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Le Secrétaire Général souligne le rôle crucial du Conseil de l'Europe lors de la session plénière d'automne de l'Assemblée
« Les effets combinés de ces guerres, avec le changement climatique et l'érosion démocratique, c’est un défi sans précédent pour nos sociétés. Un défi que j'ai tenté de décrire comme the perfect storm. Face à ce défi, le Conseil de l'Europe a déjà montré sa solidité, sa grande expérience, son...
Julian Assange at Parliamentary Assembly hearing, ahead of a plenary debate on his case: 'I pleaded guilty to journalism'
Julian Assange, accompanied by his wife Stella, took part in a parliamentary hearing on his detention and conviction - and their chilling effect on human rights - ahead of a full plenary debate on this topic by the Parliamentary Assembly due on 2 October. The hearing was organised by the...
Vladimir Kara-Murza: ‘The best promise of long-term security and stability on our continent lies with a democratic Russia’
In his statement before the award ceremony for the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, Vladimir Kara-Murza – the prize winner in 2022 – conveyed his deep respect to this year’s finalists and paid tribute to the past recipients who were still held in captivity “for the only ‘crime’ of expressing...
Parliamentary Assembly called on the CEB to enhance support for reconstruction in Ukraine and focus on social dimensions of climate change
Parliamentary Assembly, meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, congratulated the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) for “its flexible and tailored support to its member states” in the context of the pandemic and natural disasters, and for the rapid assistance to Ukrainian refugees. The...
Parliamentary Assembly elects two new Vice-Presidents
Parliamentary Assembly elected, at the opening of its Autumn 2023 Session, two news Vice-Presidents: Gerardo Giovagnoli (Saint-Marin,SOC) and Andries Gryffroy (Belgique, NI). Nineteen Vice-Presidents are elected annually at the beginning of an ordinary session and remain in office until the...
Theodoros Rousopoulos: 'We must not rest until all political prisoners in Russia and Belarus are freed'
“Dear Vladimir, let me once again express my utmost relief to see you free, and all the more determined to continue with your fight for the free and democratic Russia which we all long for, and which poses no threat to its neighbours nor to its own citizens”, PACE President said today at the...
2024 Václav Havel Prize awarded to Venezuelan political figure and rights defender María Corina Machado
The twelfth Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights – has been awarded to leading Venezuelan political figure and rights defender María Corina Machado. The 60,000-euro prize was presented at a special ceremony on the opening day...
“Youth, Ukraine, Europe: coming of age during war”
How can European youth policy adapt to the war in Ukraine, and how can we support the well-being of young people coming of age in war conditions, displaced within their own country or to other European states? This is the key question of a five-day seminar in Strasbourg starting on Monday 30...
Georgia: Parliamentary Assembly monitors and observer mission head express deep concern as Transparency International Georgia is forced to end its election operation
“We are deeply concerned by the fact that Transparency International Georgia has been forced to close its election observation operations because of the deplorable decision by the Anti-Corruption Bureau to declare this civil society organisation and its Director as ‘subjects with a declared...
Youth participation in focus at Cultural Routes Forum in Hungary
More than 350 participants from over 30 member states of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) attended the 13th Annual Advisory Forum on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Visegrád, Hungary (25-27 September) to explore “Transmission and...
Secretary General at the United Nations General Assembly
“During the Council of Europe’s 75th anniversary year, we will be making the case for as many countries as possible to sign and ratify our key conventions, at a time of democratic backsliding, for our member states to do ever more to uphold our values, both in words and in action. That is the way...
Award of 2024 Václav Havel Prize a highlight of PACE autumn session
The award ceremony for the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, which honours outstanding human rights defenders worldwide, will be among the highlights of the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), from 30 September to 4 October. An overall winner will be...
Slovakia: GRECO delegation urges tangible progress to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity in government and police
Following meetings in Bratislava on 26 September the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has called on the Slovak Republic to fully implement its recommendations to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity within the central government (persons with top executive...
Journalist safety campaign: improving cooperation between journalists and police at public events
As part of the Council of Europe's Campaign for the Safety of Journalists "Journalists Matter", a special seminar in Strasbourg is bringing together representatives of governments, police forces, press freedom organisations and associations of journalists to discuss the role of the police in...
European Day of Languages: Greetings from Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania
On the European Day of Languages, we can all better appreciate what it means to be European and celebrate our unity in diversity. It is no coincidence that as early as 1599, Mikalojus Daukša, the publisher of the first books in Lithuanian, wrote in his "Postilė" chapter The Preface Unto...