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Germany: anti-torture committee calls on authorities to ensure better treatment of foreign nationals being removed by air
The monitoring of a return flight of Afghan nationals from Munich to Kabul (Afghanistan) on 14 August 2018 is the subject of a new report published today by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) (see the executive...
Cultural Routes: Carlos V European Award ceremony
The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation delivered today, on the occasion of Europe Day, the "Carlos V European Award" to the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme. His Majesty the King of Spain presented the prize to the Council of Europe´s Secretary General...
The European Union and the Council of Europe to strengthen their support for good governance in the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood
The European Union and Council of Europe are extending the Partnership for Good Governance programme to help strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The second phase of the programme (worth €17.5 million...
Secretary General Jagland: statement on Turkish Supreme Election Council’s decision on re-run of local elections in Istanbul
“With regard to the Turkish Supreme Election Council’s decision on a re-run of the local elections in Istanbul, I refer to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the only international body who had been invited to observe the local elections on 31 March. We...
Secretary General Jagland meets President Emmanuel Macron
Secretary General Jagland today met with President Emmanuel Macron for an exchange on the current challenges facing the organisation ahead of the French presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which begins on 17 May. Addressing the press alongside President Macron,...
70th Anniversary of the Council of Europe
Joint statement by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly Liliane Maury Pasquier and the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers Timo Soini
Sweden needs to raise awareness in the government and in the police about conflicts of interest and “friendship corruption”
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called for further measures to prevent corruption in Sweden in respect of persons entrusted with top executive functions, including ministers, state secretaries and senior political...
2019 Theme: Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation
World Press Freedom Day – 3 May 2019
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers
Genuine political commitment needed to protect press freedom
“The state of journalists’ freedom and safety in Europe has reached an alarming point. The killing of journalist Lyra McKee and the violence and intimidations against journalists covering demonstrations in several European countries are the most recent examples which show that press freedom in...
Freedom of expression: report assesses the situation in 2018
A report, published today on the eve of World Press Freedom Day by the Council of Europe´s Information Society Department, maps out the major threats to freedom of expression in Europe in 2018 and the actions that governments should carry out to counter them as a matter of priority. The report...
Anders Knape meets President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko
Congress President Anders Knape met President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 29 April 2019, in Minsk. Welcoming the interest of the Belarusian authorities to improve local self-government, President Knape underlined the Congress readiness to support the current process in this...
Police should improve interviewing practices to prevent ill-treatment, says anti-torture committee
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) today stressed the need for police forces in Europe to improve the way suspects are interviewed when carrying out criminal investigations. In its annual report, the CPT indicates that in...
Two Western Balkan countries still struggle with migration flows but face different challenges
Commending Bosnia and Herzegovina in its effort to provide shelter and basic services to the high number of arrivals of migrants and refugees, the Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees Tomáš Boček, stressed in a report published today, that access to asylum...
Young refugees should receive additional temporary support after the age of 18, recommends the Committee of Ministers
Recommendation of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to member states
Open day 5 May 2019: visit the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 60th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights, come and visit two distinctive buildings on an open day to be held on Sunday 5 May from 10 am to 6 pm. This open day will be an opportunity to learn about how the rights and...
Responses to prison overcrowding in Europe
High-Level Conference in Strasbourg
European human rights moot court competition
Students from University of Oxford (United Kingdom) were declared winners of the seventh edition of the European Moot Court Competition in English on the European Convention on Human Rights, after beating a team from the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridshi" (Bulgaria) in the final round. The...
Secretary General Jagland’s meeting with Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Secretary General Jagland today met with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. They discussed the increasing cooperation between the Council of Europe...
Secretary General: Decision by Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) to bar elected candidates from taking office raises questions of rule of law
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has written to the President of the Supreme Electoral Board of Turkey, Mr Sadi Güven Letter
Georgia: Venice Commission publishes urgent opinion on the nomination of Supreme Court judges
The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has just issued an “urgent opinion” for Georgia on the selection and appointment of Supreme Court judges, as requested last month by the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia. Text of the Urgent Opinion
Anti-torture Committee publishes a report on Andorra
The Council of Europe's European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published a report on its 2018 visit to Andorra, together with the response of the Andorran authorities (a summary of the report is also available). During the...
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...
Europe’s "common home" must be maintained and continue to wield influence, says PACE President
In her opening speech at the PACE Spring Session, the President today reiterated the importance of preserving “the common home which provides a place to live for 830 million people and is governed by a common legal framework that protects the individual against arbitrary decisions and...
Strengthening civil society participation in protecting children against sexual exploitation and abuse
Further strengthening co-operation between the Council of Europe and civil society actors to prevent and protect children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, online and offline, is the goal of the international conference taking place from 8 to 9 April 2019 at the European Youth Centre of...
International Roma Day (8 April 2019)
Statement by Timo Soini, President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Assembly President calls on for increased cooperation with the Congress
"Each institution has its own role and its own prerogatives but we are each and every one of us working towards the same objective: to continue the construction of a common area for the protection of democracy, the rule of law and human rights", said the President of the Parliamentary Assembly,...
Serbia: minority language education should be strengthened
Today, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe published a new report on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) in the Republic of Serbia and the recommendations to the Serbian authorities. The Charter applies to Albanian, Bosnian,...
Ready for future challenges: Thorbjørn Jagland urges member states to reinforce the Council of Europe
In his last annual report after ten years as Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland has urged the Council of Europe’s 47 member states to reinforce the organisation, to make sure that it is properly financed and to develop new legal standards on emerging challenges to human rights and democracy....
Alternatives to the detention of migrants: how we can make it work
A variety of concrete examples and practices of alternatives to the detention of migrants from different corners of Europe were presented to some 200 participants at an International conference on Effective Alternatives to the Detention of Migrants, organised jointly by the Council of Europe, the...
Implementing ECHR judgments: 10-year reform process brings clear results
Reforms to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the European Convention on Human Rights have clearly improved the implementation of judgments from the European court in Strasbourg, according to the latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The report states that...
European states must demonstrate resolve for lasting and concrete change for Roma people
“On 8 April, we will celebrate International Roma Day. This is a day to celebrate Roma culture and Roma contributions to European societies, and the cultural diversity of Europe. The 8th of April, which commemorates the first World Romani Congress held in London in April 1971, should also be a...
Norway: a role model for preventing corruption in parliament and among judges and prosecutors
The Council of Europe anti-corruption body (GRECO) published today its Fourth Evaluation Round Report on Norway concerning corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. GRECO concludes that Norway has implemented satisfactorily, or dealt with in a satisfactory...
Corruption in the Maltese government and police: more robust and effective action needed
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) assesses the effectiveness of the framework in place in Malta to prevent corruption amongst persons with top executive functions (ministers and other senior government officials) and the...
Poland: relatively alarming developments for local and regional democracy
The situation of local and regional democracy in Poland has changed significantly over the past years: formerly one of the “top ten” countries in the EU, in terms of the level of local autonomy, Poland now shows “alarming trends”. These are among the key findings of the report and recommendation...
Future of the Council of Europe – restoring confidence in democratic institutions from the local level up
In our response to the current democratic crisis, local institutions have a strategic role in restoring the links between citizens and the institutions which represent them. This is the Congress members’ message to the foreign ministers of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, who are to...
Council of Europe and European Commission strengthen their co-operation to support reforms in the Member States
Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council and Maarten Verwey, Director-General of the European Commission's Structural Reform Support Service announced today a new co-operation framework to provide support to a number of EU and Council of Europe member states under the...
Fighting nepotism through clear and transparent recruitment procedures
Against a background of diminished public trust in public authorities, fighting nepotism and ensuring impartial recruitment procedures are fundamental requirements. The report adopted on this subject by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 2 April 2019 is...
Morocco – first “Partner for local democracy”
In a resolution adopted today by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the Kingdom of Morocco was granted the status of “Partner for local democracy” with this assembly of local and regional elected representatives from the Organisation’s 47 member states. This...
Europe’s rate of imprisonment falls, according to Council of Europe survey
The overall imprisonment rate in Europe fell by 6.6% between 2016 and 2018 - from 109.7 to 102.5 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants- according to the Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics for 2018 (SPACE), published today (see also the key findings). This decrease continues a trend that started...
Local elections in Turkey
Congress observer delegation calls on Turkey to seize the opportunity to continue normalisation and enhance local democracy
36th Congress session: "Mayors safeguarding democracy"
The members of the Congress of local and regional authorities will meet from 2 to 4 April 2019 in Strasbourg, at their 36th session, with "Mayors safeguarding democracy" as this year's theme. A debate will be held on this topic, with the participants including Ignacio Sanchez Amor, Spanish...
Protection of health-related data: new guidelines
The Council of Europe has issued a set of guidelines to its 47 member states urging them to ensure, in law and practice, that the processing of health-related data is done in full respect of human rights, notably the right to privacy and data protection. With the development of new technological...
Council of Europe adopts first-ever international legal instrument to stop sexism
States should step up their fight against sexism in all walks of life, according to a Recommendation just adopted by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. In response to the #MeToo and other recent movements that have heightened awareness of persistent sexism in society, the Council of...
Cultural Routes programme receives the Carlos V European Award
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme is the 2019 recipient of the "Carlos V European Award" , which honours people, organisations, projects or initiatives that contribute “to the enhancement of Europe’s cultural and historical values”. For the first time the Carlos V European...
Election of the Secretary General: the Committee of Ministers submits candidatures to the Parliamentary Assembly
The Committee of Ministers today decided to submit to the Parliamentary Assembly, for appointment to the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, with effect from 1 October 2019, the following candidatures in alphabetic order: - Marija Pejčinović Burić (Croatia) (Curriculum vitae) -...
Bulgarian legislation on family allowances for children violates certain provisions of European Social Charter
In a decision published today, the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights found that certain provisions of the Family Allowances for Children Act in Bulgaria violate the right to appropriate social, legal and economic protection for the family, and are discriminatory against...
“Tackling Gender Stereotypes and Sexism”: international conference in Helsinki
Gender stereotypes and sexism represent a serious limit to the achievement of substantive gender equality: equal rights for women and men in all spheres of public and private life. Gender stereotypes and sexism contribute to different forms of hate speech (on line and off-line) and discrimination...
Labour rights under pressure across Europe
Latest annual conclusions from the European Committee of Social Rights
“Be visible, be strong” : International Roma Women’s Conference in Helsinki
In its seventh annual Roma Women's Conference, this year held in Finland, the Council of Europe stresses the importance of "mainstreaming" Roma and Traveller gender equality issues as part of its "Strategy for Gender Equality 2018-2023". The three-day conference, which brings together NGOs,...
Intercultural integration academy in Iceland
An Intercultural Integration Academy will be held in Iceland on 25-28 March organised by the Council of Europe (Intercultural cities programme), the Ministry of Social Affairs and UNHCR. The Academy will focus on intercultural competence for social workers, municipal officials, police officers...
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Launch of the ICC Manual on community policing
The Intercultural Cities (ICC) programme launches a Manual on community policing to mark 21 March, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
5th anniversary of annexation of Crimea
Statement by Timo Soini, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Renewed efforts needed to eliminate racial discrimination, especially in the workplace, say Heads of Europe’s human rights organisations
Too many people with an ethnic or migrant background are still being held back in the job market. This is despite laws against racial discrimination and for equal opportunities in employment that have been in place for decades, the heads of three European human rights institutions said in a joint...
Enhancing media pluralism: Strasbourg conference
The Council of Europe and Reporters Without Borders are organising a conference in Strasbourg on 20 March to discuss public policies aimed at strengthening media pluralism. Held under the theme “Media Pluralism how can we deliver?”, the conference will explore how existing media legislation and...
25 “Venice Principles” - Democratic ABCs for ombudsman institutions
Today the Venice Commission published a set of guidelines to protect ombudsman institutions, following threats to these institutions in recent years. Ombudsman are important for democracy, their services are free, and are thus accessible to individuals who cannot afford to pursue their complaints...
GRECO publicly declares Belarus non-compliant with the CoE anti-corruption standards
Today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption, in an unprecedented move, has publicly declared Belarus non-compliant with GRECO’s anti-corruption standards. Since 2012, when GRECO addressed 24 recommendations to Belarus and invited the authorities to authorise the publication...
Romania: anti-torture committee concerned about abuse of prisoners by staff, inter-prisoner violence and allegations of police ill-treatment
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has expressed concern about several persistent problems in Romanian prisons - including the abuse of prisoners by staff and inter-prisoner violence - as well as about numerous...
Albania needs to strengthen protection of national minority rights
In its fourth opinion on Albania, the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) urges Tirana to make operational the county’s law on the protection of national minorities through the adoption of further legislation....
States should enable NGOs to access foreign funding, say Venice Commission experts
In the wake of recent challenges to the independent functioning of associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Council of Europe's constitutional legal experts today adopted a report on standards with respect to foreign funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Council...
Hungary: Laws on administrative courts lack effective checks and balances in government, according to the Venice Commission
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional experts of the Venice Commission raises questions over two December 2018 laws establishing a separate system of administrative courts, with its own high court (the future Supreme Administrative Court, or SAC) and its own judicial...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The latest case-by-case decisions on the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The committee adopted 30 decisions concerning 16 member states at the end of its quarterly human rights...
Human trafficking in Iceland: Some progress, but improvements are needed in key areas
Iceland has made some progress in tackling human trafficking in recent years, but the problem requires more political attention and better co-ordination in order to help detect victims of trafficking, carry out successful investigations and prosecute offenders. These are among the main findings...
Poland should restore necessary guarantees for independence of judges and prosecutors, prevent regression on women’s rights and combat gender stereotypes
“Modern European democracies cannot function without truly independent judiciaries. Poland’s authorities should take further steps to restore full independence of the judiciary and act to resolve discord and deadlock that continue to affect the functioning and the credibility of some of the...
Secretary General Jagland condemns the deadly mosques attack in New Zealand
On behalf of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has made the following statement: “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, that has left so many people dead and seriously wounded. Our deepest...
European Social Charter: decision in CGT v. France complaint concerning Labour Law
In a decision published today, the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights, which is responsible for monitoring the application of the European Social Charter, found that there has been no violation of Article 4§2 of the Charter with regard to the right of workers to be informed...
San Marino urged to raise public awareness of human trafficking and provide training to relevant professionals
San Marino has taken additional measures to combat trafficking in human beings, according to a new report published today by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), but a number of issues continue to give rise to concern. The report assesses...
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 12 to 14 March. Decisions taken by the Committee of Ministers will be published on the Council of Europe...
Anti-torture Committee urges effective investigations into allegations of torture in North Caucasus
The Council of Europe’s anti-torture Committee (the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture - CPT) has today issued a public statement on the Russian Federation urging the Russian authorities to take decisive action to eradicate the phenomenon of ill-treatment by law enforcement...
Ireland ratifies treaty to end violence against women
On UN International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Council of Europe welcomes the 34th ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (also known as the Istanbul Convention) to stop all forms of violence against women. “We...
International Women’s Day (8 March)
Statement by Timo Soini, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Parliamentary Assembly President calls for action to end violence against women
Speaking on the eve of International Women's Day (8 March), the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Liliane Maury Pasquier urged strong action against sexism and violence against women, driven by ongoing inequality between women and men. “What the #MeToo...
We need to stand up for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights
Ahead of International Women’s Day 2019, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović issued the following statement today: “Women’s rights are human rights and gender equality is a fundamental value of our societies, enshrined in human rights treaties. Nevertheless, progress...
International Women’s Day - Statement by Secretary General
More progress needed to end violence against women
Anti-racism commission: new reports on Latvia and Russia
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published today two country reports on Latvia and the Russian Federation, analysing recent developments and making recommendations to the authorities. The respective governments’ comments were also published. In the report on...
The role of education in supporting refugees’ integration - joint event in Strasbourg
The role of education in supporting the integration of refugees in their host societies was the topic of a roundtable organised by the Council of Europe, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the City of Strasbourg on 1 March at the Strasbourg City Hall (Hôtel de Ville)....
Hungary: Insufficient progress and lack of transparency hamper fight against corruption
Following a high level visit today in Budapest, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on Hungary to make reports public and to implement fully its recommendations. Carried out as part of GRECO’s on-going non-compliance procedure in respect of Hungary, the visit...
Romania: improving implementation of laws and ensuring funding to protect women from violence and rights of disabled people
“There are systemic obstacles which seriously hinder the effective protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in Romania”, said today Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, publishing the report on her visit to the country in November 2018. The report focuses...
Artificial Intelligence: Helsinki conference conclusions
AI should be developed in a human-centric manner to produce benefits for individuals and for societies
Polish Sport Minister Bańka is European candidate for WADA President
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe approved today the nomination of Witold Bańka, Minister for Sport and Tourism of Poland, as single European candidate to the post of President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This decision follows the recommendation formulated by the Ad...
Helsinki Conference on Artificial Intelligence
A two-day High-Level Conference “Governing the Game Changer – Impacts of artificial intelligence development on human rights, democracy and the rule of law” opened in Helsinki today. ”New technology, the collection of massive amounts of data, and the use of information, has already changed the...
Death penalty: Filling Europe’s black hole
The 47-nation Council of Europe is co-organising a round table on capital punishment in Belarus on Thursday 28 February as part of the World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Brussels. Belarus is the only country in Europe to still use the death penalty. Executions are usually carried out in...
Maintaining public order and freedom of assembly in the context of the “yellow vest” movement: recommendations by the Commissioner for Human Rights
In a memorandum containing her observations on the events linked to the so-called yellow vest movement, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, invites the French authorities to show more respect for human rights during operations aimed at maintaining public order...
Two awards won at the Césars French film festival for “Les Chatouilles”, a story of child sexual abuse
The film “Les Chatouilles” (co-directed by Andréa Bescon and Eric Métayer) won César awards at the ceremony held on 22 February 2019 in two categories: best supporting actress for Karin Viard, and best adaptation of a theatre play for the two co-directors. This autobiographical film highlights...
Criminal Justice in Cyberspace Conference in Bucharest
In today’s ultra-connected world, criminal justice is a crucial response to cybercrime. While cybercriminals are increasingly using cyberspace to conduct their offences against the law, criminal justice authorities are faced with complex challenges worldwide. Since cyber threats are touching upon...
Five nominations for the child sexual abuse film “Les Chatouilles” in the Césars French film award
The film “Les Chatouilles” (co-directed by Andréa Bescon and Eric Métayer) has been nominated for 5 categories of the French Césars Award contest: best first film, best actress and best actor in a supporting role, best adaptation and best editing. The winners will be announced at the award...
The Netherlands needs to enhance measures to preserve integrity in the government and in the police
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called for measures to prevent corruption in the Netherlands in respect of persons entrusted with top executive functions, including ministers, state secretaries, political advisors; and in...
Council of Europe Secretary General, Finnish Foreign Minister and French Justice Minister to open Helsinki AI Conference
Council of Europe's Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Timo Soini and the Minister of Justice of France Nicole Belloubet will open the High-Level Conference: “Governing the Game Changer – Impacts of artificial intelligence development on human...
Secretary General calls on Albanian opposition to remain in parliament, warns against violence
Expressing concern about the decision of the opposition to withdraw from Parliament, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland said: “In a democracy the legislature is the first instance where political issues affecting the whole country should be debated and solutions...
Allowing IDPs to vote in local elections in Ukraine
Congress conference in Kyiv
Statement by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland on the anti-Semitic acts committed last night in Alsace
I unreservedly condemn the anti-Semitic, barbaric and disgusting acts of desecration of the Jewish cemetery in the Alsatian town of Quatzenheim, not far from Strasbourg, where the Council of Europe has its headquarters. I express my complete solidarity with the Jewish community, which has once...
Greece: Anti-torture committee criticises poor treatment of detained foreign nationals
The Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) acknowledges significant on-going challenges that the Greek authorities face to deal with the high number of foreign nationals arriving in the country, but based on a...