Newsroom
Integration policies should not pursue migration-control goals
The Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees Tomáš Boček has published an Issue Paper on human rights aspects of immigrant and refugee integration policies based on a comparative assessment of 11 Council of Europe member states. The Issue Paper focuses on specific...
Congress calls on Turkey to respect the voters decision in the 31 March local elections
Reacting to reports from Turkey about elected representatives in the south-east of the country not having been appointed mayors despite their victory in the 31 March local elections, Anders Knape, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, stressed the...
PACE urges international action against money-laundering "laundromats"
PACE has expressed its deep concern at the extent of money laundering in Council of Europe member States, notably the recent examples known as the “Global Laundromat”, the “Azerbaijani Laundromat” and the “Troika Laundromat”, and has urged improved national mechanisms and international...
Nikol Pashinyan: "Armenia is today unequivocally a democratic country"
“Armenia is today unequivocally a democratic country with absolute freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and our government is continuing to enhance respect for human rights,” said Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, addressing the Assembly today. “We have managed to root out...
PACE proposes new "joint reaction procedure" when a state violates its statutory obligations
PACE has proposed a “joint reaction procedure” involving both of the Council of Europe’s statutory bodies, and the Secretary General, in cases where a member State violates its statutory obligations or does not respect fundamental principles and values. In a resolution and recommendation based on...
Prime Minister Bakhtadze hails Georgia’s progress as a "country on the rise"
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, addressing the Assembly today in Strasbourg, hailed the progress Georgia has made in the 20 years since it joined the Council of Europe, citing constitutional reform, a more independent judiciary, and greater oversight of human rights. He thanked the...
PACE calls to stop sexism and sexual harassment in parliaments
The Assembly today called for a series of measures aimed at stopping sexism and sexual harassment in politics, including in parliaments. These recommendations are addressed to national parliaments, but also to political parties and governments. They focus on raising awareness of this phenomenon...
Secretary General Jagland: Council of Europe ordinary budget should come from member states, not the EU
In his last appearance before the Parliamentary Assembly prior to the election of his successor in June, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland faced several questions concerning the organisation’s budgetary crisis, caused by the Russian Federation’s non-payment of contributions for nearly two...
Addressing the Council of Europe crisis requires constructiveness from all parties, says Timo Soini
“Finding a solution to the current political and institutional crisis would require close co-operation with all member States and both statutory bodies – the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers. It is time to start consolidating the different views into one,” said Timo Soini,...
Commissioner Mijatović highlights main human rights challenges in Europe
Today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, presented her first annual activity report in a debate before the Parliamentary Assembly of the organisation. While the report covers a variety of the most pressing human rights issues in the Council of Europe member...
