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Conference on Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the context of major risks prevention and management
Migrants are a risk group also facing natural hazards and technological accidents. To analyse how countries deal with their vulnerabilities, the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement of the Council of Europe will hold a conference on Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the context of natural and...
Frank-Walter Steinmeier: ‘Human rights are and must remain non-negotiable’
“Human rights are and must remain non-negotiable,” German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told parliamentarians today at PACE’s plenary session in Strasbourg. “They are not just an instrument to be used when it suits on the road to peace. They are in fact the cornerstone on which...
Ukraine: only ‘significant progress’ by Russia can form basis for full-fledged dialogue
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has said that only “significant and measurable progress” by Russia towards implementation of three recent resolutions of the Assembly can form the basis for restoration of a fully-fledged, mutually respectful dialogue. In a resolution on...
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu: the values of the Council of Europe should inspire further reforms in Turkey
“The Council of Europe has had a significant role in Turkey’s progress in the past 15 years. We will press ahead with our plans for constitutional and institutional reform and will continue to heed the Council of Europe’s recommendations,” said Mevlüt Çavusoglu, Turkey’s Minister for Foreign...
Thomas Bach: Governments and the Olympic Movement have a common responsibility in the fight against doping
“Deficiencies of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping have become apparent. It is encouraging to see that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is now starting to address these deficiencies through the organisation of Think Tanks and other measures”, today said the President of...
Cyprus: Secretary General Jagland on Official Visit
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is meeting with Cypriot government officials on Friday to discuss the upcoming Cypriot chairmanship of the Council of Europe (from 22 November 2016 to 19 May 2017). The chairmanship will address several key human rights issues, from detention of irregular...
Jürgen Ligi: the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly must work together closely
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly today, Jürgen Ligi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia, mentioned the recent events that had taken place during Estonia’s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, including notably the attempted coup d’état in Turkey. “It is important that the...
Managing diversity through minority rights
Council of Europe’s national minorities body launches new guidance document
François Hollande: "We need the Council of Europe more than ever"
“France stands alongside the Council of Europe and I am confident that the Council of Europe stands alongside France in all efforts to promote peace, freedom and democracy,” declared France’s President, François Hollande, addressing the Assembly today. Mr Hollande said he was a strong believer in...
OECD calls on policy makers to adopt a broader and more inclusive approach to productivity growth
The Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mari Kiviniemi, today urged to do everything to address the “concerns of those that have suffered unemployment” by “creating more inclusive societies where the benefits of growth are more equally...
European Local Democracy Week 2016
“Living together in culturally diverse societies: respect, dialogue, interaction”
Secretary General’s dialogue with Assembly members
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland replied to questions from members of the Assembly in a question and answer session during the Assembly’s autumn part-session. During this exchange, PACE members asked Mr Jagland for his reaction to Turkey’s derogation from part of the European...
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2016 awarded to Nadia Murad
The fourth Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights – has been awarded to Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad. The €60 000 prize was presented at a special ceremony today at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, on the...
Assembly President calls for principles to be respected and warns against double standards
In his opening speech of the PACE autumn session in Strasbourg today, PACE President Pedro Agramunt made a plea for the strict respect of principles and rules and warned against double standards. He urged PACE to react firmly whenever someone faced persecution for his or her political views or...
European Day against the Death Penalty: Council of Europe/EU confirm their strong opposition to capital punishment
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and the European Union’s High Representative For Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty on October 10. The statement reaffirms both...
The Commissioner publishes a memorandum on the human rights implications of the emergency measures in Turkey
The Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published today a memorandum on the human rights implications of the measures taken under the state of emergency by the Turkish authorities. This memorandum follows up on a visit to Ankara between 27 and 29 September 2016, during which the...
UK urged to improve protection of child victims of human trafficking
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the United Kingdom to improve the identification and protection of child victims of trafficking, expressing particular concern about children going missing from local authority care. “Despite...
Secretary General Jagland discusses media freedom in Turkey with international journalist associations
Representatives of the eight partner organisations of the Council of Europe Platform for the Safety of Journalists met with the Council of Europe´s Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, to discuss the possible follow up to the media freedom alerts published on the Platform with regard to Turkey...
European judicial systems evaluation
The Council of Europe publishes 2016 assessment report and launches new interactive database
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the death penalty in Belarus
At their meeting on 5 October, the Minister’s Deputies adopted a declaration deploring the confirmation of the death sentence against Mr Siarhei Vostrykau by the Supreme Court of Belarus on 4 October 2016 and calling on the Belarus’ authorities not to carry out the execution, considering Belarus’...
