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Anti-torture Committee announces regular visits to eight countries in 2023
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has announced its 2023 programme of regular visits. The Committee intends to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the following countries: Albania Armenia Cyprus...
“Sport is a great leveller that can bring people together in a way that nothing else can”, Bjørn Berge tells Commonwealth Sports Ministers
“Sport is a great leveller that can bring people together in a way that nothing else can”, highlighted Deputy Secretary General while addressing the 10th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting in Birmingham. Bjørn Berge underlined how the Council of Europe’s four-year strategic priorities for...
Council of Europe at the Ministerial Ukraine Accountability Conference
The Council of Europe was represented at the Ministerial Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague on 14 July by the Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Christos Giakoumopoulos. The Conference was hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Prosecutor of...
SRSG on Migration and Refugees publishes reports of visit to Czech and Slovak Republics
The Special Representative on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Leyla Kayacik, has emphasised in her report the efficient response of the Czech Republic to an unprecedented situation, resulting in a swift setting-up of well-run registration centres where national, local and non-governmental actors...
Trafficking in human beings: expert group GRETA releases its annual report
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its annual report for 2021. During 2021 GRETA was able to achieve a number of milestones in spite of the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and continued to develop its cooperation...
For a quality education free of fraud and corruption – a new Recommendation adopted by the Committee of Ministers
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a Recommendation addressed to its 46 member states aimed at assisting them in combating fraud in the field of education. The recommendation follows four years of work in the framework of the ETINED platform of the Council of Europe...
ECHR judgment in the case Kavala v. Türkiye: joint statement by the Council of Europe leaders
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Simon Coveney, 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, have made the following...
Secretary General attends Srebrenica Commemoration: Remembrance and reconciliation are hard, but essential
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has attended the Commemoration ceremony for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. In her speech, she stressed the importance of remembrance and reconciliation. “We have gathered here today to pay tribute to the immense suffering of the victims, their...
Srebrenica: the mothers’ fight for justice should inspire us all
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović has taken part in the inauguration of the ‘Mother’s Scarf’ art installation initiated by the Mothers of Srebrenica, as part of the Srebrenica Heroines Initiative, and issued the following statement: “As we honour the memory of...
CEB approves €465 million in new loans, appoints new vice-governors and agrees on Ukraine’s accession to the Bank at zero cost
The governing bodies of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) have discussed its strategic and policy priorities, with a focus on Ukraine’s membership. Noting that the process is well advanced, CEB members states agreed, as a tangible sign of support, to relieve the country from any...
Congress delegation meets women and child refugees in Polish cities
A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe visited Poland from 4-5 July to gather experiences from Polish cities hosting Ukrainian refugees. Poland has received more Ukrainian refugees than any other member state, more than 90% of whom are women and...
Progress in legal gender recognition in Europe is slow, further steps needed on civil and human rights aspects
A new Council of Europe report reviews the progress achieved in European countries in guaranteeing full legal gender recognition (LGR) in all areas of life. The report acknowledges advances in legislation, practices and public attitudes, but progress is slow and additional steps are needed, inter...
CPT report on UK: persistent overcrowding and violence in prisons and insufficient legal safeguards for psychiatric patients
In a new report on the United Kingdom the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) again raises concerns over the numerous cases of serious inter-prisoner violence and violence by prisoners on staff and the lack of a coherent strategy to tackle chronic overcrowding. It...
Serbia: GRECO calls for further measures to prevent corruption among top public executives and in the police
In a new report on Serbia, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls for further measures to prevent corruption respect of persons with top executive functions, including the President of the Republic, ministers, assistant ministers, state secretaries, chiefs of...
Youth Action Week: young people call on European governments to step up action to revitalise democracy
The Council of Europe’s Youth Action Week concluded on Friday 1 July 2022 with a presentation by the participants of a call for action directed to national governments to step up the actions and policies to revitalise democracy with the participation of young people. The 450 young people who took...
Ukraine’s full recovery must be underpinned by good governance and European values, says Secretary General
“Ukraine’s recovery, in its fullest sense, requires good governance, European values to underpin it, and democratic security as the basis of lasting peace, so that stability, prosperity and progress can take root”, said Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić at the Ukraine...
Member States hold informal exchange of views with representatives of civil society
At an informal meeting on 1 July 2022, delegations from the Council of Europe’s 46 member States held an exchange of views with representatives of youth civil society organisations. They discussed how to overcome the obstacles to inviting young people and youth organisations to the policy-making...
Ukraine: Statement by Congress President condemning the abduction of the Mayor of Kherson
I strongly condemn the continued abduction of local officials in Ukraine, most recently of the mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhayev, and call for his immediate release. The pressure and continuous offenses that the local elected representatives are suffering in the illegally occupied territories of...
PACE delegation, ending Kyiv visit: ‘The worst crime of all is the war itself'
A cross-party delegation of 10 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE),* ending a visit to Kyiv on Ukraine’s Constitution Day (28 June 2022), has expressed shock at the level of evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity it saw, denounced the war in the...
HELP Network conference focuses on Council of Europe response to the war in Ukraine
The Council of Europe HELP Programme (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) is holding its 2022 Annual Network Conference in Strasbourg and online from 30 June - 1 July 2022. This year, the Council of Europe’s response to the war in Ukraine is one of the key themes of the conference....
Council of Europe Digital Partnership: two new partners
The International Chamber of Commerce and The LEGO Group have joined the Council of Europe’s Digital Partnership, an initiative aimed at fostering cooperation with companies and their business associations to promote respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law on the internet. During...
Council of Europe statement on missile attack in Kremenchuk
The Secretary General of the 46-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has today made the following statement: “Yesterday’s missile attack carried out by the Russian Federation on a shopping centre in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, was utterly barbaric. Such senseless killing of civilians shows...
Young people should stand up against populism, nationalism and extremism that risk silencing their voices, says Secretary General
Opening the major event in Strasbourg, Youth Action Week which marks the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe’s youth sector, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić called on young people to remain engaged in revitalising democracy and in addressing the emerging threats...
New thematic factsheet on Protection of Property
The Execution Department issued today a new thematic factsheet on Protection of Property. The European Convention on Human Rights enunciates the principle of the peaceful enjoyment of one’s property and subjects its deprivation to conditions, protecting a person against unjustified interference...
MONEYVAL calls on Bulgaria to improve use of financial intelligence, investigation and prosecution and the confiscations regime
In a new report the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL draws up a comprehensive assessment of the country’s level of compliance with the Recommendations by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as at the date of the onsite visit in September 2021. It calls on Bulgaria’s...
PACE President reacts to attack in Oslo
“I am shocked by last night’s terrible attack in Oslo – which seems to have specifically targeted the LGBTI community,” said the PACE President Tiny Kox. “My thoughts are with the families of the victims, and all those affected, as well as those who were looking forward to a peaceful Pride...
Council of Europe marks 20 years of action for the proper functioning of justice
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice of the Council of Europe (CEPEJ) is marking its 20th anniversary on 27 June in La Valletta (Malta) at an event devoted to challenges of a digitised judicial system and the way to improve the work of the CEPEJ in the future. Known mainly for...
Ireland supports Action Plans and joins Human Rights Trust Fund
In the framework of their Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, the Government of Ireland has made a voluntary contribution of €665 616 towards Council of Europe Action Plans and projects that support the priorities of the Irish Chairmanship. Ireland’s contribution will support the Council...
Flight MH17 shot down by a Russian-supplied Buk missile ‘most convincing scenario by far’, says PACE
PACE has said that, based on the evidence made available to its rapporteur by Ukrainian and Dutch authorities, it considers “as the most convincing scenario by far” that flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014 by a Buk missile made available to military units controlled by the Russian...
“Brute force and misuse of power can never be allowed to have the last word” King of The Netherlands tells PACE
“Brute force and misuse of power can never be allowed to have the last word. That conviction is what inspired the Kingdom of the Netherlands to join with nine other countries in 1949 to establish the Council of Europe”, highlighted His Majesty King Willem-Alexander while addressing PACE. ‘It must...
Greek President calls for a strengthened Council of Europe to face Russian aggression and other challenges
In an address to the Parliamentary Assembly today, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou called for a stronger Council of Europe and greater multilateralism to tackle the many challenges facing Europe today – ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change and economic and social upheaval....
Simon Coveney at PACE: It’s time for Council of Europe Heads of State and Government to reconvene
In the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has called for a fourth summit of Heads of State and Government of the 46-nation Council of Europe. Speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as chair of the organisation’s Committee...
Marija Pejčinović Burić: upholding the principles of democratic security requires political will
“The time has come for a fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government” to agree on how we best fit in the newly shaped geopolitical architecture of Europe and how to put democratic security on a firmer footing for the years to come, said Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović...
Sanctions and measures without deprivation of liberty in Europe: annual statistics for 2021
The number of persons subject to sanctions and measures which keep offenders in the community remained relatively stable from January 2020 to January 2021, after several years of regular growth, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the 2021 SPACE II annual survey, carried out for...
Türkiye: Reducing threshold for parliamentary elections is welcome but other amendments could hamper inclusive democracy and impartiality of elections
Despite some positive aspects, a recent law amending parliamentary election procedures in Türkiye (Law No. 7393) could impede the participation of newer (and smaller) parties, according to an opinion by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission of legal and constitutional experts. Jointly drafted...
Azerbaijan media law: overregulation in an already restrictive environment
In the context of an already extremely confined space for independent journalism and media in Azerbaijan, the new media Law in Azerbaijan will have a “chilling effect”, said the Council of Europe’s body of constitutional legal experts, the Venice Commission, in its joint opinion together with the...
Secretary General welcomes Ukrainian Parliament’s approval of Istanbul Convention
Council of Europe Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has made the following statement today: “As women and girls are particularly vulnerable during the conflict, I warmly welcome the approval by the Ukrainian Parliament of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating...
PACE President urges members not to get used to the war in Ukraine
In his opening speech of the PACE summer session, President Tiny Kox invited members to hold a minute of silence for all the victims of the war in Ukraine, urging them to help end the suffering of the Ukrainian people and to continue showing solidarity. “This horrible war should never become a...
Council of Europe and UNHCR: anyone fleeing war or persecution has the right to seek safety and protection
On the occasion of World Refugee Day on 20 June 2022, the Council of Europe and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) emphasise that anyone fleeing war, conflict or persecution or risking violence, abuse or exploitation, has the right to seek safety and protection. Almost four months into the war in...
Continued use of the situation of Russian as a minority language as a pretext for aggression against Ukraine unacceptable
The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in the statement adopted at the latest plenary session condemned in the strongest possible terms the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and expressed its solidarity with all people of Ukraine....
Moldova needs more resources and expertise to welcome refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine
The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG) has concluded her fact-finding visit to the Republic of Moldova (13-15 June 2022), which focused on the protection of the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. The number of arrivals in the country has decreased...
Venice Commission plenary session
The June plenary session of the Venice Commission took place on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 June. The constitutional law experts adopted opinions on the Media Law of Azerbaijan, the Independence of Judicial Courts of Lebanon, amendments to electoral legislation in Türkiye, the vetting of judges and...
Romania has improved protection of women from domestic violence, but progress needed on definition of rape
In its first report on Romania, the Council of Europe’s GREVIO – the independent expert group that monitors implementation of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) – acknowledges the steps taken by the country to comply with...
Secretary General’s report on the human rights situation in Crimea: Committee of Ministers gravely concerned
In a decision adopted in the light of a report by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Committee of Ministers has condemned human rights violations committed by the Russian occupying authorities, against ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars and other residents of...
Anti-torture Committee reiterates its recommendations to address inter-prisoner violence, informal hierarchy in Georgia’s “zonas”
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published a report on its May 2021 ad hoc visit to Georgia, together with the response of the Georgian authorities. The objective of the visit was to review the...
PACE session highlights: President of the Hellenic Republic and the King of the Netherlands
Addresses by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands are among highlights of the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg from 20-24 June 2022. There will...
Kazakhstan: corruption is a serious concern, more transparency and independence needed
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published its first evaluation report on Kazakhstan, focusing on issues such as independence, specialisation and means available to national bodies engaged in the prevention of and fight against corruption; extent and scope of...
Slovakia should improve education of Roma children and support to national minority cultures
The Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities has urged the Slovak authorities to eradicate discrimination of Roma children in education and to improve the mechanism for supporting national minority cultures. In an Opinion the...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Lack of co-ordination continues to hamper protection of regional and minority languages
In its third evaluation report on Bosnia and Herzegovina the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts states that a clearly detectable lack of co-ordination among multiple levels of authority continues to hamper the implementation of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages...
Germany: Improve education about national minorities and support for Sinti and Roma, says Council of Europe committee
National minority representatives in Germany are expressing concern over lacking education about their history, culture and contribution to German society among the majority population. This concern is raised prominently in an opinion published by Council of Europe experts on Germany's...
Domestic violence: Countries should improve child custody safety and victim protection
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) finds that many countries lack enough protection for children and domestic violence victims. GREVIO, which monitors implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and...
Brigitte Macron, guest of honour at the first forum for secondary school pupils
Four hundred youngsters had the opportunity to talk at length with Brigitte Macron today at the first-ever forum for secondary school pupils dedicated to living together. School bullying and cyberbullying were the focus of the discussion, during which Ms Macron mentioned the existence of the...
Portugal urged to enable trafficking victims to access legal aid and compensation, better identify victims among asylum seekers
The Council of Europe’s expert group on human trafficking, GRETA, has urged the Portuguese authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to legal aid and to guarantee their effective access to compensation. These are among the main proposals for action included in the latest evaluation...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from 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 8 to 10 June to supervise the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee adopted 35 decisions concerning 17...
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
“I firmly condemn the death penalty sentences issued today in the occupied Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Death penalty is incompatible with human dignity and constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment. It has no place on the European continent. On behalf of the Council of Europe, I call for...
Estonia should intensify efforts to integrate national minorities
In its latest Opinion on Estonia the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) makes a series of recommendations aimed at improving the integration of society as a whole, and ensuring that persons belonging to national minorities can...
Anti-racism commission publishes reports on Denmark, Monaco and Estonia
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published new monitoring reports on Denmark, Monaco and Estonia. In its report on Denmark, ECRI calls on the Danish authorities, as a matter of priority, to introduce a national action plan against racism, with a particular...
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 8 to 10 June. Cases proposed for detailed examination concern Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
Prison overcrowding remains a problem in prisons in French-speaking Switzerland: Anti-torture committee report
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published a report on the periodic visit to Switzerland carried out from 22 March to 1 April 2021. The visit focused on the situation of persons deprived of their liberty in...
Hungary: improvements in fighting money laundering and terrorist financing have led to upgraded ratings
Hungary has improved measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, demonstrating good progress in the level of compliance with the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) standards, according to a new follow-up report by the Council of Europe anti-money laundering body MONEYVAL. The...
Human trafficking in Norway: progress on legislative reforms, but should avoid rapid deportations of foreigners without screening them
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its third evaluation report on Norway focusing on human trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. The report also assesses developments since the publication of...
New report on the impact of artificial intelligence on the doctor-patient relationship
The Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO) has issued a new report on the impact of artificial intelligence on the doctor-patient relationship. The report examines AI systems regarding the doctor-patient relationship in relation to...
Informal exchange of views between Committee of Ministers and civil society representatives on participatory democracy
At an informal meeting on 3 June, delegations from the 46 Council of Europe member states held an exchange of views with representatives of civil society, other international organisations and experts on participatory democracy in Europe. The aim was to exchange views on how best to strengthen...
Council of Europe Congress President in Ukraine
At the invitation of the Association of Ukrainian Municipalities (AUC), the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Leendert Verbeek, is visiting Ukraine from 1 to 4 June, accompanied by the Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer. This visit follows the adoption of a...
PACE President's statement on 100th day of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
In a statement on the 100th day of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, PACE President Tiny Kox has again called on the Russian authorities to immediately bring the war to an end, and issued a strong appeal for the restoration of peace with justice. “By this blatant violation of...
GRECO urges European governments to increase transparency and accountability of lobbying
European governments should increase transparency and accountability around lobbying to ensure that members of the public know which actors are seeking to influence political decisions so that the risk of corrupt practices can be reduced, says the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body GRECO in...
Adverse impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable groups, racism in policing, intimidation of LGBTI people: main trends in ECRI's annual report
The continuing Covid-19 pandemic that has further marginalised vulnerable groups, the ongoing problem of racism in police forces and the rise of anti-LGBTI public discourse were the main trends in 2021, said the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its annual...
Congress President calls on member States to ratify the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government to strengthen citizen participation at local level
President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Leendert Verbeek has marked the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority by urging States that...
Early intervention on intersex children and children’s rights
A seminar aimed at safeguarding the human rights of intersex children has taken place in Strasbourg. Medical practices applied to intersex children may have future long-term implications for them, and it is vital to safeguard children’s right throughout the process. Early intervention on intersex...
Armenia: despite legislative reforms, survivors of human trafficking face uphill struggle to access justice
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) have published a new report on Armenia focusing on human trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. GRETA acknowledges improvements in the legislative and policy framework but asks...
Seminar on drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA): a challenge to gender-based violence
The phenomenon of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) is closely linked to the issue of protecting and promoting women's fundamental rights and preventing gender-based violence, one of the priorities identified by the Italian Presidency at the Council of Europe (November 2021 - May 2022). A...
“Child and youth participation for Europe”- Cork conference looks at progress so far and challenges ahead
A conference focusing on the right of children to be heard and have their opinions taken seriously has opened in Cork, Ireland. “Child and youth participation for Europe” is the first event to be held under the Irish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe which started...
Council of Europe committee deplores Russia’s usage of minority rights as a pretext for invading Ukraine
The Advisory Committee on the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) has condemned in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine and “deplores that the Russian authorities used issues of minority rights as a...
Solution to Kavala case lies in the hands of Turkey's judges, say PACE monitors
The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Turkey by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have appealed to Turkey’s authorities to find a solution to the Kavala case which is in line with an earlier ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. Ending a three-day visit to Istanbul...
Condemnation of Russia, Council of Europe’s priorities, assistance for Ukraine - Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting concludes in Turin
At the end of a meeting where the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine figured high on the agenda, the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe’s 46 member States decided today that the organisation should not emerge weakened from the crisis but, on the contrary,...
