event held under the overarching theme “The Future of Freedom and Equality in Europe”. Current trends regarding the human rights of LGBTI persons in Europe will be discussed.
The Forum will be held at the Pulchri Studio (Lange Voorhout 15, 2514 EA Den Haag, The Netherlands). Media can cover the open plenary session of the Forum on Wednesday, the 15^th of May, starting from 9 am. Prior media accreditation is mandatory.
Please send an e-mail to [email protected] and [email protected] no later than 9 May, 5 pm  stating name, media outlet and function. The number of places for media representatives is limited.
Contact: Tatiana Baeva-Frachon, tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41

15 May, Strasbourg

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) will publish the report of its October 2023 visit North Macedonia which focused on treatment by the police, including the effectiveness of investigations into complaints of alleged police ill-treatment, and on the conditions of detention of persons held in four prison establishments and one juvenile educational centre.
CPT and North Macedonia - Contact: Dušan Vojnović, tel. +33 3 90 21 56 99

15 May, Vienna

Parliamentary Assembly President Theodoros Rousopoulos will make a working visit to Austria. On this occasion, he will address the Austrian Parliament in plenary sitting.
Contact: Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93

15 May, Strasbourg (Lieu d’Europe, 6.30 pm)

The Council of Europe, in partnership with the City of Strasbourg, will organise a conference-debate on the draft Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, the first international treaty on AI. The key speaker of this “Mercredis du Conseil de l’Europe” conference will be Patrick Penninckx, Head of Digital Development and Governance of the Council of Europe.
Contact: Jaime Rodriguez, tel. +33 6 89 99 50 42

15 May, Strasbourg

The European Court of Human Rights will hold a Grand Chamber hearing in the case of Semenya v. Switzerland (9.15 am).
The case concerns an international-level athlete, specialising in middle-distance races, who complains about certain regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF – now called World Athletics) requiring her to decrease her natural testosterone level in order to be able to take part in international competitions in the female category.
More information – ECHR Website, tel. +33 3 90 21 42 08

16 May, Strasbourg

The European Court of Human Rights will notify in writing 74 judgments and/or decisions concerning Albania, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.
More information – ECHR Website, tel. +33 3 90 21 42 08

16 May, Strasbourg

Romani Resistance Day will mark the revolt of the Roma against the Nazis, as the only recorded uprising in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
On 15 May (6.30 to 8 pm), the eve of Romani Resistance Day, the Roma and Travellers Division will organise a cultural event at the Council of Europe. Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe, members of the Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues, will be present, as well as representatives of Roma civil society.
Contact: Panos Kakaviatos, tel. +33 6 98 37 64 04

17 May, Strasbourg

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) will publish the report of its May 2023 periodic visit to Cyprus. The main objective of the visit was to review the progress in the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations since its previous visit in 2017 in relation to Nicosia Central Prisons, notably in respect of overcrowding, inter-prisoner violence, staffing levels, material conditions and health care.
CPT and Cyprus - Contact: Panos Kakaviatos, tel. +33 6 98 37 64 04

All times are CET unless indicated otherwise.