Newsroom
Ireland takes over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers
Ireland has taken over the rotating Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from Italy at the annual meeting of foreign ministers from the organisation’s 46 member states. At the handover, the outgoing Chair of the Committee of Ministers – Italy’s Minister for Foreign...
PACE President calls for a summit to renew, improve and reinforce the Council of Europe
In his speech at today’s Committee of Ministers session in Turin, PACE President Tiny Kox called for a Summit of Heads of State and Government to renew, improve and reinforce the Council of Europe. "This summit should lead to a Council of Europe with new competencies and better equipped to...
Protecting rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls: Council of Europe recommendation adopted
The Committee of Ministers, meeting in Turin, has adopted a new recommendation to protect the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls providing measures to better respond to needs and challenges that they face. Drawing on Council of Europe treaties including the Istanbul...
Council of Europe proposes a comprehensive legal and policy framework to combat hate speech
The Council of Europe has issued a set of guidelines to its 46 member states aimed at preventing and combating hate speech, both online and offline. In a Recommendation adopted during its annual session held in Turin, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers calls on governments to develop...
Foreign ministers meet in Turin to discuss their response to Russian Federation aggression against Ukraine
Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states are holding their annual session today, Friday 20 May 2022 in Turin (Italy). The meeting takes place against the background of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which resulted in the exclusion of the...
Commissioner calls on UK government not to extradite Julian Assange
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović has called on UK Home Secretary Priti Patel not to extradite Julian Assange. Writing in view of the impending decision on Mr Assange’s extradition, the Commissioner noted that the wider human rights implications of doing so had...
Financial support for national minorities in Norway ensured, but need to address rising intolerance
In its latest Opinion on Norway, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), whilst acknowledging the positive legislative developments and the increasing financial support for the protection of its minority groups, calls on the authorities...
Finland makes €2 million voluntary contribution to support Ukraine
The Government of Finland has made a new voluntary contribution of €2 000 000 to support the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018-2022 and its successor Action Plan, bringing their total support to the Action Plan to €3.57 million. Finland has also contributed €750...
Helga Pedersen Human Rights Moot Court Competition – 10th anniversary
Students from the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) were declared the winners of the tenth edition of the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition after beating a team from the University of Passau (Germany) in the final round. The prize for Best Orator of the Finals was awarded to Lorenz von...
IDAHOT: LGBTI persons fleeing war face specific risks and need protection
European states should pay attention to the specific challenges faced by LGBTI asylum seekers fleeing war, declared Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, the current President of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and...
LGBTI rights in Ukraine conflict in focus at Cyprus conference
The IDAHOT + Forum 2022 is taking place in Limassol, Cyprus, on 12-13 May, ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Tuesday 17 May. Speaking during the discussion War in Ukraine: Challenges to our Common European Values Through the Experiences of LGBTI+...
Advancing gender equality and fighting stereotypes
A meeting of the Council of Europe’s main body for supporting gender equality has examined a wide range of issues affecting women. The plenary meeting of the Gender Equality Commission, held from 11-13 May in Strasbourg, discussed progress in advancing gender equality in Europe. The participants...
Enhanced co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence: 22 countries sign new Protocol to Cybercrime Convention
The Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention), aimed at enhancing co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence has been opened for signature at a conference organised under the Italian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The...
First Barnahus for child victims of sexual abuse launched in Slovenia
The first Barnahus (Children’s House) of Slovenia for child victims of sexual abuse has been launched in Ljubljana with the active support of the EU Reform – Council of Europe joint project “Support the implementation of Barnahus in Slovenia - phase II and the Norway Grants”. Barnahus is a...
Secretary General in Ukraine
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on her visit to Ukraine
Visit to Ukraine: Commissioner Mijatović calls for continuous support and justice for victims of the war
“The extent and gravity of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that have taken place as a result of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine are staggering. Providing redress and support for victims and their families and delivering justice will be an...
Reassembling the building blocks of democracy to respond to violent nationalism
European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights
Reassembling the Building Blocks of Democracy
Europe should respond to violent nationalism by “reassembling the core building blocks of democracy” to “construct something that is stronger and more resilient than ever before” Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge told delegates at the third annual European Conference on Democracy and Human...
Launch of website in Spanish
Today, coinciding with Europe Day of the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe has launched a Spanish-language website. The website will make available relevant content on the Council of Europe´s work to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law among Spanish speaking audiences. It...
Secretary General - Europe must remain resilient in the face of aggression and war
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has marked Europe Day 2022 by calling on European states to renew their investment in human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the face of “terrible violence and seismic change.” Launching her annual report, Moving Forward 2022, the Secretary...
Council of Europe experts release guidance to protect Ukrainian refugees from traffickers
New guidance from the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking body GRETA will give European countries the advice they need to protect Ukrainians refugees from traffickers and to detect potential victims. The move comes following reports of suspected trafficking cases as the war causes an...
Anti-money laundering experts MONEYVAL publish 2021 report
Governments need to step up their efforts and coordination to combat money laundering and terrorist financing by adopting stricter regulation and supervision of the virtual assets sector and the specialised “gatekeeper” professions, such as lawyers, accountants and other services providers who...
European Conference of Prosecutors in Palermo
In the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the European Conference of Prosecutors (5-6 May) is taking place at the Palazzo dei Normanni, the Sicilian Regional Assembly’s headquarters. The conference is promoted by the Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Court of...
Support for “Strasbourg Principles” in inter-religious dialogue on religion and peace, religion and human rights
An international conference took place today within the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers on the subject of “Inter-religious dialogue on religion and peace, religion and human rights”. The aim of the event was to relaunch within the Council of Europe a dialogue...
Press Freedom Day: Media and journalists need better protection
Statement by the Secretary General
Congress President meets representatives of Kyiv City Council in show of support for Ukraine
The President and Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe have met with a delegation of representatives from Kyiv City Council. During the meeting, held on 28 April, President Leendert Verbeek and Secretary General Andreas Kiefer held an...
PACE calls for an ad hoc international criminal tribunal to hold to account perpetrators of the crime of aggression against Ukraine
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called on all the organisation’s member and observer states to urgently set up an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, with a mandate to "investigate and prosecute the crime of aggression allegedly committed by the political and...
The expulsion of Russia from the Council of Europe was inevitable, Di Maio tells PACE
“The expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe was made inevitable by the atrocity of the crimes committed in Ukraine. Not only has Russia illegally and unjustifiably invaded another Member State, but it has continued its aggression in open violation of human rights and the...
Confiscated homes of Russian citizens should house refugees, Assembly says
Council of Europe member states should “identify and freeze” the homes of Russian citizens and state enterprises that have been targeted as part of sanctions in the war against Ukraine and transform them to receive Ukrainian refugees, the Parliamentary Assembly said in a resolution based on a...
Russian aggression must stop, Assembly urges
Russia must immediately and unconditionally cease aggression against Ukraine, and the international community must unite to defend the democratic world order, PACE has urged. Voting on a report by Frank Schwabe (Germany, SOC), the Assembly warned that a new dividing line was back on the map of...
“Guaranteeing security and peace is a responsibility of the entire international community” says President of Italian Republic Mattarella at PACE
“Guaranteeing security and peace is a responsibility of the entire international community and cannot be left to bilateral relations”, observed President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella while addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Italian President...
Secretary General: Media should be able to report free from attacks and intimidation, including in times of war
A new report issued by 15 media freedom organisations partners to the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists shows that the number of alerts reported on the platform concerning serious threats to media freedom in Council of Europe member states in...
PACE President expresses shock at Kavala sentence and calls for his immediate release
Reacting to the conviction of Osman Kavala to an aggravated life sentence, Tiny Kox, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), made the following statement: “I am deeply disappointed by the life sentence handed to Osman Kavala yesterday by an Istanbul Court. The...
“We must do everything we can to support Ukraine” Secretary General tells PACE
Responding to questions from members of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić confirmed that the organisation had proposed adjustments to the Ukraine Action Plan to address the immediate consequences of the Russian aggression. “We must do...
More action needed by Lithuania to curb high-level corruption in politics and law enforcement
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has called for further measures to prevent corruption in Lithuania in respect of persons entrusted with top executive functions, including the President of the Republic, ministers, chancellors and political advisers, as well as...
Digital devices should have built-in adult content blockers to protect children
All digital devices should have easy-to-use parental controls and tools for filtering and blocking pornographic material built into them by default in order to combat children's exposure to adult content, advocates the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). These control tools should...
PACE President urges members to help restore peace in Ukraine
At the opening of the PACE spring session in Strasbourg, President Tiny Kox urged members to help restore peace in Ukraine and the entire continent, and to assist Council of Europe member State Ukraine “to regain its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and rebuild its society, which is...
Anti-doping: Committee of Ministers adopts recommendation on fair proceedings in sport
The fight against doping in sport requires fair proceedings while respecting the need to protect an athlete’s private life including reputation and health-related information. The Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation to Member States aimed at reinforcing the human rights principles...
PACE Spring Session: the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
A general policy debate on the consequences of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine will be at the centre of the spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), to be held in hybrid format from 25 to 28 April 2022. In the context of this...
Prison overcrowding: Anti-torture committee calls for setting a limit to the number of inmates in every prison and promoting non-custodial measures
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) is calling on European states with persistent prison overcrowding to address this problem with determination by setting a maximum threshold to the number of prisoners in every penal institution - to be strictly respected - and...
Council of Europe expert advisory group starts its work supporting Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Office
The Council of Europe’s Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law has set up an expert advisory group to support the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. This initiative is part of its immediate assistance to Ukraine following Russia’s aggression, and follows initial consultations...
Cartoon mouse explains Council of Europe and six-month Italian Presidency of Committee of Ministers to children
The famous cartoon mouse Geronimo Stilton, created by Elisabetta Dami and loved by children all over the world, is the star of a new book to mark the six-month Italian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Welcome to the Council of Europe aims to allow children to discover...
Romanian prisons continue to face extensive challenges
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has called on the Romanian authorities to vigorously pursue the reform of the prison system to address some serious and persistent shortcomings. In its report on the ad hoc visit to Romania carried out from 10 to 21 May 2021,...
Work-life balance crucial for gender equality and empowering women
Gender and labour ministers from all regions of Europe took part at a high-level conference in Rome on 12 April to explore how to face the challenge of creating a better work-life balance for women, ensure that family responsibilities can be better shared, improve gender equality and prevent...
How well are states protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse during the refugee crisis?
With Europe facing the second major refugee crisis in less than a decade, the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Committee has published ten compliance reports evaluating legislation, services and other measures in place for the protection of children affected by the refugee crisis from sexual...
Education in time of crisis
As a result of the Russian Federation’s armed attack on Ukraine, millions of people are fleeing Ukraine. In anticipation of the immediate and short-term impact of such an inflow of refugees and, in particular, young adults and children, the Council of Europe’s Education Department, in close...
European Label of Governance Excellence launched in Venice
A launch conference for the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) was held under the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Venice on 11 April. Good Democratic Governance is encapsulated in the 12 Principles which can be measured by applying the...
Learning Equality, Dignity, Democracy: forum on citizenship and human rights education in Europe
A Forum on the present and future of citizenship and human rights education in Europe has opened in Turin, Italy. It aims to strengthen the quality, recognition and outreach of young people’s education in the fields of democratic citizenship and human rights. The event, from 11 to 13 April has...
Ministers to share workplace equality proposals
Gender and labour ministers from all regions of Europe are to meet in Rome to share how countries are facing the challenge of creating a better work-life balance for women. The conference, to be held in Rome on April 12, will look at ways that family responsibilities can be better shared and...
Child self-generated sexual images and videos: new report provides guidance to governments
Addressing challenges raised by the significant increase and exploitation of child self-generated sexual images and videos is the focus of the new monitoring report presented by the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Committee in Rome. The report covers 43 European states Parties (*) to the Lanzarote...
“Local governments unite for welfare and peace”: online marathon exchanges between Ukrainian local leaders and international counterparts
Through its Centre of Expertise for Good Governance the Council of Europe has held a series of online conferences “Local governments unite for welfare and peace” from 18 March to 7 April 2022. Amid the ongoing aggression from the Russian Federation, local authorities in Ukraine continue to...
Roma in Ukraine and throughout Europe in 2022
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on International Roma Day
Council of Europe bank issues a new social inclusion bond to bolster its response to Ukraine refugee crisis
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) issued a new € 1 billion seven-year Social Inclusion Bond (SIB) to bolster its response to the social crisis unfolding due to the war in Ukraine and help its member states assist millions of refugees seeking safety. The proceeds of the new bond could...
Children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations: a new Council of Europe priority for 2022-2027
With climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, securing and protecting children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations has been designated a new priority in the Council of Europe’s Strategy for the Rights of the Child for 2022-2027...
Justice needed for residents of Bucha and all other victims of the war in Ukraine
Statement by Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović
Congress President condemns the crimes against Ukrainian citizens and elected local leaders
On the occasion of his exchange of views with the Deputies in the Committee of Ministers on 6 April, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek made the following statement: “The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase of atrocities....
Assembly delegation condemns atrocities and pledges help after first Ukraine visit
Parliamentary Assembly President Tiny Kox has condemned atrocities by the Russian army and promised all possible assistance in investigating war crimes following the first official visit to Ukraine since hostilities began. “I strongly condemn the atrocities against innocent civilians, including...
Tackling the risks for democracy of digital political campaigning: Council of Europe issues guidelines
The Council of Europe has issued a set of guidelines to its 46 member states to address the challenges to the fairness and legitimacy of electoral processes created by new digital political communication techniques. These challenges include the possible abusive use of microtargeting, personal...
Children’s rights : a new strategy to be launched in Rome
The new Strategy to guide the 46 member States of the Council of Europe in protecting and promoting the rights of the child in 2022-2027 will be officially launched on 7-8 April at a high-level conference in Rome. Benedetto Della Vedova, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and...
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on the atrocities in Bucha
"I am appalled at the horrific images of atrocities emerging from the Ukrainian town of Bucha and other towns near Kyiv following the withdrawal of Russian forces. “I call for an urgent, full and independent investigation into these horrendous crimes. The perpetrators must be brought to justice....
Council of Europe’s annual penal statistics: Covid-19 pandemic helped reduce Europe’s prison population
The Covid-19 pandemic contributed to reducing the prison population in Europe between January 2020 and January 2021, consolidating a ten-year-long trend in most European states, according to the Council of Europe’s Annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations for 2021, (see also Key findings)....
Council of Europe bodies observe national and local elections in Serbia
On 3 April 2022, presidential and early parliamentary elections were held in Serbia, observed by international observers, among them the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. On the same day, local elections in Belgrade and 12 other municipalities were held; they were observed by the...
PACE President reacts to reports of civilian killings by Russian forces around Kyiv
PACE President Tiny Kox has expressed shock and horror at reports of civilian killings by Russian forces withdrawing from Bucha and other towns around Kyiv. “These horrible crimes need to be thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrators of any war crimes in this terrible war brought to justice,”...
Links between Artificial Intelligence and human rights at the heart of high-level event in Rome
The impact of Artificial Intelligence on human rights, democracy and the Rule of Law in building a person-friendly future is the theme of a high-level event at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome. Co-organised by the Italian Presidency of the Committee of...
Ministers of Culture conference: “Creating our future: creativity and cultural heritage as strategic resources for a diverse and democratic Europe”
In the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe and the Italian Ministry of Culture has organised a Conference of Ministers of Culture in a hybrid format (in Strasbourg and online), on April 1st. The Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini...
Protecting witnesses and collaborators of justice: Committee of Ministers recommendation
The Council of Europe´s Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation providing guidance to its 46 member states on the protection of witnesses and collaborators of justice and aiming to strengthen international cooperation in this field. The text, which updates a recommendation on the same...
Progress and challenges seen in implementing human rights judgments, says annual report
Human rights have improved in a number of countries thanks to moves by governments to implement judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, but serious challenges remain, according to the latest annual report from the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. The report underlines...
Foreign terrorist fighters: new recommendation on the use of information collected in conflict zones as evidence in criminal proceedings
The Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation on the use of information collected in conflict zones as evidence in criminal proceedings related to terrorist offences. Prepared by the Committee on Counter-Terrorism (CDCT), the Recommendation provides guidance to member States on the...
Congress President strongly condemns abductions of Ukrainian mayors and elected representatives
Following up on his statement of 15 March 2022 concerning the abduction of mayors from the Melitopol and Dniprorudne, Zaporizhya oblast, and the Congress Declaration adopted on 24 March 2022, the Congress President Leendert Verbeek has made the following statement regarding the war in Ukraine: “I...
New online platform matches cities in Ukraine with European cities that can provide help
A new online platform, Cities4Cities, has been developed to help Ukrainian cities. Launched at the initiative of Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and Mayor of the city of Sindelfingen, with the...
United Kingdom local authorities limited by over-regulation and funding issues, says Council of Europe Congress
Local authorities in the UK are hampered from effective action by government over-regulation and lack of freedom to raise and spend money, a key report from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has concluded. Monitoring how the UK respects the European Charter of Local Self Government,...
Implementing ECHR judgments: New factsheet on domestic violence cases
The Council of Europe’s Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights has published a new thematic factsheet on cases related to domestic violence. The factsheet summarises measures reported by 12 member states to help prevent domestic violence, protect victims...
Urgent need to protect Ukrainian children in migration from sexual abuse
Children in vulnerable situations, such as unaccompanied children and missing children, are at a higher risk of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, noted the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Committee in its Statement on protecting children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse resulting from...
Commissioner urges protection of humanitarian needs and human rights of people fleeing war in Ukraine
“All member states should strengthen their efforts to coordinate – both at domestic and European levels – and scale up support for the response to the humanitarian and human rights needs of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Medium and long-term planning is urgently needed to ensure...
Human Rights Commissioner advocates support to Russian civil society
The Human Rights Commissioner has expressed appreciation for the courageous work of civil society actors. Dunja Mijatović stressed that support to human rights defenders and journalists, including those from the Russian Federation and Belarus, will remain one of the priorities for her future...
