Covid-19 Newsroom
Adverse impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable groups, racism in policing, intimidation of LGBTI people: main trends in ECRI's annual report
The continuing Covid-19 pandemic that has further marginalised vulnerable groups, the ongoing problem of racism in police forces and the rise of anti-LGBTI public discourse were the main trends in 2021, said the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its annual...
Upper Secondary School Examination in times of COVID-19
The ENIC and NARIC networks published the 2022 edition of Upper Secondary School Examinations - High School Diplomas in times of COVID-19": https://www.enic-naric.net/upper-secondary-school-examinations-high-school-diplomas-in-times-of-covid-19.aspx The document includes information from 37...
COVID-19 and Children’s Rights:
Children’s mental health and intrafamily violence during COVID-19 pandemic
The Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) is organising the 2nd and 3rd editions of the webinar series on the challenges related to children’s rights in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The second webinar titled “Children’s mental health” will be held on 22 November...
Committee of Ministers calls on member states to intensify their efforts to protect children’s privacy in the digital environment, particularly in COVID-19 context
Member states should enhance safeguarding measures in processing personal data of children, notably health-related data and data collected in education settings, to minimise potential adverse effects, including the public identification of a child as a COVID-19 carrier, said the Council of...
Annual activity report 2020
Protection of the rights of the child remained high on the agenda of Commissioner for Human Rights
“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the erosion of the democratic fabric of our society on which the protection of human rights ultimately depends… The pandemic has revealed with tragic clarity the many and growing inequalities that exist in our countries”, warned Council of Europe...
Informal exchange of views with representatives of civil society organisations on their role in electoral processes during the Covid 19 crisis
At an informal meeting on 13 April 2021, delegations from the Council of Europe’s 47 member States held an informal exchange of views with civil society representatives operating in the area of electoral assistance. The aim was to find out more about civil society’s work on the ground during the...
GRETA publishes 10th General report on its activities
The Covid-19 pandemic is having a worrying impact on human trafficking across Europe and states should do more to prevent it, according to the latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). “The effects of the pandemic...
New Best Practice Programme in Promoting Academic Integrity
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the entire higher education sector causing closures and interruption of classroom-based teaching and learning, and such a sudden shift to online education may have had further implications for academic integrity. Promoting academic integrity remains...
Secretary General tells PACE, “During Covid we have been present where people need us.”
Speaking to members of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić emphasised that since the start of the health crisis in Europe, the Council of Europe has not only advised but also provided material support to its member States. “We have...
COVID-19 and Children’s Rights: Overcoming education challenges
The Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) has launched a series of three webinars to have an exchange on the most urgent challenges related to children’s rights in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition titled “Overcoming education challenges” was held online on 22...
Statement on support for civil society organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic
On the occasion of International Human Solidarity Day (20 December), the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons' Expert Co-ordination Team (AECT) released a Statement, co-signed by 20 organisations involved in the AECT, including the Council of Europe, calling on states to increase their support...
The report of the Greek Chairmanship Seminar in the youth field is now available!
The seminar “New challenges and opportunities for innovative youth services. The role of the European Youth Card in promoting the rights of young people in the post-Covid era” took place on the 5th and the 6th of November 2020, partly in Athens and partly on-ine, as part of the of the Greek...
CDDG releases a report on “Democratic governance and Covid-19”
The major lesson learnt from this experience is that strong and effective multilevel-governance is essential to prevent, identify and manage emergencies, including pandemics. Resilience, flexibility, capacity and coordination are instrumental to good governance and to ensure that key services...
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"School participatory budgeting" - new Council of Europe toolkit available
The innovative civil participation tools and mechanisms are needed to bring up conscious and responsible young citizens who are actively engaged in the decision-making process, are able to influence the development of their communities, whose voice is heard and opinion is taken into account. One...
Impact of Covid-19 on S4 policies and practices - Webinar
The Sport Conventions Team of the Council of Europe will organise a webinar entitled “Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on national and international Safety, Security and Service policies and practices at football and other sports events”. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by national...
2020 - COVID-19 creating risks for human trafficking crisis, say anti-trafficking leaders from over 50 countries in joint OSCE-Council of Europe meeting
National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinators and Rapporteurs from over 50 countries across Europe, North America and Central Asia met online on 3 and 4 November 2020 for the largest annual meeting of its kind focused on human trafficking at the international level. The event, jointly organised by the...
European Ministers of Education endorse declaration on COVID response
On October 29, Ministers of Education of the States Parties to the European Cultural Convention endorsed a declaration on the education response to COVID-19. They also took note of the Roadmap for action on the Council of Europe Education response to COVID-19. Both the political declaration and...
The impact of COVID-19 on safety and security at sports events – report released
The COVID-19 sanitary crisis and the measures taken to contain it have had and continue to have an unprecedented impact on the organisation of sports events, including on policies and practices on safety, security and service. A report just released by the Standing Committee of the Council of...
EYF Consultancy service for EYF projects due to COVID-19
Many organisations have questions as to how EYF funded projects may be modified in the context of COVID-19. The EYF is pleased to inform you that, an online consultancy service has been launched to assist youth organisations with approved grants in implementing and adapting projects during the...
The World Forum for Democracy is adapting to current conditions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic
Exceptionally, the 9th edition of the World Forum for Democracy "Can Democracy Save the Environment? will take place over a whole year and will be launched on 18 November 2020. The Forum will kick off with a campaign of activities "12 months to answer 1 question". In a real spirit of...
Presentation of the Book “A Guide to the Almaš Environment”
Due to the restrictions posed by COVID-19, the initially planned Heritage Walks Conference, co-organized by the Association Almašani (a member of the Faro Convention Network) and Novi Sad 2021 European Capital of Culture Foundation, was replaced by the presentation of the Book “A Guide to the...
Apply for EYF grants for pilot activities! Next cut-off date – 14 December 2020
14 December 2020 is the new date for Pilot Project applications
Results of the T-DO survey on the impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Anti-doping policy and practice
The Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention carried out a survey aimed at examining the current and potential impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic on anti-doping programmes within States Parties. 48 of 52 States Parties to the Anti-Doping Convention submitted their...
Recognition in the light of COVID-19
The President of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee, Luca Lantero, and the President of the European Students’ Union, Robert Napier, have issued a joint statement in which they call for flexible recognition procedures in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, also where higher education...
Recognition in the light of COVID-19
The President of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee, Luca Lantero, and the President of the European Students’ Union, Robert Napier, have issued a joint statement in which they call for flexible recognition procedures in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, also where higher education...
COMEX statement on RMLs in online education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Language and interpersonal contacts are key requirements for full participation in society. They were challenged by the COVID-19 outbreak when severe restrictions were imposed for the safety and health of millions of European citizens. One of the measures taken at governmental level was the...
ECRI webinar on Inclusive Education in Times of Covid-19
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers will on 30 June at 14.30 CET be hosting a webinar on Inclusive Education in Times of Covid-19. In March 2020 almost all European countries, as an urgent...
Ministerial Conference – same date, new location
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis and the subsequent decision by Slovenia to withdraw its offer to host the conference, we are pleased to announce that the 16th Conference of Ministers responsible for sport will be held on 5 November 2020 (date unchanged) in Athens, Greece. The...
Council of Europe Committee on the rights of the child explores responses to violence against children and relevant challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic
The Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) is about to make headway in its work on preventing violence against children, through two meetings taking place this week: At their first meeting on 23-24 June, experts on the Working group on Violence against children will examine...
Submit your Pilot Activities by 1 September
A new cut-off date has been setup for Pilot activities taking place in 2020.