Newsroom
Dublin conference on role of the Council of Europe in the pursuit of peace, justice and accountability in Ukraine
Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, Bjørn Berge, attended today in Dublin a conference to mark the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, organised by the Dublin City University in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. He joined an impressive...
Ireland should improve the situation of Traveller and Roma communities
Council of Europe experts on national minorities have urged the Irish authorities to improve the situation of Traveller and Roma communities in the country, whilst also welcoming progress on a number of issues. The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National...
Council of Europe adopts new guidelines on prosecution of violent extremism
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted new guidelines aimed at enhancing the prosecution of violent extremism conducive to terrorism. These guidelines, developed by the Committee on Counter-Terrorism (CDCT), provide strategies for prosecuting violent far-right, far-left,...
New recommendation to protect mental health of prisoners and probationers
The Council of Europe has addressed a Recommendation to its 46 member states aimed at promoting and protecting the mental health of prisoners and probationers and at ensuring the management of their possible mental disorders, in full respect of their human dignity. While highlighting the crucial...
Secretary General calls for the universal abolition of the death penalty at the Human Rights Council in Geneva
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has concluded his official visit to Geneva, which took place from 24 to 26 February 2025. The visit was marked by several speeches and ministerial meetings at the Human Rights Council, reiterating the Council of Europe’s commitment to human rights,...
Power outages in Madrid shantytown: European Committee of Social Rights concludes that energy poverty breaches Social Charter
In a decision on the merits of a collective complaint filed by a number of non-governmental organisations focused on the impacts of power outages in two sectors of the Cañada Real Galiana shantytown in Madrid, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) concludes that Spain has breached...
European Court of Human Rights: Knowledge Sharing event
The European Court of Human Rights is holding a high-level conference on Thursday 27 February to mark the launch of Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian language versions of its Knowledge Sharing platform. The morning session will include contributions from, among others: Elisabeth Margue, Minister of...
Commissioner O’Flaherty recommends stronger action to uphold the human rights of Roma and Travellers in Finland, Ireland, and Slovakia
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, released today three Memoranda examining the human rights situation of Roma and Traveller[1] communities in Finland, Ireland and Slovakia. Each Memorandum presents country-specific findings and recommendations based on the...
Council of Europe marks third anniversary of start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
To mark the third anniversary of the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the Ministers’ Deputies (ambassadors) have held an extraordinary meeting focusing on Ukrainian civilians held prisoner by the authorities of the Russian Federation. At this meeting, a...
The fight for Ukraine is a fight for justice: Secretary General releases report on Council of Europe’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine
Ahead of 24 February 2025, that marks the third anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has released a report highlighting the organisation’s action since the first day of the war to help its member state...
Three years of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine: Statement by Congress President
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Marc Cools, has made the following statement: “24 February 2025 marks three years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, in blatant defiance of international law and the core...
Liverpool Summer School to tackle effectiveness of Council of Europe in responding to pressing challenges
The third edition of the Liverpool Summer School in the Law of the Council of Europe (7-18 July 2025) will focus on the effectiveness of the Council of Europe in tackling pressing challenges such as the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the complexities of migration...
Council of Europe to mark third anniversary of start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
On 24 February the Council of Europe will hold a ceremony to mark the start three years ago of the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, along with an extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers (to be broadcast live). Ambassador Patrick Engelberg, Permanent...
GRECO: Ukraine makes further progress in preventing corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, but more efforts needed
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group (GRECO) concludes that Ukraine has satisfactorily implemented 18 out of 31 recommendations on corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. Of the remaining recommendations, 11 have been partly...
Digital development: “People must come first”
Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge attended the 4th General Assembly of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) in Amman, Jordan. He spoke in the session dedicated to exchanges of views between DCO member and guest states and invited international organisations. The Deputy...
Anti-racism commission assessed the implementation of its priority recommendations by Bulgaria, France and Greece
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published its conclusions on whether and how Bulgaria, France and Greece are implementing its recommendations provided in 2022. The recommendations concerned rights of LGBTI persons, including intersex children, situation of Roma...
Secretary General on official visit to Geneva from 24 to 26 February
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will pay an official visit to Geneva, Switzerland, from 24 to 26 February as part of the process of stepping up co-operation between the Council of Europe and the international institutions based there. The programme will begin on 24 February with...
Dismissal of Mayor of Van: Statement by Congress co-Rapporteurs on local democracy in Türkiye
David Eray (Switzerland, EPP/CCE) and Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD), co-Rapporteurs of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on local democracy in Türkiye, have made the following statement: “The recent dismissal of Abdullah Zeydan, Mayor of the...
ECHR awarded Dresden Peace Prize for 2025
The 2025 Dresden Peace Prize (Friedenspreis Dresden) has been awarded to the European Court of Human Rights. On 16 February 2025, the President of the Court, Marko Bošnjak, attended the award ceremony to receive the prize in the Semper Opera House in Dresden, where he made a speech. He was...
Social rights committee backs Belgium over Roma discrimination complaint
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has decided that Belgium did not violate the European Social Charter during police operations targeting two Travellers’ sites in April 2020. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) had complained that the seizure of caravans and property by the...
