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Poland should not withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, says Secretary General
Following recent news of Polish intentions to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić made the following statement: ...
Why the media still lacks gender equality: new report
A new Council of Europe report points out that the “mindset and culture” in newsrooms must be “tackled”, with active participation from within the industry, in order for the media sector to “contribute at its fullest” to gender equality. Assessing legal and policy aspects of gender equality and...
Ukraine: Venice Commission adopts an “urgent joint opinion” with ODIHR
The Venice Commission has adopted an “urgent joint opinion” with ODIHR (the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) on Ukraine’s Draft Law 3612 concerning Democracy Through All-Ukraine Referendum. The opinion, requested in May by the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s...
Fight cybercrime with the Budapest Convention!
A new report from the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) lays out the benefits and impact of the Budapest Convention on law making, domestic and international investigations, public/private cooperation and the strengthening of criminal justice capacities on a global scale. Practical...
Council experts welcome online learning during pandemic
Experts from the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages have welcomed the speed with which countries have adapted online courses to give access to learning for all ages and urged them to go even further to support learners. They are calling for countries to develop comprehensive...
Mostar: Congress spokespersons welcome adoption of amendments to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In a statement made on 9 July, the spokespersons of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities for the observation of local and regional elections, Jakob Wienen (Netherlands, EPP/CCE) and Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, ILDG), commended the adoption of amendments to the Election Law of...
Eradicating prison overcrowding: CPT urges intensifying temporary measures introduced to prevent COVID-19
The Council of Europe's Anti-Torture Committee (CPT) has called upon the 47 member States of the Council of Europe to seize the opportunity of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons to put an end to prison overcrowding through the emergency measures which have been put in place...
Multilateralism 2020: Secretary General publishes Annual Report
The Council of Europe has proven to be an essential, indispensable guardian of human rights during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is one of the main conclusions of a new report by the Secretary General covering the Council of Europe’s actions since the Helsinki Ministerial Meeting in May 2019 and...
Council of Europe to enhance professional training Europewide
The 2020 HELP Annual Network Conference (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) is today discussing the challenges in modern professional training, new opportunities and courses to be developed by the HELP Programme, and a timely initiative for mainstreaming Council of Europe conventions...
Inauguration of the Greek Chairmanship at the Temple of Olympian Zeus
The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou will give a speech at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, to mark the inauguration of the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe. The event, starting at 20.15 local time on Wednesday 8 July, will also be attended by Greek...
Case weighting in judicial systems: a new tool for proper functioning of courts
In a report published today, the working group on judicial time management of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) takes stock of this internal management system aimed at assessing the “weight” of a judicial case, by detailing, through various methods, the judicial time...
Council of Europe’s anti-racism commission warns against racial profiling in policing
The Council of Europe’s 47-member anti-racism commission, ECRI, warned against racial profiling, as well as systemic racism and inequalities, all of which are to be found in Europe. ECRI has called upon European governments to send strong messages and take determined action, even if these...
Webinar on involving under-18’s in civil participation and decision-making
The Council of Europe’s Elections and Civil Society Division is organising an international webinar on Wednesday 8 July to highlight the organisation’s standards in the field of youth participation in the decision-making process, specifically by children at local level. The event, which is part...
Fighting Systemic Racism: Webinar on Instruments and Tools
The challenge of systemic racism is still widespread in Europe. Our Anti-Discrimination Department is holding a webinar on Tuesday 7 July. It will explore successful strategies and inspiring actions to address systemic and institutional racism, examine the effectiveness of Council of Europe tools...
Launch of handbook on Family reunification for refugee and migrant children
The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, is launching the handbook “Family reunification for refugee and migrant children - standards and promising practices”. The handbook focuses on the reunification of families with children,...
Revised European Prison Rules: new guidance to prison services on humane treatment of inmates
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a Recommendation which updates the 2006 European Prison Rules. The rules, which contain the key legal standards and principles related to prison management, staff and treatment of detainees and are a global reference in this field,...
Sexual violence against children is an ongoing pandemic: 10th anniversary of Lanzarote Convention
The Council of Europe’s Convention for the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (known as the “Lanzarote Convention”) celebrates its 10th anniversary since entering into force. “It is quite common these days to wish each other to ‘keep safe’. But millions of...
Schools should include Roma and Traveller history in teaching curricula
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation that for the first time ever calls on its 47 member states to include the history of Roma and/or Travellers (*) in school curricula and teaching materials. An effective tool to combat hatred, discrimination and prejudice,...
How should judges respond to Covid-19 challenges and what lessons should they learn?
According to the Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European judges (CCJE), the main challenge posed by the pandemic has been to ensure that the public health emergency is not used as a pretext for human rights infringements and that new legal measures are applied with strict respect for...
Right to equal pay: European Committee of Social Rights finds violations in 14 countries
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has found violations of the right to equal pay and the right to equal opportunities in the workplace in 14 out of 15 countries which apply the European Social Charter’s collective complaints procedure: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech...
Election of the Deputy Secretary General: the Committee of Ministers submits candidatures to the Parliamentary Assembly
The Committee of Ministers has decided to submit two candidatures to the Parliamentary Assembly, for the forthcoming election to the post of Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The candidatures are the following, in alphabetic order (the names of the sponsoring governments are in...
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture: detainees need protection from Covid-19
To mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, held every year on 26 June, Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), and Malcolm Evans, Chair of the United Nations Subcommittee on...
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: facing COVID19 challenges
“Drug policies must save lives and protect people, not stigmatise.” says João Castel-Branco Goulão on behalf of the Pompidou Group’s Portuguese Presidency, to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June). “As new infections with COVID-19 are massively increasing...
Moldova should ratify the Istanbul Convention, improve its response to hate speech
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, has published a report on her visit to the Republic of Moldova in March this year – which included travel to Comrat (Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia) and Tiraspol – with recommendations on violence against women and...
Webinar on human rights of intersex people
The Council of Europe’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Unit is to mark Pride week on June 30th with an in-depth webinar on the human rights of intersex people, its first on the theme since its mandate was extended to include them, earlier this year. Discussions will focus on a study...
Human rights in biomedicine post-COVID-19: action plan 2020-2025
The Bioethics Committee has launched its new action plan on human rights and biomedical technologies. Governance of technologies, equity in health care and physical and mental integrity are at the heart of this five-year strategy. “While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating,...
Good governance essential for authorities to successfully tackle COVID 19
COVID-19 is a test for democracies, and good governance is the key to success, Council of Europe experts have stressed. Over a hundred experts and observers from the European Committee on Democracy and Governance (CDDG) shared lessons learned during an online meeting. They included the importance...
Secretary General: “The constitutional crisis in Armenia can be solved with the Venice Commission’s guidance”
“The Opinion of the Venice Commission adopted on 19 June and made public today makes it possible to solve the problems that have been at the centre of the constitutional crisis between the Armenian National Assembly and the Constitutional Court", said Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of...
Rapporteurs regret Latvia missed opportunity to adopt territorial reform in full conformity with the Congress Charter
In reaction to the recent enactment of the administrative territorial reform by the Saeima, the Congress rapporteurs on Latvia, Xavier Cadoret, France (L, SOC/G/PD), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities, and Marc Cools, Belgium (L, ILDG), expressed disappointment and concern about the...
Pushbacks and border violence against refugees must end
“On 20 June, World Refugee Day will spotlight the hardship that refugees endure. I pay tribute to the resilience of refugees and reiterate the call to protect them and uphold their rights”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, ahead of World Refugee...
New guide to international protection for victims of trafficking
Ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published a new guide on the entitlement of victims of trafficking, and people at risk of being trafficked, to international protection. The guide is intended to help national...
Alternatives to immigration detention: Council of Europe and UNHCR launch new course
Ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June, the Council of Europe is launching a HELP/UNHCR free online course on Alternatives to Immigration Detention with the aim of supporting legal and other professionals working on migration. While the interest in managing migration without depriving people of...
Venice Commission adopts opinions on Armenia, Kosovo*, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Russia and Turkey
The Venice Commission is adopting a number of opinions through a written procedure on 18-19 June, in a replacement of the meeting of 123rd plenary session in Venice, that will not take place due to the continued COVID-19 concerns. The following opinions are to be adopted by a written procedure: ...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Congress President welcomes significant developments paving the way for Mostar local elections
Welcoming the signatures between party leaders Bakir Izetbegović (SDA) and Dragan Čović (HDZ) who, last night, signed two agreements aimed at reinstating free and democratic suffrage in Mostar, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Anders Knape,...
Sanctions and measures without deprivation of liberty increasingly used in Europe: new survey
European states are increasingly resorting to sanctions and measures which keep offenders in the community without deprivation of liberty, according to the 2019 SPACE II annual survey, carried out for the Council of Europe by the University of Lausanne. (Please see also the Key Findings) On 31...
Congress President: statement on local elections to be held on 21 June in Serbia
Taking note of the fact that the Republic Electoral Commission of Serbia had resumed preparations for local elections rescheduled for 21 June, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Anders Knape, expressed his confidence in the state authorities...
Justice in Lockdown: new methods based on human rights could be model for future
The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to transform traditional court functioning for the better, as long as high-quality justice and respect for individual rights are at the forefront of changes, says the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) Launching new guidelines the...
Cyprus needs effective legal aid and compensation for victims of human trafficking
There were 801 presumed victims of trafficking in human beings in Cyprus in 2015-2019, according to a new report from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). Female victims of sexual and or labour exploitation, forced marriage, or illegal...
Slovakia should improve access to justice and provide effective remedies for victims of human trafficking
In a new report published today, the Council of Europe expert body on trafficking in human beings (GRETA) acknowledges the progress achieved by the Slovak Republic in taking measures to combat human trafficking, but points out a number of shortcomings, such as the need to improve access to...
Secretary General at Congress Bureau: "Local and regional authorities play a key role in responding to the COVID crisis and that of climate change".
"Faced with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in countries, cities and regions, authorities at all levels of government are doing their best to respond to the enormous challenges posed by the coronavirus," said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić during an...
Congress Bureau adopts declaration on impact of central government COVID-measures on local and regional authorities
The Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted the following Declaration during its meeting held by video conference on 9 June 2020 : “The Congress Bureau expresses its concern about the democratic self-governance and financial autonomy of local and...
Austria: New report praises efforts to curb human trafficking, but more must be done
In its third report on Austria, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) analyses trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies and examines progress in the implementation of previous GRETA recommendations. The report...
World Environment Day: Congress President calls for mobilisation of local and regional authorities
"Good governance at the local and regional level means protecting the environment and combating global warming," stated Congress President Anders Knape, on the occasion of the World Environment Day, 5 June 2020. "Municipalities and regions are key partners for national authorities in this regard...
Beyond COVID-19, human rights can help save the planet
Council of Europe statement ahead of World Environment Day
Implementing ECHR judgments: latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The latest case-by-case decisions on the implementation of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Due to the exceptional circumstances, the first part of the Committee’s latest regular human rights...
GRECO: new report urges public authorities to be exemplary and transparent
Governments and public-office holders should act in an exemplary way by respecting anti-corruption measures and transparency standards, said the Council of Europe anti-corruption body GRECO in its annual report. The report reviews the measures to prevent corruption taken in GRECO’s member states...
Denmark, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine: conclusions on implementation of ECRI's priority recommendations
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published a set of conclusions on the implementation of its priority recommendations made to Denmark, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine in 2017. Denmark received a recommendation to set up a comprehensive data collection system for...
Austria: praise for initiatives to promote integration and counter discrimination, but challenges remain
In its sixth report on Austria, the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) lauds positive measures taken by the authorities on several fronts (see also the French and German versions of the report). Since its previous report, ECRI praises legislative measures to...
ECRI welcomes Albania’s significant progress, but some issues give rise for concern
In its sixth report on Albania, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) welcomes the significant progress made by the authorities, but calls for additional steps to address several issues that give rise for concern (see also the Albanian and French versions of the report)....
National minorities and COVID-19: inequality deepened, vulnerability exacerbated
On 28 May, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities made a statement welcoming the efforts made by the authorities in several Council of Europe member states during the COVID-19 pandemic to reach out to persons belonging to national minorities...
Congress Chamber President calls for suspension of territorial reform in Latvia to allow for proper consultation
Following the information received by the Latvian Association of local and regional governments regarding worrying developments of the current territorial reform, the President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Xavier Cadoret, expressed...
Cyprus: efforts to uphold national minority rights welcomed, but improvement needed
A “general climate of tolerance” prevails in Cyprus, in particular towards the three constitutionally recognised national minorities: the Armenian, Maronite and Latin (Roman Catholic) religious groups, according to a report published today by the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the...
CPT annual report 2019: 30 years preventing torture and ill-treatment
“Despite the progress achieved in the last three decades in the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in Europe, significant and complex challenges remain to ensure the protection of persons deprived of liberty in places of detention”, said Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the Council of...
Continued suspensions of mayors in south-east Turkey: statement by Congress President Knape
In reaction to reports about further suspensions of mayors in the southeast of Turkey, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Anders Knape, expressed his concern regarding the ongoing undermining of local self-government in the country. “Even...
Violence against women and girls before, during and after COVID-19: the shadow pandemic that must be addressed
The Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) and the Council of Europe Academic Networks (CEAN) are holding a webinar on 20 May on the theme of “Violence against women and girls before, during and after COVID-19” in the framework...
Human rights and the environment: towards a new non-binding instrument
Declaration by the outgoing and incoming presidencies of the Committee of Ministers In a declaration adopted today the outgoing (Georgia) and incoming (Greece and Germany) presidencies of the Committee of Ministers called for the elaboration of a non-binding instrument on human rights and the...
Greece takes over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers
Greece today took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Georgia during a video-conference meeting with representatives of the 47 member states of the Organisation. The Georgian Foreign Minister, David Zalkaliani, presented the stocktaking of his...
Young LGBTI persons must be protected against violence at home and in public, during this crisis and always
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) European states must do more to address the specific challenges faced by young LGBTI persons, especially in times of crisis, said Council of Europe Secretary...
Serbia: Council of Europe bank approves €200 million loan to combat COVID-19
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB)* has approved a €200 million loan to Serbia to finance health expenditures for combatting COVID-19. The Serbian government has been swift to implement a range of measures, including the purchase of emergency equipment and supplies, to help contain the...
New factsheet highlights decades of constitutional reforms following ECtHR judgments
The Council of Europe’s Department for the Execution of Judgments has published a new thematic factsheet highlighting the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights on constitutional matters across Europe over more than 50 years. The factsheet summarises 117 relevant cases or groups of...
Justice systems must help children overcome fear and trauma, not make them worse
Every year, thousands of children across Council of Europe member states are involved in judicial proceedings. Whether a victim of crime or in conflict with the law, they are often vulnerable and in need of protection: in other words, they need justice systems to be “child-friendly”. Promoting...
End of WWII: Statement by David Zalkaliani
David Zalkaliani, President of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, made the following statement to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War: “Today we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe - the most devastating war in...
Venice Commission 30th anniversary
Statement by Venice Commission President Gianni Buquicchio "On 10 May 1990, eighteen ambassadors of Council of Europe member states took the decision to establish the European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission. What looked at the time like the creation of...
May 6: Online international Conference on Civil participation in Decision Making
The City of Tbilisi and the Council of Europe under the aegis of the Georgian Presidency of its Committee of Ministers are organising an online international conference on "Civil Participation in Decision Making". The opening session will include contributions by Irakli Giviashvili, the Georgian...
Kristiansand conference to mark the 70th anniversary of the ECHR
The Norwegian city of Kristiansand is hosting an online conference on Tuesday 5 May to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The conference will include an anniversary address from the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Linos-Alexandre...
Europe Day 5th May: Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
“This Europe Day, we are all thinking about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout our continent and around the world. Every individual has been touched by this crisis, but our greatest sympathies are with those who have lost friends or loved ones. At an institutional level, we are...
New initiative to help Roma families face COVID-19
A joint Council of Europe/European Union initiative has helped vulnerable Roma communities in Europe to face challenges posed by the COVID-19 virus. By the end of April this year, approximately €60,000 has been allocated in 34 municipalities reaching some 1,900 families. This action includes...
Secretary General: Governments must protect essential role of journalists in democracy, especially in times of crisis
New report lists 142 serious attacks on journalists in 2019 In a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić calls on governments to avoid unduly restricting media freedom during the COVID-19 crisis. “Governments are...
UK prison system in deep crisis says anti-Torture Committee
The United Kingdom’s prison system is in deep crisis, according to a report published by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) following a targeted visit to the country in May 2019. (see executive summary). The CPT delegation found that the three male prisons...
Council of Europe NGO platform calls on Hungarian parliament to drop legal provisions on gender
The Standing Committee of the Conference of international NGOs, which is part of the Council of Europe, has addressed the Hungarian authorities calling on the Hungarian Parliament to drop Article 33 of the draft omnibus Bill T/9934, because it would make it impossible for transgender and...
COVID-19 tracing apps: side effects on personal data protection should be avoided
In a joint statement the Chair of the Council of Europe’s data protection “Convention 108” committee, Alessandra Pierucci, and the Council of Europe’s Data Protection Commissioner, Jean-Philippe Walter, have warned of the possible side effects of digital contact tracing applications used to help...
COVID-19 crisis: Council of Europe Bank supports Comunidad de Madrid health sector with €200 million loan
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and Comunidad de Madrid have signed an agreement for a 200 million euros loan to support the latter’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce the level of medical services provided to its citizens. Spain has been particularly hard hit by the...
Robert Spano elected President of the European Court of Human Rights
Icelandic judge Robert Spano has been elected President of the European Court of Human Rights. Judge Spano, who is currently a Vice-President of the Court, has been the judge in respect of Iceland since November 2013. He studied law in Iceland and the United Kingdom and has worked in a range of...
Secretary General: acquittal of Ilgar Mammadov and Rasul Jafarov is to be welcomed
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić: "The acquittal today of Ilgar Mammadov and Rasul Jafarov by the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan is to be welcomed. As the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers has repeatedly emphasised, the execution of the European Court...
PACE President on COVID-19: 'Let’s not normalise the abnormal'
Rik Daems, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, spells out the red lines no democracy should cross, even in a crisis – and warns that the COVID-19 emergency measures fast-tracked by governments around Europe should not become “the new normal”: There’s an old proverb...
