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ECSR publishes its findings 2018 on decisions in collective complaints procedures in 8 countries
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) today published its findings 2018 on the follow-up given by 8 States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Portugal) to decisions in the collective complaints procedure. This procedure allows national and international trade...
"Peace is the most important contribution we can make to human rights", says Sauli Niinistö
“Human rights, democracy and the rule of law – the values the Council of Europe stands for – can only thrive in a state of peace. Maintaining the absence of war must be our highest priority. At the end of the day, peace is the most important contribution we can make to human rights. Everything...
Holocaust memorial ceremony
The President of Finland Sauli Niinistö has attended a ceremony in front of the Council of Europe’s headquarters in Strasbourg, to mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. In his address Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland underlined the importance of...
Secretary General to PACE: Russian people would suffer most if Russia leaves the Council of Europe
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly for the last time during a January session, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his satisfaction that the European Court of Human Rights was now on firmer ground than when he was elected in 2009. At that time, the credibility of the Convention...
Timo Soini: “a multilateral co-operation to prevent instability and conflict”
“We need effective rules-based multilateral co-operation to prevent instability and conflicts, and the Council of Europe is an important forum in this context,” said Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, addressing...
The state of human rights in Europe: forward and back?
All four Commissioners for Human Rights, Álvaro Gil-Robles, Thomas Hammarberg, Nils Muižnieks and the current Commissioner Dunja Mijatović will come together in Strasbourg on Tuesday 22 January to reflect on the evolution of human rights since the office was created, twenty years ago. They’ll...
Reelected, the President reiterates the statutory responsibility of all Council of Europe actors
For the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), speaking 70 years after the Council of Europe was set up, promoting peace and reconciliation, which has been crucial to the success of “the largest pan-European organisation”, remains central to her mission. This is what...
Violence against women in Sweden: from legal and policy innovation to blind spots in protection and support for victims
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) published its first evaluation report on Sweden today. The report analyses the implementation of the provisions of the Istanbul Convention covering psychological violence, stalking,...
Portugal and violence against women: significant progress but under-reporting and low rate of convictions
In its first report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (“Istanbul Convention”) by Portugal, the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) acknowledges the...
Seventy years of the Council of Europe – a website to explore our European story
Today the Council of Europe is launching its 70th anniversary website – a place to explore our history, understand our mission and learn how our work is as important now as it ever was. Initally in English, a French version will follow soon. Join us every month for a new video to see how the...
Norway should improve the situation for prisoners in solitary confinement
Today the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published a report on a visit to Norway carried out in spring 2018. During its visit, the CPT examined the situation of persons deprived of their liberty in police...
Winter Session: Finnish President to address the Assembly
On the occasion of the Winter Session of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) in Strasbourg (21-25 January 2019), the President of Finland will deliver a speech. In addition, the Finnish Foreign Minister will present the Communication from the Committee of Ministers and the Organisation’s Secretary...
Concrete achievements in 2018 to ensure the protection of refugee and migrant children
The Special Representative is taking stock on concrete results achieved in 2018 in the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on protecting migrant and refugee children in Europe (2017-2019). Today, he publishes a visual presentation of all actions achieved so far in protecting...
Secretary General visits Vatican for audience with Pope Francis
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will be in Vatican City on Thursday on an official visit to the Holy See for an audience with Pope Francis. Meetings are scheduled with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and other members of the Curia. The...
Artificial intelligence in judicial systems
Brussels presentation of the first European guidelines
Russia boasts rich diversity of national minorities, but education policies, restrictive legislation undermine the exercise of their rights
Society in Russia is characterised by a climate of appreciation for ethnic diversity; the immense variety of ethnic groups, languages and religions is perceived as an asset; progress has been observed in residency registration and in the field of minority media. However, the official rhetoric...
Thorbjørn Jagland statement following the death of Paweł Adamowicz
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has made the following statement in reaction to the death of Gdańsk Mayor Paweł Adamowicz: “I am deeply saddened to learn that the Mayor of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz, has died following the horrendous knife attack at a...
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2019: call for nominations
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the Vaclav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation, has today issued a call for nominations for the 2019 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The Prize, created in 2013, aims to reward outstanding civil society action...
Statement by the President of the Congress: “All European Democrats are in mourning after the death of the Mayor of Gdańsk.”
"I have been shaken and deeply shocked by the assassination of Paweł Adamowicz, the mayor of the city of Gdańsk, who was stabbed on Sunday night in front of thousands at a charity concert and who has just succumbed to his injuries. On behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and...
Demonstrations in France – Council of Europe condemns attacks on journalists
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, today condemned in the strongest possible terms the threats and attacks against journalists at recent demonstrations by the “yellow vest” protesters in France, noting that working conditions for the press have been steadily...
Election of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe: Candidatures received
At the expiry of the deadline for member States to propose candidates for the election of the next Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the following candidatures have been received by the Chair of the Committee of Ministers: Mr Didier REYNDERS, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign...
Tackling ill-treatment by police in Greece
The Council of Europe and the Greek authorities are organising a round table event on professional policing and how to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment in Athens on 10 and 11 January. The event, which is the first of its kind, aims to help bring Greek laws and practices into line...
Lithuania should improve legislation, prevent discrimination at school and promote the social inclusion of Roma
The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities today urged the Lithuanian authorities to adopt a comprehensive legal framework, prevent discrimination against students from minority language schools and address negative stereotypes against Roma. In...
Winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly
At its winter session in Strasbourg (21-25 January 2019), PACE will hold a joint debate on public service media in the context of disinformation and propaganda and media freedom as a condition for democratic elections. It will also discuss Internet governance and human rights. On 22 January, the...
Council of Europe Bank loan to Nuremberg for education and refugee integration
The governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) Dr Rolf Wenzel and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees, Ambassador Tomáš Boček, are taking part in a signing ceremony in Nuremberg today, between the CEB and the city of Nuremberg, of a...
Children in migration must be informed about their rights
Children in migration have the right to be informed about their rights. Such information is crucial for having their voice heard and enabling them to participate in procedures affecting them. These children, despite being one of the most vulnerable groups in Europe today, face barriers in access...
Paris Principles at 25: Strong National Human Rights Institutions Needed More Than Ever
“25 years after the international community first formally embraced the idea of creating national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights through the endorsement of the Paris Principles, it is obvious that independent and effective national human rights institutions are...
International Migrants Day
Mayors of intercultural cities programme join voices for inclusion and diversity
Albania should step up its efforts to combat money laundering
In a report published today, the Council of Europe anti money laundering body MONEYVAL calls on the Albanian authorities to step up their efforts in pursuing launderers and confiscating their assets connected to significant proceeds-generating offences, and in tackling terrorist financing related...
Albania, Hungary, Malta and Turkey among key opinions adopted by the Venice Commission
The final plenary session of the year for the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission included several high profile opinions, including for Albania, Hungary, Malta and Turkey. The Venice Commission legal experts find that the power of the prime minister in Malta widely overshadows that of other...
Turkish train crash: Council of Europe extends condolences and solidarity
The Council of Europe has expressed its sadness and solidarity with Turkey concerning those killed and injured in the train crash in Ankara. Secretary General Jagland has written a letter of condolence to President Erdogan. Letter to the President of the Turkish Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
European states must respond to school violence based on sexual orientation - new CoE/UNESCO report
Violence at schools based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or sex characteristics occurs everywhere in Europe and is acutely underreported. The efforts of the European education authorities to address the problem must be stepped up in order to create safe environment for...
GRECO: Italy should speed up reforms to prevent corruption among MPs, judges and prosecutors
In a report publish today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) concludes that Italy has made progress to prevent corruption in respect of the judiciary, but significantly more is still needed to comply with all its recommendations, in particular those concerning...
CPT calls on the Republic of Moldova to put an end to informal power structures among prisoners
The Republic of Moldova should take determined action to eradicate informal prisoner hierarchies in prisons, which expose inmates to intimidation and inter-prisoner violence, says the Council of Europe anti-torture committee (CPT) in a report published today. The CPT visited the country from 5 to...
Adoption of a new recommendation for better governance in sport
How to promote good governance in sport? In a Recommendation adopted today, the Committee of Ministers invites European governments to take measures, aimed in particular at better fighting corruption in sport. In order to foster a culture of good governance at all levels, the 47 member States of...
Terrorist attack in Strasbourg
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
Shooting at the Strasbourg Christmas Market
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Special Representative on migration and refugees supports UN Global Compact at conference in Morocco
On 10-11 December 2018, in Marrakech, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Ambassador Tomáš Boček, is representing the Council of Europe at the Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The...
Preview exhibition “Human rights – still some way to go”
Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Cartooning for Peace present a preview of the exhibition “Human rights – still some way to go”
The Council of Europe calls on Switzerland to further strengthen the rights of national minorities and to combat hate speech
The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities has called on the Swiss authorities to do more to protect the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, at a time when there is a growing intolerance, including in political discourse and on...
Human Rights Day 10 December 2018
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
International Anti-Corruption Day
“We must never lower our guard in fighting corruption”, said Marin Mrčela, President of the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO), ahead of the International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December. “Perception of low levels of corruption must not lead to complacency. No...
Secretary General backs UN migration pact
“The human rights of refugee and migrant children deserve special protection,” says Thorbjørn Jagland
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. The committee adopted 37 decisions concerning 20 member states at the end of its quarterly human rights...
North-South Prize 2018 honours fight to end female genital mutilation and to promote sustainable cities
Jaha Mapenzi Dukureh, founder and CEO of the Non-Governmental organisation “Safe Hands for Girls”, and Damien Carême, Mayor of Grande-Synthe, are the laureates of the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe 2018. Through “Safe Hands for Girls”, Jaha Dukureh provides support to African women...
States’ duty to protect human rights defenders
Ahead of Human Rights Day, Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, calls on member states to halt the attacks against human rights defenders and improve their safety and working environment. “In spite of an international declaration and clear standards protecting the...
Anti-torture committee welcomes improvements in Northern Ireland
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has welcomed recent improvements in various places of detention in Northern Ireland, whilst underlining that further progress is needed in certain areas. In a report published today, the committee highlighted the “enormous...
Governments and sports bodies to analyse corruption in sport
From fraud to bribery, from illegal betting to doping, from match-fixing to money laundering: Corruption in Sport is a global phenomenon threatening the integrity of the overall industry and posing a major challenge for today’s societies. The International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport...
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 4 to 6 December. Decisions taken by the committee will be published on the Council of Europe website as...
Misuse of anti-terror legislation threatens freedom of expression
“When terrorism spreads, states are often tempted to restrict fundamental freedoms for the sake of fighting it and preventing further attacks”, says Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in her Human Rights Comment published today. “Terrorism constitutes a serious...
Ten-year trends in European prisons
New Council of Europe report
Adoption of the first European Ethical Charter on the use of artificial intelligence in judicial systems
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) of the Council of Europe has adopted the first European text setting out ethical principles relating to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial systems. The Charter provides a framework of principles that can guide policy...
Council of Europe Development Bank provides financial assistance for refugee healthcare in Ceuta and Melilla
The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Ambassador Tomáš Boček, attended the Council of Europe Development bank’s (CEB) signature ceremony of a grant agreement with Instituto Nacional de Gestión Sanitaria (INGESA), in Melilla today. The CEB is...
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
“The Council of Europe strives to protect and promote human rights of all, including people with disabilities of which there are an estimated 80 million in Europe,” Mr Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland pointed out...
Council of Europe discussed European academic cooperation with Russian universities
The Council of Europe discussed yesterday and today in Moscow with leading Russian universities the prospects for enhanced academic cooperation on the Council of Europe's conventions. As a first step, a new training course on human rights and biomedicine (bioethics) was presented at the Faculty...
“Ethics and Human Rights must guide any use of genome editing technologies in human beings”
Statement by the Council of Europe Committee on Bioethics
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, on death penalty in Belarus
“I deeply regret the reported executions of Mr Syamyon Berazhny and Mr Ihar Hershankow in Belarus, which were carried out despite the strong call made by the Committee of Ministers in October 2018 to the authorities of Belarus to establish a formal moratorium on executions as a first step towards...
Corruption among judges: the CCJE adopts an opinion
Corruption among judges is one of the main threats to society and the functioning of a democratic state. It undermines judicial integrity, which is fundamental to the rule of law and a fundamental value of the Council of Europe. Judicial integrity is the first prerequisite for the efficiency and...
Portugal assumes four-year presidency of the Pompidou Group
New programme includes focus on growing threat of online addiction
European Prevention prize: Winning projects from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey
Three projects from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey were awarded the Pompidou Group’s 2018 European Prevention Prize. Prize winners in 2018 – Civil Life Association in Turkey, Workshop of Life in Greece and Take Me in Your Village in Bulgaria – were selected out of 18 candidate projects. Special...
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, on the situation in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait
Mr Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, today made the following statement: “I am deeply concerned about the current situation in the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait following the grave incidents that took place yesterday....
Statement by the Secretary General on the situation around the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait
Free passage of the Kerch Strait is guaranteed by the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine about the cooperation on the usage of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait. It was signed in 2003 and came into force in 2004. According to this Agreement, the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait are...
30 new cases highlight the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights
Thirty new case studies have been added to the Council of Europe’s interactive website showing how the European Convention on Human Rights has changed people’s lives across the continent. The website now includes 131 examples of how judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, and their...
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Declaration by the Finnish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
Azerbaijan: How to prevent and detect trafficking for labour exploitation
Azerbaijan: progress made in countering human trafficking, but more must be done to prevent and detect trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation
Fulfil the promise of a comprehensive response to violence against women
“All women and girls have the right to live free from violence. Unfortunately, this is not the reality. One in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence – 22% at the hands of their partner. More than half of all women have been sexually harassed with 20% of young women reporting...
Upholding the child’s right to a family after parents’ separation
Shared parenting after separation/divorce, children’s rights and the role of the states in safeguarding best interests of the child is the key theme of the 4th International Conference for Shared Parenting held under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 22-23 November...
From meth addicted online gambling to AI cocaine simulation: Pompidou Group set to tackle new drug challenges
Participants at a ministerial conference of the Council of Europe’s drug policy platform the Pompidou Group are expected to express grave concerns over new types of drugs and worrying trends in drug abuse linked to online gambling. Open entirely to the press, the 17th Ministerial Conference of...
Ending misconceptions about the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Ending violence against women is not about ending traditions or ending sexual differences
Ukraine: the fight against human trafficking must go on
GRETA publishes second report on Ukraine
Democracy Innovation Award 2018: and the winner is...
Today, at the closing session of the World Forum for Democracy, the Council of Europe announced that the winner of its Democracy Innovation Award was the initiative Self-Representation of Women in Kenyan Courts. Three initiatives out of the 30 or so presented at the Forum were shortlisted for the...
Committee of Ministers: Croatia hands over presidency to Finland
The Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from Croatia to Finland, at a meeting at the Organisation’s Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of its 47 member States. The outgoing Chair, Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and...
Marlène Schiappa: gender equality, a priority for the French Chairmanship of the Council of Europe in 2019
The French Minister of State for gender equality has announced that practical measures will be taken during the French Chairmanship to promote the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (better known as the “Istanbul Convention”)....
Universal Children’s Day (20 November)
Statement by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe welcomes decision of German bishops’ conference to commemorate victims of sexual abuse on 18 November
The Council of Europe welcomes the decision of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference (DBK) to introduce a commemoration day dedicated to the victims of sexual abuse. The Bishops’ Conference announced the annual commemoration should take place on or around the 18th November, which coincides with...
