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Parliamentarians should uphold the United Kingdom’s international obligations when scrutinising the “Illegal Migration Bill”
“It is essential that parliamentarians prevent legislation that is incompatible with the United Kingdom’s international obligations being passed”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in her letter to the House of Commons and the House of Lords about the...
Roma and Travellers: Inclusive Education Ambassadors meet in Strasbourg
Eleven newly appointed “Inclusive Education Ambassadors” from Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, and the United Kingdom are meeting for the first time on 28-29 March to discuss promoting quality inclusive education for Roma and Travellers in...
Congress recommendation on Reykjavik Summit: Local and regional authorities contribute to embedding democracy and human rights at grassroots level
On 22 March the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopted its recommendation on “the future of the Council of Europe and the role of the Congress therein” as contribution to the Council of Europe Summit to be held in Reykjavik on 16 and 17 May. The recommendation calls on Heads of State...
Council of Europe welcomes progress in preventing corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors in Ukraine
The Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published a report on Ukraine assessing progress made in implementing the recommendations issued to the country in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report (2017) on preventing corruption in respect of members of parliament, judges...
Anti-torture Committee publishes report on Italy
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published its report on its periodic visit to Italy in March/April 2022, together with the response of the Italian authorities (see executive summary). During the visit, the CPT's...
GRETA: North Macedonia’s legislative framework improved, but human trafficking victims need better access to justice
In its third-round evaluation report the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) welcomes North Macedonia’s progress in developing the legislative anti-human trafficking framework, but calls for its better implementation in terms of victims’ access to justice and...
Greece: New report urges better protection for human trafficking victims and increased attention to labour inspections
In its second report on Greece, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) acknowledges positive steps taken by the Greek authorities to combat human trafficking, but also highlights a number of shortcomings. The report examines progress made by...
UK Summer School on Council of Europe Law: Resilience in Troubling Times
The first Summer School on the Law of the Council of Europe will be held from 3 to 14 July at Liverpool University School of Law and Social Justice. With Europe at a crossroads, its future, stability and prosperity depend on how effectively it responds to the unprecedented challenges facing it....
War in Ukraine : Congress adopts strong declaration
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe unanimously adopted on 21 March a Declaration to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine, presented by the Congress President and Rapporteur on The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, Leendert...
European Committee of Social Rights’ Conclusions on Labour Rights
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has published its Conclusions 2022 in respect of 33 States on the articles of the European Social Charter relating to Labour Rights. In accordance with the reporting procedure, the ECSR adopted 611 conclusions: 255 conclusions of conformity and 245...
Icelandic Presidency: meeting between Secretary General and Minister Jóhannsson
In the framework of the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić emphasised, in a meeting with Minister of Infrastructure Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, the country’s leadership at this crucial time for the continent and the Council of Europe. The...
Secretary General meets President of Federal Council of Austria
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the President of the Federal Council of Austria Günter Kovacs to discuss the upcoming Council of Europe Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16th – 17th May). Marking 67 years of Austria having joined the...
Secretary General meets Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Iryna Mudra. During the meeting the Secretary General expressed full support for the country and solidarity with its people for their extraordinary resilience and underlined the relevance of the proposal...
Support to Ukraine at all levels the focus of Secretary General’s address to the Congress
The role of the Council of Europe in supporting Ukraine and addressing threats to human rights and democracy in Europe in the face of continued Russia’s aggression was the main theme of Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić’s address to members of the Congress of Local and Regional...
Secretary General meets with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro. In the framework of the continuous degradation of media freedom in Europe, the exchange underlined the relevance for national...
Supporting Belarus journalists in exile: workshop in Strasbourg
The Council of Europe and the Strasbourg Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists and Media Freedom are holding a workshop to examine ways of strengthening support for exiled Belarusian journalists. In recent years, the government of Belarus has created a legal and political climate that...
PACE leadership meets representatives of Russian democratic forces
The leadership of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has held an exchange of views with representatives of Russian democratic forces, to step up dialogue and to explore ways of co-operating with the Assembly in future. The meeting, which took place in Paris on 20 March,...
Secretary General on official visit to Latvia
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Latvian president and key ministers during an official visit to discuss the priorities of the country’s upcoming Committee of Ministers presidency (May – November 2023). Meeting Latvian President Egils Levits, the Secretary General welcomed...
Statement by Committee of Ministers President on the anniversary of the expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe
The Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, has made the following statement on the anniversary of the expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe: “On this day, one year...
Victims of crime: Committee of Ministers recommendation aims to ensure their access to justice
The Committee of Ministers has issued a Recommendation to the 46 Council of Europe member states providing legal and policy guidance on rights, services, and support for victims of crime. The recommendation calls upon member states to actively seek out and remove any barriers in the access to...
New training programme to help cities in Poland integrate refugees and migrants
The Council of Europe is teaming up with three international organisations and the Union of Polish Metropolises to launch the Academy on the Integration of Migrants and Refugees in Polish Cities, a series of training courses to help cities respond to the challenge of integrating refugees and...
Congress session : War against Ukraine, future of the Council of Europe, youth engagement at local level, protection of the environment on the agenda
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will hold its 44th Session from 21 to 23 March 2023 in Strasbourg, France Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, Parliamentary Assembly President Tiny Kox and Icelandic Infrastructure Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson are due...
Joint Statement by Committee of Ministers President and Ukrainian Foreign Minister during visit to Kyiv, Borodianka and Bucha
The Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, have made the following joint statement on the occasion of the visit of the...
Venice Commission releases opinions on draft laws aimed at limiting oligarch influence in Georgia and Moldova
In two interim opinions on draft laws aimed at limiting the excessive economic and political influence in public life, the Council of Europe’s body of constitutional experts, the Venice Commission has called on the Georgian and Moldovan authorities to adopt systemic reforms rather than targeting...
Secretary General met with Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda today and discussed the upcoming Council of Europe Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16th – 17th May). Both leaders emphasized the need to ensure accountability in Ukraine,...
Meeting between the Secretary General and President of the European Council Michel
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić had a meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel in the Europa Building Forum in Brussels. The meeting focused on the upcoming Council of Europe Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16th – 17th May). Marija...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has published the case-by-case decisions taken during the Committee’s meeting from 7 to 9 March to supervise the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee of Ministers adopted 36 decisions...
Council of Europe demands immediate release of Aleksey Navalnyy
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has deplored the continued detention of Aleksey Navalnyy during its quarterly meeting on the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and once again demanded that the Russian authorities immediately release him. The Council of...
Anti-racism commission sees gaps in Czech Republic and Slovakia action to fulfil to priority recommendations
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) says Slovakia and the Czech Republic need to do more to carry out its recommendations from 2020. ECRI’s finding show that authorities in the Czech Republic have only partially acted to address discrimination against the LGBTI...
Venice Commission plenary session
The Council of Europe’s body of constitutional legal experts, the Venice Commission, is holding its plenary session from 11-12 March. Interim opinions on draft laws regarding the influence of oligarchs in Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova are expected to be adopted. The Venice...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: new report on anti-corruption measures needed for top executives and law enforcement agencies
In a new report the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen their efforts and overcome the political blockages that hold back certain reforms from taking place in order to prevent corruption amongst those with...
Hungary: police hate crime investigations are enhanced, but growing LGBTI stigmatisation and xenophobic political discourse raise concern
In a new report the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) welcomes positive developments in Hungary since adopting its last report on the country in 2015, but many issues raise concern. ECRI praises the adoption of a police hate crime protocol in 2019, which aimed at enhancing...
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on the situation in Georgia
I am following with concern recent developments in our member State, Georgia, regarding the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” adopted in the first reading by Georgian Parliament on 7 March. It is essential that any such legislation be in line with the Council of Europe standards on...
Equal rights for women and girls: the role of men and boys
Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Tiny Kox and Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić have made the following statement: “Today, on International Women’s Day, we...
Statement by Committee of Ministers Chair, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs
Reacting to the news that a Belarus court has sentenced the country’s main opposition leader, Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years’ jail in absentia, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir made...
Safety of Journalists platform 2023 report: a war on journalism in parts of Europe
In 2022, since Russia’s launched its war of aggression against Ukraine, at least 12 journalists and media workers were killed and 21 injured while performing their professional duties. The war occurred in a context of continued degradation of press freedom across Europe, with a significant...
Cyprus: improved work access for asylum seekers and hate speech ban in Parliament welcomed, but problems remain
A new report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) praises positive steps in Cyprus since adopting its last report on the country in 2016, while also pointing out various areas of concern. Employment procedures for asylum seekers were made “significantly easier” as of...
“No peace without justice and accountability" – Council of Europe took part in high-level international Lviv conference “United for Justice”
A Council of Europe delegation took part in the conference “United for Justice”, organised by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in Lviv, Ukraine from 3-5 March. The conference hosted discussions on the accountability for the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. In the...
Urgent action needed to reunite Ukrainian children transferred to Russia and Russian-occupied territories with their families
“Russia’s failure to return Ukrainian children separated from their families and legal guardians is a serious violation of their human rights. Concrete mechanisms and solutions must urgently be identified and used to reunite these children with their families,” said Council of Europe Commissioner...
Implementing European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is holding its quarterly meeting to oversee the execution of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 7 to 9 March. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Finland,...
Congress of The Hague at 75: political will needed to ensure culture of multilateralism lasts
Seventy-five years ago, over 750 delegates from around Europe took part in the historic steps towards European unity at the Congress of Europe in The Hague. Against this background, a special event that took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague on 2 March reflected upon the geopolitical balance...
New Thematic Factsheet - Right to free elections
The Execution Department has issued a new Thematic Factsheet on the right to free elections. This right, guaranteed under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights, is crucial to establishing and maintaining the foundations of an effective and meaningful democracy...
How well are young people prepared to understand pandemics and natural disasters?
Pandemics have always had a considerable impact on human history. Each time, they remind humans of their fragility and how limited their knowledge is. Despite their impact, these events receive little attention in the teaching of history. With the Covid-19 pandemic, and more recently the...
Secretary General meets the President of the European Commission
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met today the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in the Berlaymont building. The meeting focused on the upcoming Council of Europe Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16th – 17th May). Marija Pejčinović...
Austria must improve its strategy to prevent risks of corruption in government and in law enforcement
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against corruption (GRECO) has published its fifth-round evaluation report on Austria dealing with corruption prevention in central government (top executive functions) and law enforcement authorities. (German version of the report) GRECO considers that,...
Secretary General meets EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles. The meeting, which took place in Brussels on 28 February, focused on the need to ensure...
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: 25th anniversary of entry into force
1st March 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which was created to protect languages that form an inseparable part of Europe’s rich cultural and intangible heritage. The 25 Council of Europe member states that have...
Secretary General and EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement launch two major co-operation programmes
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi have today launched two major co-operation programmes between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”...
Secretary General on official visit to Brussels
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić is paying an official visit to Brussels from Monday 27 February to Wednesday 1 March. During the visit, the Secretary General will take part in high-level meetings with: The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; The High...
Finland to launch a Council of Europe Human Rights Day
To be held for the first time in Turku, Finland, on 4 May 2023, the Council of Europe Human Rights Day will bring together leading expert speakers to discuss the Council of Europe’s impact on human rights in Finland. The event will be organised as part of the project Council of Europe Days –...
Secretary General meets Committee of Ministers President
The President of the Committee of Ministers, Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir and Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić have met in Strasbourg to mark one year since the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Their discussions...
Committee of Ministers stresses urgent need to establish accountability and compensation mechanisms in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine
In a decision adopted today at an extraordinary meeting, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers reaffirmed the need for a strong and unequivocal international legal response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It welcomed ongoing international efforts to ensure accountability for the...
Council of Europe ceremony marks one year of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
Representatives of Ukraine, Iceland and the Council of Europe have taken part in a ceremony at the organisation’s Strasbourg headquarters to mark the passing of one year since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In her address the Foreign Minister of Iceland and President of the...
Environment showcases the role of the Council of Europe for young generations
A consultative meeting “Climate crisis and young people” was held in the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg on 22-23 February 2023, in preparation for the work of the Joint Council on Youth to draft a new recommendation for the 46 member states of the Council of Europe focusing on climate...
Brutal aggression against Ukraine: One Year On
Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Tiny Kox, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović as well as President of the Congress...
Anti-torture Committee Lithuania report: persistent violence in prisons, need to modernise prison estate
In a new report on Lithuania the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) again raises concerns over the numerous allegations of serious inter-prisoner violence and the ineffectiveness of measures taken to address...
European Committee of Social Rights publishes 2022 Findings
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has published its Findings 2022 adopted at its 331st session (5-9 December 2022) in respect of seven states (Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden) which have accepted the collective complaints procedure. The...
New HELP online course on Prohibition of Ill-treatment, including in times of conflict
An updated version of the Council of Europe Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) online course on Prohibition of Ill-treatment is now available on the HELP e-learning platform. Over 10,000 applications pending before the European Court of Human Rights concern conflicts between...
One year since the war against Ukraine started: Council of Europe ceremony in support of the Ukrainian people
On 24 February the Council of Europe will hold a ceremony to mark one year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, followed by an extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers (to be broadcast live). At 9h00, the Foreign Minister of Iceland and Chair of the Committee of Ministers,...
New Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia launched in Yerevan
The Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 has been officially launched in Yerevan by Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. “This joint Action Plan we are launching today, is another step in the positive...
Cybercrime Convention: Argentina signs the protocol on disclosure of electronic evidence
Argentina has become the 35th state to sign the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, which aims to enhance international co-operation and the disclosure of electronic evidence. The Minister of Security of Argentina, Aníbal Fernández, signed the treaty in Strasbourg in the...
Secretary General welcomes UK Attorney General Victoria Prentis
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić today met the Attorney General of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Victoria Prentis MP. The Council of Europe’s support for Ukraine was a central feature of their discussion. Both the Attorney General and the Secretary General agreed on...
Human Rights Commissioner calls on all member states to end so-called “conversion” therapies for LGBTI people
In her latest Comment article, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović urges all Council of Europe member states to adopt a human rights-based approach to eliminating so-called “conversion therapies”, which are aimed at changing or suppressing a person’s sexual...
Ireland: Anti-corruption group calls for further steps to prevent corruption in central government and the police
The Irish authorities should adopt further measures to help prevent corruption among people with top executive functions in central government and also in the police, according to the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). GRECO’s fifth evaluation report on Ireland notes...
Free to Create: Report on Artistic Freedom in Europe
A new report entitled Free to Create: Artistic Freedom in Europe examines the challenges European artists and cultural workers face in the practice of their right to freedom of artistic expression. These range from laws that curtail creative freedom, attacks from non-governmental groups and...
Council of Europe Days shows lives transformed
The Council of Europe is today launching a visibility project to “tell the Council of Europe story”. The Council of Europe Days, supported by an online resource for its member states, highlights how the Organisation has helped to improve the lives of millions of Europeans by protecting their...
Secretary General meets Latvian President Egils Levits
At a challenging time both for the continent and the Council of Europe, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Egils Levits, the President of Latvia, for an exchange on the upcoming Latvian Presidency. She welcomed Latvia’s determination to reinforce democracy, human rights and...
Repeat elections in Berlin: Congress delegation welcomes orderly election, but calls for more clarity on distribution of responsibilities
A delegation from the Congress of the Council of Europe observed local and regional elections to the Berlin House of Representatives as well as Berlin District Councils in Germany on 12 February 2023. These elections represented a re-run of the elections of 26 September 2021, which were declared...
Protection of national minorities: new opinions published on Armenia and Italy
The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, has published two new opinions. Society in Armenia is characterised by a climate of tolerance and mutual understanding, and there is good provision of public TV and radio programming in minority...
Congress to observe repeat regional and district council elections in Berlin
A 10-member delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will carry out an election observation mission from 11 to 13 February to observe the repeat elections of the House of Representatives and District Councils in Berlin (Germany). These will be held on 12 February 2023, as...
Secretary General signs the book of condolences for Türkiye
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has signed in the Palais de l’Europe the book of condolences following the earthquake in Türkiye. Marija Pejčinović Burić, shocked by this tragedy, has underlined how her thoughts are with the victims and their families. Following a decision by the...
Council of Europe adopts new counter-terrorism strategy for 2023-2027
Responding to the evolving nature of terrorism threats in Europe, the Council of Europe today adopted a counter-terrorism strategy for 2023-2027 which offers new tools and concrete responses to continuous and emerging challenges faced by state authorities. The strategy aims at strengthening...
Secretary General sees key role for Council of Europe in establishing accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and securing justice for victims
In an information document sent to governments and published today, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić proposes that the 46-state organisation plays a leading role in the establishment of a register to record and document evidence and claims of damage, loss or injury as a...
The Netherlands should strengthen the use of Frisian, Limburgish and Low Saxon, and support Romanes and Yiddish
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has published its seventh report on the Netherlands, highlighting how the use of Frisian, Limburgish, Low Saxon, Romanes and Yiddish should be strengthened. The report, which welcomes the on-going discussions on the extension of the Charter...
Twenty-five years of ensuring equality in law and in fact for national minorities
The violent break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s consolidated the resolve in the Council of Europe to draft a dedicated legally binding treaty for the protection of national minorities. This is how, twenty-five years ago, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was...
Roma children begging: criminalisation is not the only answer, says anti-discrimination committee
Begging among Roma children, which had been decreasing in many European countries at the beginning of this decade, has recently become more visible again, along with a rise in anti-Roma and anti-Traveller discourse and attitudes in many member states, according to a report of the Council of...
Council of Europe launches action plan to support Belarusian democratic forces and civil society
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has announced a 15-point action plan to support civil society and democracy representatives working towards a future free and democratic Belarus. Developed jointly in the framework of the Council of Europe Contact Group on Belarus the list covers 15...
Equitable access to medicinal products and medical equipment in a situation of shortage: new recommendation
The Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation to promote, in the 46 Council of Europe member states, equitable access to medicinal products and medical equipment in a situation of shortage and to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals who need them for serious or...
Report: experts call on Sweden to include language as a ground for discrimination in its legislation
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages entered into force in Sweden in 2000. In its eighth evaluation report on Sweden, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts notes that the Swedish authorities have increased the financial support designated for the protection of the...
Secretary General meets Ukrainian Parliament Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić today met with Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, for an exchange on current human rights challenges in the country. She welcomed Mr Lubinets’ action in the difficult context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and...
Estonia should continue to strengthen the private sector’s role and law enforcement efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL encourages Estonia to further strengthen measures to combat money laundering (ML) and financing of terrorism (FT), among others by re-enforcing the capacities and performance of the private sector and improving its law...
Data Protection Day: New guidelines to ensure that national digital identity systems respect human rights standards
To mark Data Protection Day, celebrated every year on 28 January, the president of the Consultative Committee of the Council of Europe data protection “Convention 108”, Elsa Mein, has stressed the need for national digital identity schemes and systems to comply with human rights standards,...
ECHR President: Reykjavik summit should ‘translate the discourse of values into material support’
The President of the European Court of Human Rights, Síofra O’Leary, has encouraged Council of Europe member states to use the forthcoming Summit of Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik to commit further resources to the Court. Speaking at the Court’s annual press conference in Strasbourg,...
Human rights of intersex people: work launched on new Council of Europe recommendation
Advancing the human rights of intersex people was the key theme of a conference held as part of Iceland’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. Conference topics included the right to physical integrity and bodily autonomy, comprehensive medical and social care, access to justice and...
Prime Minister of Iceland calls for justice for Ukraine war victims and a system of accountability for human rights violations and crimes
The Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, commended the response of the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly to the major crises in the past few years. “It was able to adapt its procedures to continuing its work through the pandemic and demonstrated its unity around the...
Icelandic presidency and Reykjavik Summit an historical opportunity, Deputy Secretary General tells Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir
Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge has welcomed Iceland’s leadership during its Council of Europe presidency with a core focus and thematic priorities that “unite around our values”, including the topics of equality, youth and the environment. Meeting Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín...
Secretary General meets Oleksandra Matviichuk, pledges full support to Ukrainian civil society
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has pledged full support to Ukraine during a meeting with Oleksandra Matviichuk from the country’s Centre for Civil Liberties. Ukrainian civil society was key to documenting gross human rights violations and war crimes, and the Council of Europe was...
GRECO report on Romania’s progress in tackling corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors
The Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) has published a follow-up report assessing Romania’s progress in implementing the recommendations issued to the country in a 4th round evaluation report adopted in 2015 on the prevention of corruption among parliamentarians,...
Secretary General: Ukraine is our priority and Russia must account for its aggression; urges ambition for upcoming summit
In her speech to the Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said “Ukraine must take centre stage” at the Council of Europe Summit on 16-17 May in Reykjavik. Stressing that “accountability for the death and destruction caused by Russian aggression is vital”, she restated...
German Foreign Minister Baerbock: we need to set up the Council of Europe for a new era in European history
Speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly, Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on member states to reaffirm their commitment to the core values of the Council of Europe at the upcoming summit of heads of state and government, which in particular means all member states respecting...
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
“Every European should learn what happened. How and why the Holocaust took place. To keep the promise of never again “, said Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić at the Council of Europe ceremony on Tuesday 24 January, marking the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims...
Secretary General meets German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the occasion of the Minister’s visit to the Council of Europe and her speech at the Parliamentary Assembly. The Secretary General thanked Ms Baerbock for Germany’s political and financial support to...
Monaco should step up its efforts to investigate and prosecute money laundering
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL encourages Monaco to further strengthen measures to combat money laundering (ML) and financing of terrorism (FT), in particular when it comes to investigating and prosecuting money laundering, confiscating and recovering...
Call for summit input launched
The Council of Europe is calling for people and organisations to offer their own ideas to feed the discussions at the upcoming summit of heads of state and government in Reykjavik, Iceland on 16 – 17 May. It is asking for contributions from international organisations, national human rights...
Bulgaria: GRECO publishes a report on corruption prevention and integrity concerning top executive functions and the police
The Council of Europe’s Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) has published a new report today evaluating the situation with preventing corruption and promoting integrity among persons entrusted with top executive functions (Prime Minister, ministers, secretaries general, chiefs of political...
President of the Committee of Ministers calls for reopening of the Lachin corridor
Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, has made the following statement: “I am concerned about the increasingly precarious humanitarian situation of people living in Nagorno-Karabakh as a...
Secretary General calls on the Russian authorities to execute European Court of Human Rights’ judgment on Navalny case
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić made the following statement: “Today marks the second anniversary since Alexei Navalny’s incarceration in Russia after an attempt on his life by poisoning. Since then, despite Council of Europe calls for his release without delay and in...
PACE monitors for Türkiye meet Osman Kavala
Following a meeting with Osman Kavala at the Silivri prison today, the PACE rapporteurs for the monitoring of Türkiye, John Howell (United Kingdom, EC/DA) and Boriss Cilevičs (Latvia, SOC), have again called on the Turkish authorities to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human...
Secretary General meets UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab
The Secretary General had a positive and productive meeting with UK Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab. Among the topics discussed were the UK’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence,...
Venice Commission plenary opinions published
The Venice Commission has published this week, inter alia, opinions on amendments to the Judicial Code of Armenia, on draft amendments to the Election Code and the Law on Political Associations of Citizens in Georgia (jointly with OSCE/ODIHR), on draft amendments to the Law on the Judicial...
