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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...
