Newsroom
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
“The Council of Europe strives to protect and promote human rights of all, including people with disabilities of which there are an estimated 80 million in Europe,” Mr Timo Soini, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland pointed...
Romania should improve the protection of persons with disabilities, combat violence against women, safeguard press freedom and maintain the independence of the judiciary
“Romania needs to strengthen its institutional framework to better protect the rights of persons with disabilities, and should step up the efforts to combat violence against women,” said today Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of her five-day visit to...
Safeguarding human rights in the era of artificial intelligence
The use of artificial intelligence in our everyday lives is on the increase, and it now covers many fields of activity. Something as seemingly banal as avoiding a traffic jam through the use of a smart navigation system, or receiving targeted offers from a trusted retailer is the result of big...
Albania should step up protection of children and inclusion of persons with disabilities
Today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, concluded her five-day visit to Albania which focused on children’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, and access to free legal aid. Concerning children’s rights, the Commissioner welcomes the authorities’...
Sweden should enhance protection of asylum seekers and persons with disabilities
Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, released a report today following his visit Sweden in October 2017. During the visit, the Commissioner held discussions on the human rights of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers and the human rights of persons with...
Impossibility for a paraplegic person to gain access to university buildings: discrimination regarding the right to education
In the case of Enver Şahin v. Turkey, the Court found that there had been discrimination concerning the right to education owing to the inability of the applicant, a paraplegic person, to gain access to the university buildings for the purposes of his studies owing to the lack of suitable...
The right of older persons to dignity and autonomy in care
“Older persons have exactly the same rights as everyone else, but when it comes to the implementation of these rights, they face a number of specific challenges”, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published on 18th January...
Danish chairmanship priority on prevention against violence and abuse of children with disabilities
In the framework of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe 2017/2018, the Danish Ministry for Children and Social Affairs wishes to share the summary of the handbook on the detection, prevention and handling of instances of assault against children and...
New General Assembly Resolution on Situation of Women and Girls with Disabilities
On 21 November 2017, the Third Committee of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution A/C.3/72/L.18/Rev.1 on the “Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto: situation of women and girls with...
International Day of Persons with Disabilities-Equality, Dignity and Equal Opportunities
December 3rd marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. At least 15% of the European population, or 80 million people, live with one or more disabilities. They face significant challenges in everyday lives. When we see someone using a wheelchair, a guide dog or a prosthetic limb,...
Liechtenstein should improve gender equality and the rights of persons with disabilities
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, welcomed the solid legal and institutional framework for the protection and promotion of human rights in Liechtenstein, which has been strengthened by the establishment in January 2017 of the Association for Human Rights...
Seminar on awareness raising for persons with disabilities
The Council of Europe and the Danish Ministry for Children and Social Affairs are organising a seminar in Copenhagen, on 13-14 December 2017 to discuss awareness raising for persons with disabilities. Held in the framework of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council...
Business and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Human Rights a Reality for all underlines the importance of engaging with the private sector to ensure the full realisation of human rights of persons with disabilities. The UN Global Compact and the International Labour...
Human Rights Comment
Respecting the human rights of persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities: an obligation not yet fully understood
The human rights of persons with disabilities is one of the areas I have taken up most frequently in my country work, with the most recurrent issues being the right to live in the community and deinstitutionalisation; the right to legal capacity; and the right to an inclusive education. A...
Women in Leadership Publication
The Council of Europe work in the area of equality features in the summer/autumn edition of Women in Leadership Publication. This issue focuses on equality for all, inclusion and the achievement of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To read the full issue please click here.
6th meeting of the Committee Ad Hoc on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CAHDPH)
The meeting of the Council of Europe Ad hoc Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CAHPDH) will take place on 27-29 September in Strasbourg (Agora Building, Room G03). The Committee agenda includes discussions on the implementation of the Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of...
10th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD (COSP)
The 10th session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD (COSP) will take place from Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 June 2017 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Council of Europe is co-sponsoring two side events: “Reforming social services in Europe to embrace the human rights approach”...
Equality and Non-Discrimination
Parliamentary Assembly
In adopting the report by Mechthild Rawert (Germany, SOC), the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination emphasised the need for persons with disabilities to participate in political life, and pointed out that political rights, such as the right to vote, stand for election and be elected, are...
Commissioner for Human rights
A critical turning point, not business as usual, for human rights in Europe In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Romania published today, Commissioner Muižnieks urges the authorities to increase protection of persons with disabilities. The Commissioner calls for a thorough...
Commissioner for Human Rights
“While considerable progress has been achieved in protecting human rights in recent years, the Lithuanian authorities still have to address some remaining shortcomings, in particular as regards the protection of women, children and persons with disabilities” said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe...