News 2013
Secretary General
Secretary General Jagland condemns terrorist attacks in Volgograd, Russia
Following the terrorist attacks in Volgograd, Russia, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jaglandpublished the following statement: "I was shocked to hear of the first terrorist attack yesterday in our member state Russia, and the second terrible attack today is very alarming indeed. My thoughts go out...
Parliamentary Assembly
PACE President reacts to the terrorist attacks in Volgograd
"I'm shocked and outraged by the terrorist attacks in Russia which have taken the lives of as many as 31 people and wounded dozens of others. Such brutal and indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians are completely unacceptable. Terrorists will never achieve their ends through violence and...
Deputy Secretary General
Meeting with the Taizé Community at the Council of Europe and the European Parliament
The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, is taking part in the European meeting with the ecumenical Community of Taizé at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In her speech on "New forms of poverty – New forms of solidarity", she underlines that "the...
Commissioner for Human Rights
Syrian refugees: a neglected human rights crisis in Europe
"One of the world's biggest refugee crises of recent times is unfolding on Europe's doorstep, but most European governments have reacted with complete indifference. Close to 4 million people are internally displaced in Syria and almost 3 million have left the country since the beginning of the...
Parliamentary Assembly
Belarus: PACE rapporteurs condemn new death sentence
Marina Schuster (Germany, ALDE), Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) General Rapporteur on abolition of the death penalty, and Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD), rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, strongly condemn the death sentence passed in Belarus on 26 November 2013, but which...
Council of Europe
Council of Europe and Kazakhstan to boost co-operation
The Council of Europe and Kazakhstan have agreed to step up their co-operation, firstly by strengthening Kazakhstan's capacity to sign up to a number of Council of Europe conventions in areas related to criminal law. Working closely with the authorities in Kazakhstan, and in partnership with the...
Committee of Ministers
Committee of Ministers: Declaration on the recent executions in Japan and the United States of America
TheCommittee of Ministers deplores the executions which have recently taken place in Japan and is deeply concerned with the increasing number of executions carried out in that country since 2012. While welcoming some progress during the current year with the abolition of death penalty in the...
Committee of Ministers
Ukraine : Declaration of the Committee of Ministers
TheCommittee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing its 47 member States, calls for dialogue among all political forces in Ukraine, urging them to resolve the ongoing crisis with mutual consideration and through democratic and peaceful means. It calls on the government as well as the...
Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)
Anti-torture Committee publishes report on Russian Federation
At the request of the Russian authorities, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its periodic visit to the Russian Federation, carried out in May and June 2012, together with...
Parliamentary Assembly
Ukraine repeat parliamentary elections: a calm and well-ordered election day, some irregularities reported
A delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), invited by the Ukrainian authorities, was present in the Ukraine during the repeat parliamentary elections on 15 December 2013. The delegation noted that election day was calm at the polling stations it visited. It noted...
Group of States against Corruption (GRECO)
Prague conference examines the gender dimension of corruption
The Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is organising a conference in Prague on 13 December to examine – for the first time on a pan-European scale – gender-specific manifestations of corruption in Council of Europe member states. The event also aims to support the...
Commissioner for Human Rights
Serbia should end degrading reception conditions for asylum seekers
"Serbia needs to strengthen its asylum system and reception capacities in order to cope with the ever increasing number of arrivals, in particular from war-torn Syria. I could witness signs of the current strains on the Serbian asylum system during my November visit in the reception centre of...
MONEYVAL
Council of Europe issues report assessing progress by Holy See on measures to combat money laundering
The Council of Europe's Committee of experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL) today published areport presented by the Holy See (including the Vatican City State) concerning the progress it has made to remedy the deficiencies...
Commissioner for Human Rights
The municipality of Rome should step up its support to Roma and refugees
"The situation of Roma and refugees in Italy is a long-standing concern. Local authorities, including in Rome, have an important role to play in improving the living conditions of these people," said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing aletter...
Council of Europe
Madrid conference to discuss how to improve prevention of sexual abuse of children
The Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Spanish Government, is organising a conference in Madrid on 10 and 11 December to discuss ways to improve the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The conference "Preventing sexual abuse of children" aims to enable the 47 Council...
Secretary General
Ukrainian government and opposition agree on Secretary General Jagland's plan to oversee investigation into Kyiv clashes
he three main opposition parties in Ukraine and Prime Minister Azarov have accepted Secretary General Jagland's plan to establish an expert advisory panel to oversee the investigation into the violent incidents in Kyiv on 30 November and 1 December. "The investigation and its results must be...
Secretary General
Council of Europe pays tribute to Nelson Mandela
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland pays tribute to Nelson Mandela: "Nelson Mandela was the world's greatest human rights defender of our time. His life showed that human rights can prevail and a single person can change the destiny of a nation". Video recording of the visit of Nelson Mandela to...
Committee of Ministers
Committee of Ministers: decisions on execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Committee of Ministers has made public today decisions and resolutions adopted at its last special human rights meeting for 2013 (3–5 December) during which it has examined the state of implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The texts adopted and working documents...
Secretary General
Secretary General Jagland proposes expert panel to oversee investigation into Kiev clashes
Following his visit to Ukraine,Secretary General Jaglandpublished the following statement: "The aim of our discussions with government and opposition representatives has been to find avenues for dialogue in view of a political solution to the current crisis in Ukraine. The people of Ukraine must...
Commissioner for Human Rights
Austerity measures across Europe have undermined human rights
"Many governments in Europe imposing austerity measures have forgotten about their human rights obligations, especially the social and economic rights of the most vulnerable, the need to ensure access to justice, and the right to equal treatment. Regrettably, international lenders have also...