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Secretary General meets Committee of Ministers Chair Rinkēvičs
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has had an exchange of views with Edgars Rinkēvičs, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia. The meeting focused on the implementation of the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government decisions and on the...
States need to improve criminal asset recovery in combatting money laundering, says MONEYVAL Committee
In its annual report for 2022 the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing body MONEYVAL warns that the recovery of proceeds from crime across states remains insufficient and calls on governments to step up their efforts to strengthen their national frameworks for...
World Refugee Day: The Council of Europe maintains its focus on protecting the vulnerable
Each year on 20 June, the world marks World Refugee Day, to draw attention to the plight of millions of people who have been forced to flee war, violence and persecution and to the international obligations under the United Nations 1951 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Refugees. In the face...
Council of Europe Secretary General meets Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met Péter Szijjártó, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. They discussed the follow up to the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government and the role of the Council of Europe to uphold peace and democratic security in Europe. They...
Secretary General’s Question Time at Parliamentary Assembly
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has responded to parliamentarians’ questions at the PACE Summer session’s Question Time. During a lively Q & A session, Marija Pejčinović Burić highlighted the results of the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in...
Hungary Foreign Minister addresses PACE
Addressing the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), which is meeting in Strasbourg for its 2023 Summer Session, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, referred to the foreign policy of his country in the context of the war of aggression against Ukraine. ...
Parliamentary Assembly Summer plenary session
A joint urgent debate (*) on the political consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics, will be a highlight of the Summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)...
Serbia urged to strengthen criminal justice response to human trafficking, improve assistance to victims
Over the past five years, several legislative changes relevant for combatting trafficking in human beings were adopted in Serbia. However, further steps are needed to ensure effective access of victims to justice and effective remedies, said the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking body GRETA in...
Council of Europe Commission for the Efficiency of Justice adopts “Backlog reduction tool”
The Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) has adopted a new tool designed to help countries reduce backlogs of court cases, a frequent issue encountered by many states and highly detrimental to the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, as...
Anti-trafficking body urges Slovenia to better identify victims of human trafficking
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking group GRETA calls on the Slovenian authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies, and to strengthen the identification of victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and amongst...
GRECO calls on European governments to ensure access to information to help fight corruption
The Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) has expressed concern about the restrictive application of the right of access to information in some European states and called on authorities to respect international standards in this field. In its annual report for 2022,...
Summary of Iceland’s Presidency of Committee of Ministers
The Council of Europe has published a summary of Iceland’s six-month Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, which came to an end on 17 May 2023 in Reykjavík at the 4th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe. Iceland took over the Presidency on 9 November 2022,...
GRETA publishes 2022 annual report, highlighting the need for more action and resources to tackle human trafficking in Europe
The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its annual report for 2022 which provides an overview of its activities, including meetings, evaluation visits, country reports and round tables, as well as its co-operation with Council...
Venice Commission publishing opinions that were adopted in latest plenary session
The Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts of the Venice Commission are publishing several opinions that they had adopted during their latest closed plenary in Venice on 9 and 10 June. Published opinions include the following: An interim opinion on Article 49.3 of the Constitution of...
Secretary General meets Justice Minister of Armenia, welcomes progress in execution of judgments
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Grigor Minasyan, Minister of Justice of Armenia. She welcomed Armenia’s excellent progress with regard to the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. In this context, she noted the recent establishment of the...
Spain urged to guarantee compensation to victims of human trafficking and to step up investigations of trafficking for labour exploitation
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the Spanish authorities to guarantee effective access to compensation to victims of human trafficking and to increase proactive investigations into trafficking for labour exploitation. In a...
Secretary General addresses 56th Joint Meeting of Council of Europe Development Bank in Athens
Addressing the 56th Joint Meeting of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić underlined the CEB’s actions and their positive impact across its member states. Speaking at the event in Athens, the Secretary General welcomed the decision made last year...
Poland must take further steps to tackle human trafficking, say Council of Europe experts
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the Polish authorities to take further action against human trafficking, notably by effectively preventing and combating trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and improving the...
Hungary: anti-corruption group calls for measures to prevent corruption in central government and law enforcement
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), in a new report, calls for determined measures to prevent corruption in Hungary in respect of persons with top executive functions, including the Prime Minister, ministers, commissioners, political state secretaries, political...
Council of Europe leaders profoundly concerned about Russia’s non-execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, including the non-payment of just satisfaction
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has reiterated the Russian Federation’s unconditional legal obligation to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and to pay ‘just satisfaction’ awarded by the Court. The President of the Committee of Ministers made a statement on...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the 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 5 to 7 June to supervise the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee of Ministers adopted 38 decisions...
Social projects from Serbia, Croatia and France honoured at CEB Award for Social Cohesion 2023
The Serbian non-governmental organisation Atina has won this year’s Council of Europe Bank (CEB) Award for Social Cohesion, with its ‘Bagel Bejgl’ social enterprise. Humana Nova (Croatia) and L’outil en main (France) were the runners-up. The announcement was made at the award ceremony, held this...
National minorities: Council of Europe and OSCE join forces to raise awareness of human rights standards
Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has met Kairat Abdrakhmanov, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, to officially launch the joint web resource “Collection of Council of Europe and OSCE National Minority Standards”. The webpage, an example of...
Minority languages situation in Austria and Serbia: new reports published
The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) has published new reports on Austria and Serbia. The reports provide a general evaluation of the situation and contain snapshots of the situation of each language covered by the Charter, assessing whether...
Destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region of Ukraine: statement by Council of Europe leaders
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Council of Europe’s President of the Committee of Ministers, Edgars Rinkēvičs, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić made the...
Social reintegration of offenders in prison and under probation: Berlin conference explores innovative responses
The Council of Europe annual Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services, held in Berlin on 6 and 7 June, is exploring innovative responses to challenges such as the increasing number of people with mental health problems in prison or under the supervision of probation agencies,...
The Council of Europe and me – a documentary film to be shown in European schools
A documentary film on the impact of the Council of Europe is being produced by the Robert Schuman European Centre in Scy-Chazelles (France) and the Pädagogisches Landesinstitut Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany). The aim is to familiarise young people with the activities of the Council of Europe and...
Council of Europe anti-trafficking body urges Azerbaijan to better identify victims of human trafficking and improve their access to compensation and other remedies
In a new report the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings assesses developments since the publication of GRETA’s second evaluation report on Azerbaijan in November 2018 as regards the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action...
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 5 to 7 June. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
Support to young people from Ukraine: call for grant applications continues
The European Youth Foundation (EYF) has decided to continue and expand the special call for activities to support young people from Ukraine. The call now includes possibilities for international youth co-operation projects. An information session will take place on 7 June. Applications can be...
Consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, mixed picture with LGBTI persons’ rights, antigypsyism and shrinking space for civil society - Council of Europe anti-racism body presented key trends in Europe in 2022
Addressing the challenges posed by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, addressing continued discrimination – despite certain progress - of LGBTI persons, Roma and Travellers, as well as the need for supporting civil society actors were the main thematic clusters of issues European...
Secretary General’s lecture at Comenius University in Bratislava: “Summit in Reykjavik will be remembered as a turning point”
“There are good reasons to believe that our recent Summit in Reykjavik will be remembered as a turning point”, highlighted Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić while addressing students, the diplomatic academy and a wider public at Comenius University in Bratislava. In her lecture “Human...
The Committee of Ministers calls on member states to recognise the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right
In a Recommendation on human rights and the protection of the environment, the Council of Europe calls on its 46 member states to actively consider recognising, at national level, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as a human right. Considering that measures to address the...
Helga Pedersen Human Rights Moot Court Competition: 11th anniversary
Students from the University of Maastricht (the Netherlands) were declared winners of the eleventh edition of the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition in English on the European Convention on Human Rights, after beating a team from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) in...
In Türkiye’s presidential runoff, a competitive campaign continued to be marked by lack of level playing field and media bias, say international observers
The second round of Türkiye’s presidential election was well run and gave voters the opportunity to choose between real political alternatives, but was characterized by increasingly inflammatory and discriminatory language during the campaign period. Media bias and ongoing restrictions to freedom...
Secretary General visits the Slovak Republic and attends GLOBSEC 2023 Bratislava Forum
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met President Zuzana Čaputová during an official visit to the Slovak Republic. Meetings with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Wlachovský, with Vice President of the European Commission Věra Jourová and with President of the Supreme...
Statutes of limitation for sexual offences against children and “age of consent” in Council of Europe member states
In the context of an ongoing debate and diverse approaches to statutes of limitations in respect of sexual offences against children and the legal age for sexual activities, commonly known as the “age of consent”, in Council of Europe member states, the Lanzarote Committee (Committee of the...
National minorities in the UK: European experts report troubling levels of antigypsyism and the need to further support linguistic minorities
The Council of Europe’s expert body on the rights of national minorities has highlighted troublingly persistent levels of antigypsyism in the United Kingdom, as well as racial and ethnic bullying in schools. Linguistic minorities also need greater levels of support. These are among the main...
Secretary General addresses PHILEA Forum 2023 in Croatia
“Civil society groups, backed by philanthropy, have been central to changing hearts, minds, and laws. They are an essential part of functioning and effective democracies”, emphasised Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić while addressing the opening plenary for the PHILEA Forum 2023 “A New...
Heads of State and Government agree to strengthen Council of Europe, ensure accountability for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and support victims
At the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, Heads of State and Government of the organisation’s 46 member states have decided to establish a Register of damage caused by the Russian Federation’s aggression as a first step towards an international compensation mechanism. The leaders...
Latvia takes over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers
Latvia has taken over the rotating Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from Iceland at the Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government from the organisation’s 46 member states. The outgoing Chair of the Committee of Ministers - Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs,...
European leaders unite around Ukraine and European values
Iceland has welcomed heads of state and government to the fourth Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik. The Summit is an historic opportunity to reaffirm the common commitment to the Council of Europe’s core values and to refocus its mission in the light of new threats to human rights and...
Time for urgent action to stop democratic backsliding, Secretary General tells Summit
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has called on Europe’s leaders to act urgently to reverse a slide in democracy. Speaking at the opening session of the fourth Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government, she stressed that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was an extreme...
Youth work in time of war in Ukraine
What impact is Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine having on young people in the country and on the way youth work is conducted? This question and the support that the Council of Europe has been providing to youth work in Ukraine, are the subject of a series of short documentaries first...
Summit parliamentary dimension: PACE Standing Committee meets in Reykjavik
The Parliamentary Assembly has put all its political weight in support of the Summit, pushing for it to be held and providing a substantive input to it though a host of texts, including its Recommendation 2245 (2023) on ‘The Reykjavík Summit of the Council of Europe - United around values in the...
New Prize will reward achievements leading to women’s empowerment, says Secretary General
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has welcomed the launch of the Parliamentary Assembly Vigdís Prize for Women’s Empowerment. Speaking at a side event on the eve of the fourth Council of Europe Summit, she said the prize – named after former Icelandic president Vigdís...
Local and regional authorities to play essential role in implementing decisions taken at Council of Europe Summit
Local and regional authorities and communities are at the frontline in reacting to crises in Europe and will be essential to implementing decisions taken at the highest political level at the 4th Summit of Heads of States and Government of the Council of Europe that is taking place in Reykjavik...
Declaration on imprisoned Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza
Joint Declaration from the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of...
New factsheet on life imprisonment and the ECHR
Life imprisonment is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, as long as prisoners have some chance of being released and it is possible for their sentences to be reviewed. According to the European Court of Human Rights, national laws concerning life imprisonment must be...
Council of Europe Summit unites Heads of State and Government around Ukraine and European values
The Icelandic Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is hosting a Summit of Heads of State and Government from the organisation’s 46 member states on 16 and 17 May in Reykjavik. This is the 4th Summit of the Council of Europe since its creation in 1949. The Summit will be an...
Council of Europe and EU leaders warn against backsliding on LGBTI rights in run-up to International Day Against Homophobia
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland; Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe; and Helena Dalli, EU Commissioner for Equality, have made a joint statement ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexphobia,...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: police ill-treatment of detainees remains a serious problem, says anti-torture committee
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published the report of its ad hoc visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) of September 2021, along with the response of the authorities. Ill-treatment of detained persons remains a...
Secretary General meets President of Portugal
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16-17 May), an opportunity to reaffirm unity at the highest political level and reinforce commitment to the...
Secretary General meets Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Anita Van den Ende. The meeting began with preparations for the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16-17 May), an historic opportunity for reinforcing the...
Promoting greater gender equality in sport: Council of Europe and European Union launch “All In Plus” project
The Council of Europe and the European Union are today launching the “All In Plus” project during a day-long event in the framework of the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. The hybrid event brings together representatives of public institutions and the sport movement, as well...
Secretary General joins the summit of leaders for creation of Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine
“There can be no just and sustainable peace without accountability. This is why Ukraine and the accountability for the crimes committed by Russia will be central to our upcoming fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik on 16-17 May”, declared Secretary General Marija Pejčinović...
Secretary General meets Hungarian Minister of Justice
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Hungarian Minister of Justice Judit Varga. The meeting focused on the recent visit of the Special Representative on Migration and Refugees to Hungary, the state of play of Hungary’s execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human...
Icelandic Presidency: Secretary General meets Minister of Culture and Business Affairs
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has exchanged views with the Icelandic Minister of Culture and Business Affairs Lilja Alfredsdóttir. The meeting started with the preparations for the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16-17 May), a historic opportunity for...
Secretary General calls for action against democratic backsliding in annual report
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has called on member states to mark the fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16-17 May) with a commitment to reverse democratic backsliding in Europe. In her annual report, published today – Council of Europe Day – the Secretary...
Council of Europe-ECPAT overview highlights need for more resources to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation in Moldova
The Republic of Moldova needs to devote more resources to identifying and supporting victims of child sexual exploitation, including from the most vulnerable groups, according to a joint Council of Europe and ECPAT international country overview released today. The overview says that the...
World Press Freedom Day: Statement by Committee of Ministers' Chair
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 on World Press Freedom Day: “As the world faces one of the greatest challenges ever to the global peace architecture with...
Advancing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in Europe
Senior judges, experts and representatives of the international community took part in a high-level conference in Strasbourg to discuss what the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment means in practice and what legal form that right may ultimately take in Europe. Opening the...
Press Freedom Day: Secretary General urges European states to protect journalism and enhance safety of journalists
In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe´s Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić urged European governments to make the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists and other media actors a political priority: “As journalists and other media actors...
The forcible transfer and ‘russification’ of Ukrainian children shows evidence of genocide, says PACE
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has demanded the safe return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia or territory it temporarily occupies, as well as punishment of those who carried it out at all levels – pointing out that the documented evidence of this...
Why gender stereotypes matter: Council of Europe conference highlights role of men and boys to stop violence against women
Opening a conference co-organised by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić stressed the need for men and boys to stop violence against women by breaking barriers to gender equality. She spoke against...
President of Iceland addresses the Parliamentary Assembly
The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, commended the Parliamentary Assembly for its swift response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We must continue to condemn this violation of international law and norms. Therefore, let us all hope that the Reykjavík summit next month will deliver...
Icelandic Presidency: Secretary General meets President Jóhannesson
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has exchanged views with the President of Iceland, Gudni Th. Jóhannesson. The Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik (16-17 May) has been at the centre of the meeting. “The Summit presents a historic opportunity...
Reykjavik Summit is the response of member States to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
"The Russian Federation is writing a bloody page in European history, waging a barbaric war of aggression to achieve its imperialistic objectives. It is exactly because our deepest values are being trampled upon that we must reaffirm our identity. The Reykjavik Summit is the response of the...
Workshop to support Russian journalists in exile
In March 2022, when excluding Russia from the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers noted that “the Council of Europe will take initiatives to support and engage with human rights defenders, democratic forces, free media and independent civil society in the Russian Federation”. Outlining...
Ministers from MONEYVAL member states ministers commit to strengthen fight against money laundering and terrorist financing
Ministers responsible for anti-money laundering policies from the member states and territories of the Council of Europe’s MONEYVAL Committee have committed to improving the effectiveness of their regimes to prevent and combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of...
Icelandic Foreign Minister: Ukraine, core values high on agenda at Rejkavik Summit
“Support and solidarity with Ukraine is one of the main priorities of our Presidency and we have worked hard to ensure that the outcome of the Reykjavík Summit in May further strengthens our collective resolve,” said Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland...
Secretary General meets Committee of Ministers President
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the President of the Committee of Ministers, Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. The meeting focused on the ongoing preparations for the Fourth Summit of the...
High-level conference on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in practice
With the urgent global challenges posed by environmental degradation and the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and nature and biodiversity loss, the question of the need for an autonomous right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment has never been more timely. On...
Secretary General’s Question Time at Parliamentary Assembly
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has answered parliamentarians’ questions at the PACE Spring session’s Question Time. During a lively Q & A session, Marija Pejčinović Burić underlined the importance of the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik...
Annual Report 2022: Commissioner Mijatović calls for renewed commitment to human rights protection to address numerous systemic problems
“The protection of human rights in Europe has suffered serious setbacks in 2022,” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, presenting her Annual Report on 24 April. “A renewed commitment to human rights is needed to reverse the trend.” The report largely focuses...
Secretary General visits Austria and attends meetings at the OSCE
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the Austrian president, key ministers, and personalities during an official visit to Austria. Meeting Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, the Secretary General highlighted the relevance of the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and...
Georgia: Secretary General’s report says little progress in human rights and humanitarian situation in conflict areas
Serious concerns persist regarding the human rights situation in the areas affected by the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia in August 2008, according to a report by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić presented to the Committee of Ministers on 19 April. The...
Secretary General meets Icelandic Minister for Education and Children
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with the Icelandic Minister for Education and Children Ásmundur Einar Dadason. The conversation focused on the Icelandic Presidency’s support to the Council of Europe’s work for children and for integrating a youth perspective in...
Practical tools to help young migrants and refugees in transition to adulthood launched in Strasbourg
The Council of Europe has launched a set of practical tools aimed at helping young migrants and refugees in their transition to adulthood, with the support of the Icelandic Presidency and the participation of Iceland’s Minister of Education and Children, Ásmundur Einar Daðason. Addressing an...
Secretary General condemns 25 year prison sentence for Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza
Statement by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of Council of Europe
Privacy Symposium examines global role of data protection convention; Argentina ratifies amending protocol
The 2023 Privacy Symposium taking place in Venice from 17 to 21 April is devoting its opening day to a special programme on the Council of Europe’s privacy and data protection treaty (“Convention 108”), which comprises 55 states from four continents and has become the backbone of national...
Rights of people with disabilities: Council of Europe concludes that France violated the European Social Charter
In a decision made public on 17 April the European Committee on Social Rights of the Council of Europe (ECSR) concludes that there is a violation by France of the European Social Charter because of the failure of the authorities to adopt effective measures within a reasonable timeframe with...
PACE session: situation of Ukrainian civilians, including children, forcibly displaced to Russia; political strategies to prevent natural disasters
Un débat d'urgence sur « La situation des civils Ukrainiens, et notamment des enfants, déplacés de force ou transférés vers la Fédération de Russie ou les territoires ukrainiens sous le contrôle de facto de la Fédération de Russie », avec la participation en ligne de la Première dame d’Ukraine,...
Council of Europe leaders express ‘deep concern’ for the health of Alexei Navalnyy
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 of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have issued the following statement: “We express...
Despite Finland’s high standards for protecting children against sexual violence and guaranteeing their well-being, some gaps remain
A new joint document developed by the Council of Europe and ECPAT International highlights the need for more resources to identify and support victims of child sexual exploitation, including from the most vulnerable groups. Presented in Helsinki on 13 April the Country Overview document...
Secretary General addresses Black Sea Security Conference
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić is taking part in the Conference on Black Sea Security of the International Crimea Platform in Bucharest today where she delivered a speech in a panel entitled “lessons learned from the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and its...
Rule of law: Secretary General calls for increased political will to implement ECHR judgments
The Secretary General of the 46-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has urged member states to show increased political will to implement judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, and to improve their capacity for doing so. “Complying with court rulings is essential to the...
Committee of Ministers hears testimony from former death row prisoner during discussion on death penalty abolition
At the initiative of the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers and the Permanent Representation of France, the Committee of Ministers held a thematic discussion on the abolition of the death penalty on 5 April, with the participation of speakers who gave testimonies based on their...
Young Roma people: Committee of Ministers issues recommendation to ensure their participation
The Committee of Ministers has issued a new Recommendation to the governments of 46 Council of Europe member states to ensure substantive participation, representation and inclusion of Roma youth in all spheres of society and decision-making processes, as well as to combat structural racism. ...
Visit to Ukraine: Secretary General meets President Zelenskyy
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and key personalities during her visit to Ukraine on 3 April. The Secretary General expressed the Council of Europe’s full solidarity and support to Ukraine in the face of the ongoing Russian...
Negotiations start in Strasbourg on a new convention on the protection of the environment through criminal law
Environmental crime was in focus when the Council of Europe Committee of experts on the protection of the environment through Criminal Law held its first meeting in Strasbourg. In his opening remarks, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge emphasised that environmental crime has been growing at...
Crimes in Ukraine: ‘justice will be done and delivered, whatever it takes' says PACE President
PACE President Tiny Kox has pledged that the Parliamentary Assembly will do everything in its power to ensure accountability for the crimes committed during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, declaring: “Justice will be done and delivered, whatever it takes.” Speaking by teleconference at the...
Statement by Committee of Ministers President on the anniversary of the liberation of towns Bucha and Irpin
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 on the anniversary of the liberation of towns Bucha and Irpin: “In my last visit to Ukraine, I had the honour to pay...
Secretary General on official visit to Republic of Moldova
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met the President and key ministers during an official visit to the Republic of Moldova. Meeting Moldovan President Maia Sandu, the Secretary General reaffirmed the Council of Europe’s full support to the ongoing reform process, including in respect...
Anniversary of the liberation of towns Bucha and Irpin
Statement by the Secretary General
Reykjavik conference: Investing in children – the key to prosperity
On 30 March the Ministry of Education and Children of Iceland and the Council of Europe hosted a high-level conference “Investing in Children – the Key to Prosperity” in Reykjavik, Iceland. Organised under the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the...
World Forum for Democracy 2023: Call for initiatives
The World Forum for Democracy is calling for expressions of interest from innovative initiatives, from all over the world, aiming at enhancing democracy and contributing to sustainable peace. Any public or private organisation is eligible to apply. One presenter for the selected initiatives will...
Anti-torture committee calls on European governments to end pushbacks and prevent ill-treatment of foreign nationals at borders
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has called on European governments to protect foreign nationals deprived of their liberty under immigration legislation from any ill-treatment and to put an end to pushbacks at land or sea borders, particularly at the borders...
“UK’s Illegal Migration Bill should be reviewed to ensure it complies with the anti-trafficking convention”, says GRETA
Meeting in Strasbourg this week, the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has expressed deep concern over the United Kingdom’s Illegal Migration Bill and its lack of compliance with core elements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action...
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...
