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Local and regional democracy in France
On 22 March 2016 the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on local and regional democracy in France following a monitoring visit in May 2015 to Paris, Reims, Ay-Champagne and Châlons-en-Champagne. This is the first monitoring report since...
Jagland: Brussels terrorist attacks targeted European values
At a news conference today, following a meeting with Bujar Nishani, President of the Republic of Albania who is paying an official visit to the Council of Europe, Secretary General Jagland expressed his sympathy and condolences to the people of Belgium after explosions in Brussels claimed several...
Terrorist attacks in Brussels
Statement by Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Jean-Claude Frécon: "Local authorities are able to rise to the challenges facing our societies"
At the opening of the 30th Session of the Congress, the President of the Congress, Jean-Claude Frécon denounced the barbaric attacks committed in recent weeks in several cities and today in Brussels. (more...) Statement by Jean-Claude Frécon Webcast of the debate File - 30th Session of the Congress
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
States should sanction the use of hate speech, while safeguarding freedom of expression, says Council of Europe anti-racism commission
148 prisoners released in Azerbaijan: PACE President applauds decision
“I have received the good news that 148 persons have been released today in Azerbaijan, including Anar Mammadli, winner of the Vaclav Havel Prize, along with political activists, journalists and human rights defenders,” said Pedro Agramunt, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council...
Missing persons: Nine ways for European governments to establish the truth and support victims
“The protracted inability of European countries to shed light on the fate and whereabouts of tens of thousands of persons who are missing or disappeared following conflicts or dictatorships across the continent is an open wound for their relatives and constitutes a serious human rights violation....
EU-Turkey migration agreement: Secretary General welcomes European Commission's clarifications
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has welcomed the clarifications by the European Commission for further developing cooperation between the European Union and Turkey in tackling the migration crisis. “It is extremely important that every application for asylum...
Turkey: lack of openness in parliamentary process and independence of judiciary are sources of concern
In a report published today, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on Turkey to pursue reforms to prevent and curb corruption. The report focuses on corruption prevention in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. It includes a large number of recommendations to...
Anti-torture Committee report on “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published today the report on its visit to “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” in October 2014 together with the response of the national authorities. The report examines...
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes on Estemirova case at European Court of Human Rights
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, publishes today his written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on a case concerning the killing of prominent Russian human rights defender Natalia Estemirova. Observing that the murder of Natalia...
Refugee crisis: GRETA report
Urgent need to protect children from human trafficking, say Council of Europe experts
The Venice Commission publishes a new opinion on France
Venice Commission: improve the framework of the constitutional reform in France in order to comply fully with European standards
European Social Charter: “Turin Forum” on Social Rights in Europe
Which role for social rights in a European “crisis exit” environment? An Inter-parliamentary Conference and an international Forum (Turin, 17-18 March) organised by the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the City of Turin and the Council of Europe, will focus on the main challenges for social rights in...
Committee of Ministers: Decisions on execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Committee of Ministers today published the decisions and resolutions adopted at its 1250th special “human rights” meeting (8-10 March 2016) during which it has examined the state of implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The list of the cases which were subjected...
Russian law on Constitutional Court incompatible with international obligations, must be amended, says Venice Commission
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts (the Venice Commission) determines that empowering the Russian Constitutional Court to declare international decisions, including judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as “unenforceable” is incompatible with...
Statement on the risk of a new humanitarian disaster on another Balkan border - Tabanovce
Statement by Tomáš Boček, Special Representative of the Secretary General for migration and refugees
Poland constitutional crisis : Respect Constitutional Tribunal judgments - Venice Commission
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, the Venice Commission, on recent amendments to the law on Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal concluded that crippling the Tribunal’s effectiveness would undermine democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The opinion...
Declaration by Daniel Mitov, Chair of the Committee of Ministers
The case of Ms Nadiya Savchenko has been raised on a number of occasions within the Committee of Ministers. The Committee has already expressed its concern about Ms Savchenko’s health condition and called on the Russian authorities to release her without delay on humanitarian grounds. In my...
Penal Statistics 2014 from Council of Europe Member States
European prisons make some progress to reduce overcrowding, according to Council of Europe survey
European Court of Human Rights judgments: Committee of Ministers examines implementation
The representatives of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe will examine the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights between 8 and 10 March 2016. This supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers is provided for under Article 46 of the European Convention on...
Europe must stop violence against women and sexist hate speech
Statement by the Secretary General
Human rights of refugee and migrant women and girls need to be better protected
For the first time since the beginning of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, women and children on the move outnumber adult men. While in 2015 about 70 % of the population on the move were men, women and children now make up nearly 60% of refugees and other migrants crossing into Europe....
Secretary General Jagland's statement on Zaman media group
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
New action plan to tackle transnational organised crime
New forms of transnational organized crime - such as trafficking in human beings, human organs or illicit arms, and smuggling of migrants - together with traditional types of cross-border organised criminality, require co-ordinated action at international level. The Council of Europe has adopted...
Human rights and business – new European guidelines
Human rights and business is the topic of a new recommendation to member States from the Council of Europe’s decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers. Building on the 2011 UN Guiding Principles, the new Council of Europe text provides more specific guidance to assist member States in...
Human rights in culturally diverse societies – new guidelines
How to ensure effective implementation of existing Council of Europe standards on freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association in culturally diverse societies? A new text from the Council of Europe’s decision-making body, the Committee...
Children rights: equal opportunities, life free of violence, safe Internet
The Council of Europe adopts new strategy for 2016-2021
Children’s Forum
1200 children of 45 school classes of CM1-CM2 of the Region Alsace, sponsored by the Association Thémis, worked on a project or an idea of concrete action to favor more tolerance and a peaceful living together. 10 projects have been selected and will be presented on March 3rd of this year to the...
Anti-torture report on Albania
Anti-torture Committee calls upon Albanian authorities to address poor detention conditions, prison healthcare services, and provide safeguards for involuntary hospitalisation
Blood antiquities
New Council of Europe initiative to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property
Protecting refugee children
Secretary General calls on member States to take urgent action
Guidelines to prevent radicalisation in prisons
The Council of Europe today issued a set of guidelines to its 47 member states to prevent the radicalisation of prisoners and people under probation, and rehabilitate individuals who have already become radicalised. According to official reports, some perpetrators of terrorist acts have in recent...
Jagland on migration: Europe-wide policy of door-slamming is not sustainable
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has called for collective action on migration guided by common European standards. “We do not put the fundamental rights of a minority into the hands of the majority – especially at a time of heightened anxiety...
France, Georgia, Monaco: new country reports by anti-racism commission published
The Council of Europe’s anti-racism commission (ECRI) published today its country reports on France, Georgia and Monaco. ECRI is concerned by the increase of hate speech in public discourse, and by the growth of racist, anti-Semitic and islamophobic violence in France, the report says. The...
Anti-torture report on Greece
Anti-torture committee strongly criticizes Greek prison conditions, excessive use of police force
Turkey’s Constitutional Court Judgment in the case of Dündar and Gül
Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland has commented on the Turkish Constitutional Court’s judgment in the case of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül today: “I was glad to hear the judgment of the Turkish Constitutional Court today which found that the rights of Cumhuriyet newspaper’s editor-in-chief,...
Anticorruption report on Armenia
Council of Europe urges Armenia to step up corruption prevention among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors
Belarus: PACE rapporteurs deplore new death sentence
Meritxell Mateu (Andorra, ALDE), general rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the abolition of the death penalty, and Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), PACE rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, deplore that for the second time since the beginning of 2016, a...
Death penalty in Belarus
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers
Lavrov, Jagland on Russia’s membership in Council of Europe
Russian Foreign Minister and Secretary General exchange letters on 20th anniversary
Anticorruption report on Bosnia and Herzegovina
GRECO calls for efficient coordination and firm steps to implement anticorruption reform
European Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Team from University of Cambridge wins 2016 edition of the European Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Terrorist attack in Ankara
Statement by Daniel Mitov, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Ankara: Secretary General condemns deadly attack
Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, last night condemned the car bomb attack which killed at least 28 people and injured more than 60 in the centre of Ankara, close to the Parliament and military headquarters. “I am deeply saddened by the news of yet another deadly...
Sweden: Anti-torture report
Sweden should ease restrictions for remand prisoners says the Committee for Prevention of Torture (CPT) in a new report. Despite 24 years of dialogue with the Swedish authorities, there is little sign of progress concerning restrictions on remand prisoners. The risk of ill-treatment remains...
Belarus death sentence: Secretary General reacts
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has condemned the death sentence handed down in Belarus on Tuesday 16 February. “The Council of Europe and all its member states are firmly opposed to capital punishment in all circumstances,” stressed the Secretary General. “As...
European countries must stop forced evictions of Roma
“Many Roma continue to face serious forms of discrimination and human rights violations by authorities at both national and local levels. In particular, forced evictions without due process and provision of adequate alternative housing continue unabated across Europe, in violation of member...
Poland: slow down and consult on legislation to avoid human-rights backsliding
"Human rights compliant legislation requires time and thorough consultation” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, at the end of a four-day visit to Poland reviewing the effectiveness of the country's framework for the protection of human rights, the...
Assessing the impact of sexist hate speech – and what to do about it
What line can be drawn between sexist hate speech and freedom of expression? To what extent can sexist hate speech harm people? A three day seminar (10-12 February) in Strasbourg brings together youth and human rights activists, researchers and policy makers from around the world to deepen the...
