Newsroom
Secretary General meets Prime Minister of Lithuania
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė. The meeting focused on the priorities of the upcoming Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. The relevance of the follow up of the Reykjavik agenda was highlighted, with a particular...
Council of Europe adopts first international treaty on artificial intelligence
The Council of Europe has adopted the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring the respect of human rights, the rule of law and democracy legal standards in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The treaty, which is also open to non-European countries, sets out...
Secretary General at the opening of the Committee of Ministers’ Session
“Twelve months ago, European leaders met in Reykjavík for our 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government. It was one of the largest ever gatherings of our continent’s presidents and prime ministers and its significance and impact remain clear. Following the Russian Federation’s full-scale...
Cyprus: Anti-torture committee report finds poor prison living conditions, increased overcrowding and inter-prisoner violence
A new report by the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has found that the prison situation in Cyprus had significantly deteriorated since its previous visit in 2017 (see the executive summary of the report)....
Secretary General marks Council of Europe’s 75th anniversary
“Seventy-five years after the creation of the Council of Europe, when I think of the first signatories of the Treaty of London, I often ask myself: what would they think of us today? Vast as was their vision, their optimism, and their determination. As strong as their desire to work towards a...
Attack against Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico: Statement by Committee of Ministers' President
Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport and President of the Committee of Ministers, Dominique Hasler made the following statement: "Today's attack on Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, is unacceptable. It runs counter to all democratic values defended by the Council...
Stronger political will needed to guarantee the future of freedom and equality for all, say European leaders at IDAHOT+ Forum
Addressing challenges to the human rights of LGBTI persons in Europe – including clampdowns on PRIDEs, efforts to undermine human rights defenders, and a rise in violent attacks on LGBTI people – is the focus of the 11th European IDAHOT+ Forum held by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of...
Anti-torture committee report on North Macedonia
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published a report on its periodic visit to North Macedonia, which took place in October 2023 (see executive summary). The visit focused on treatment by the police, including the...
Slovenia’s Marko Bošnjak elected President of the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights has elected Marko Bošnjak – the judge in respect of Slovenia – as its new President, to succeed Ireland’s Síofra O’Leary. The Court has also elected a new Vice-President, Norway’s Arnfinn Bårdsen, and a new Section President, Ivana Jelić of Montenegro. All three...
