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Progress made in actions protecting refugee and migrant children in Europe
Council of Europe is presenting progress in actions taken to ensure the safety and the proper treatment of children entering Europe, according to the report “Refugee and migrant children in Europe” - Progress in implementation of the Action Plan (2017–2019), published today. “I am pleased that...
Why NGOs matter
One of the most important issues raised at the FRA forum this week in Vienna was the need for greater funding and support for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Anna Rurka, President of the Council of Europe’s Platform of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) told forum...
Görlitz, Germany, hosts Forum highlighting Council of Europe Cultural Routes
"Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe connecting cultural values, heritage sites and citizens: strategies and synergies in a global perspective" will be the theme of the Annual Advisory Forum 2018 organised from 26 to 28 September by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the...
Council of Europe leads fight for fundamental rights and against the evil of corruption
As the Fundamental Rights Agency Forum in Vienna gets underway on 25 September, the Council of Europe is playing an integral part to uphold fundamental human rights and combat corruption in an increasingly challenging period for Europe. From fighting hate speech and discrimination to promoting...
Armenia’s new government should place human rights at the centre of its policies
“Armenia’s peaceful transfer of power in May 2018 has been truly remarkable. However, popular expectations are high that there will be tangible improvements to people’s lives, and the government should devote its attention to upholding the long-neglected rights of those who are most vulnerable”,...
Deputy Secretary General opens International Conference on the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions
“It is in everyone’s interests that the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (known as “Macolin Convention”) comes into force as soon as possible. The moment is approaching: it is not a matter of if, but when”, highlighted Deputy Secretary General while opening...
Rules Committee proposes to strengthen PACE's decision-making process on credentials and voting
In order to "strengthen the coherence, legitimacy and effectiveness of its decision-making mechanisms", the Committee on Rules of Procedure today proposed to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to amend certain provisions of its Rules of Procedure concerning the credentials...
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 from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The committee adopted 26 decisions concerning 17 member states at the end of its quarterly human rights meeting in...
Mental health of children on the move
Mental health of children affected by migration, their well-being and their rights was the key subject of the address by Regina Jensdottir, the Head of the Children’s Rights Division and Programme Co-ordinator at the Council of Europe, to the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC)...
Democracy and the People
To mark the International Day of Democracy, the Directorate General of Democracy and the Conference of INGOs are organising a debate entitled: Democracy & “The People”, aiming at re-asserting the value of our democratic institutions based on individual human rights, civic participation in public...
Ending violence against women: a new focus for continued Southern Mediterranean co-operation
On 18 September 2018, the Council of Europe and European Union launched the “South Programme III: Ensuring sustainable democratic governance and human rights in the Southern Mediterranean” in Strasbourg. This programme will build on the results from the past two programmes, and will have a new...
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 from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 18 to 20 September. Decisions taken by the committee will be published on the Council of Europe website as soon as...
Hungary: Anti-torture committee observed decent conditions in transit zones, but criticises treatment of irregular migrants when “pushed back” to Serbia
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published a report on its most recent visit to Hungary from 20 to 26 October 2017, together with the response of the Hungarian authorities (see also the main findings of the...
Combating corruption: France can do better
In a report published today on corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors, GRECO, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, concludes that France has implemented only four of the eleven recommendations made since 2013. While a number of positive measures...
European Heritage Days
Statement by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia
Albania should continue improving child protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities
“The protection of children and inclusion of persons with disabilities has improved in Albania, but the authorities still have to address remaining shortcomings”, said today Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing the report on her visit to the country...
GRECO places Denmark in its non-compliance procedure
Council of Europe anti-corruption experts (GRECO) have placed Denmark in its non-compliance procedure due to lack of sufficient measures taken to prevent corruption in respect of members of parliament and in the judiciary, according to a compliance report published today. GRECO concludes that...
Congress President meets Belarus President
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, met with the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 11 September 2018. They discussed the importance of local self-government in the governance of our societies. During this exchange,...
Parliamentary Assembly Autumn Session
Debate on decision-making process concerning credentials and voting
Despite challenges in managing mixed migration Spain should guarantee effective access to asylum also in Melilla and Ceuta
”Every person arriving in Spain, including those jumping the border fences in Melilla and Ceuta, should be protected against refoulement and collective expulsions with a real possibility to have access to an effective and fair asylum procedure”, says the Secretary General’s Special Representative...