Newsroom
Sweden: progress made in combating human trafficking, but need to address all forms of trafficking
The Council of Europe’s expert group against human trafficking (GRETA) publishes today its second evaluation report on Sweden. The report assesses developments since the publication of GRETA’s first evaluation report on Sweden in May 2014 as regards the implementation of the Council of Europe’s...
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 from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The committee adopted 30 decisions concerning 18 member states at the end of its regular three-day meeting in...
Fighting drug smugglers more efficiently: Council of Europe works with international partners to produce new online tool for drug enforcement agencies
A new Council of Europe-supported online tool* – a handbook designed to help drug enforcement officials to increase the number of arrests of drug smugglers – is being launched in Strasbourg on 6 June 2018. The Council of Europe‘s Pompidou group, together with Eurojust, Europol, Interpol, OSCE...
GRECO report on Denmark: more transparency in party financing needed
The Council of Europe's anti-corruption group (GRECO) today published its Sixth Interim Compliance Report concerning transparency of party funding in Denmark. Despite some progress made since the evaluation report published in 2010, GRECO is rather disappointed overall by the limited results...
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 from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 5 to 7 June. Information on the cases to be examined at the meeting is available here. Decisions taken by the committee...
20th anniversary of the European Institute of Cultural Routes in Luxembourg
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Programme (www.coe.int/routes), strong of 32 members Parties to the Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) and 33 certified Cultural Routes, celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR), in presence of the Director...
Council of Europe at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance
A Council of Europe delegation will contribute to the discussions of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) to be held on 5 and 6 June in Tbilisi (Georgia). Under the theme “Innovative strategies for our digital future”, the EuroDIG 2018 will bring together representatives of...
Greece: Understaffing in psychiatric establishments and poor conditions of detained foreign nationals highlighted by anti-torture committee delegation
A nine-day visit to Greece carried out in April by a delegation of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) focused on the treatment, living conditions and safeguards offered to civil and forensic patients in...
MONEYVAL’s annual report: money laundering risks are increasing
The Council of Europe anti money laundering and counter terrorist financing body MONEYVAL has just published its General Activity Report for 2017. Presenting the report to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 30 May, the Chairman of MONEYVAL, Daniel Thelesklaf, pointed out that...
Council of Europe and UEFA sign Memorandum of Understanding
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin have signed today at Palais de l’Europe a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their co-operation and implement common strategies in areas of shared interest. This landmark agreement focuses on four...
Spokesperson of the Secretary General: Statement by the Spokesperson on reported executions in Belarus
“Reports about two more executions in Belarus this month are alarming. “The Council of Europe calls on Belarus to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty as a first step to its final abolition. Capital punishment has no place in Europe.”
Council of Europe and UEFA sign a Memorandum of Understanding
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin will tomorrow sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen co-operation and implement common strategies in the field of human rights, integrity and good governance in sport. The two Organisations also...
Europe’s duty to internally displaced persons
“People are forced to leave their homes for different reasons, ranging from war and violence to natural disasters and climate change. However, this does not always entail the crossing of an internationally recognised border. Even if they do not leave their country, people who flee their homes are...
Albania should step up protection of children and inclusion of persons with disabilities
Today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, concluded her five-day visit to Albania which focused on children’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, and access to free legal aid. Concerning children’s rights, the Commissioner welcomes the authorities’...
Legal guide on how to apply new data protection rules
The European Union and the Council of Europe have reviewed their legal frameworks for the protection of personal data to keep pace with changes in this fast-moving area. Building on the popular practical handbook on European data protection law, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights...
Towards a Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime: Invitation to participate in consultations
Consultations on the ongoing preparation of a 2nd Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention will be held within the framework of the Octopus Conference on Cybercrime from 11 to 13 July 2018, and specifically on Thursday, 12 July. They are to permit an exchange of views between...
Five additional members joining GREVIO
Today, in Strasbourg, in accordance with Resolution CM/Res(2014)43 on rules on the election procedure of the members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 19 November 2014,...
Albania: Anti-torture committee concludes that the treatment of persons detained by the police has improved, but conditions of forensic psychiatric patients remain unacceptable
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published today the report on its visit to Albania in February 2017, together with the response of the Albanian authorities. The vast majority of detained persons interviewed by...
Anti-racism Commission launches updated standards for European equality bodies
Today, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe has launched revised standards (General Policy Recommendation No.2) for the establishment and functioning of European equality bodies. These bodies should be established by constitutional or...
Dubrovnik conference on cross-border cooperation in Europe
A conference organised in the context of the Croatian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers will discuss and promote legal frameworks, capacity-building tools and data collection in cross-border cooperation in Europe. The one-day event is taking place on 25 May in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which...
Council of Europe co-operation with Internet sector: two new partners
The Council of Europe's Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, today signed collaboration agreements - in the form of an exchange of letters – with the European Internet Service Providers Association (EuroISPA) and the IT security and performance firm Cloudflare to promote respect for human...
Ten years of anti-human trafficking convention – special conference in Strasbourg
Over 150 experts from across Europe are taking part today in a conference to mark ten years since the Council of Europe convention against trafficking in human beings entered into force. Among representatives of various international organisations, national authorities and NGOs, participants will...
21 May 2018: World Day for Cultural Diversity
Article by the Deputy Secretary General on Intercultural Cities: "Diversity as an advantage"
Croatia takes over chairmanship of Committee of Ministers from Denmark
The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from Denmark to Croatia, at a meeting in Elsinore, Denmark, attended by representatives of its 47 member States. The outgoing Chair, Anders Samuelsen, Minister of Foreign affairs of Denmark, handed over to the...
Danish Chairmanship concludes overwhelming support to start Council of Europe “Elsinore Reform Process“
Responding to the need to resolve current political and financial challenges, Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen presented his conclusions of discussions at the Committee of Ministers meeting in Elsinore on 17 and 18 May. Speech
Enhancing data protection globally: Council of Europe updates its landmark convention
Aiming to strengthen personal data protection at global scale, the Council of Europe today adopted an amending Protocol which updates its data protection convention, known as “Convention 108”. The modernisation of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic...
Democratic security and data protection on the agenda as Committee of Ministers meets in Denmark
The Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states are meeting in Elsinore (Denmark) on 18 May to discuss the challenges facing the Organisation. The Committee of Ministers should also adopt an amending protocol aimed at modernising the Convention for the Protection of...
The UK should proactively tackle corruption in central government, says anti-corruption body GRECO
The United Kingdom has a wide range of standards and procedures to help tackle corruption in central government and law enforcement agencies, according to the Council of Europe’s 49-member Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), but a number of shortcomings remain. In a report published...
17 May 2018: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
Statement by Eva Kjer Hansen, Minister for Equal Opportunities of Denmark, on behalf of the Chair of the Committee of Ministers
20th anniversary of Russia's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights
The Council of Europe is co-organising with the Russian authorities a high-level discussion entitled "Russia and the European Convention on Human Rights: 20 years together". The event is taking place on 16 May 2018 at the VIII Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum . On 5 May 1998 the...
Spokesperson of the Secretary General: Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalists registers alert on Ukraine - RIA Novosti Journalist Kyrylo Vyshynsky Held on Treason Allegations in Ukraine
The Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalists has today published an alert by its partner organisations European Federation of Journalists and International Federation of Journalists on the detention of RIA Novosti journalist Kyrylo Vyshynsky on treason allegations in Ukraine....
Spokesperson of the Secretary General: Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalists registers alert on Russia - Proposed Amendments to Criminal Code Threaten Media Freedom
The Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalists has today published an alert by its partner organisations Article 19, Index and RSF on draft amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Article 284.2). This, according to the alert, could be used to prevent the media...
New reports on Croatia, Liechtenstein and Malta by the Council of Europe anti-discrimination commission
The Council of Europe’s anti-discrimination commission, European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published today new reports on Croatia, Liechtenstein and Malta welcoming progress made in a number of fields as well as expressing concern with the persisting problems. In...
Secretary General 2018 Report: Role of Institutions, Threats to Institutions
Human rights, democracy and the rule of law depend on the institutions that give them form. But for populists, who invoke the proclaimed “will of the people”, these institutional checks and balances on power are often seen as an obstacle that should be subverted. The 5th annual report of the...
Committee of Ministers Annual Session in Denmark
At the closing of the meeting, Denmark will hand over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to Croatia
Secretary General shocked over the attack on investigative journalist in Montenegro
“I was shocked and saddened by the news of yet another attack on a journalist, in Montenegro. According to several media reports, investigative journalist Olivera Lakić was wounded outside her home in Podgorica. An alert on this case is being published on our platform for the protection and...
Election of Nikol Pashinyan as Prime Minister of Armenia
Statement by the Secretary General
Team from Spanish IE University wins 2018 edition of the European Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Students from IE University (Spain) were declared winners of the sixth edition of the European Moot Court Competition in English on the European Convention on Human Rights, after beating a team from the King’s College London in the final round. The team from City University London, placed third....
Secretary General Jagland concerned about Saturday's demonstrations in Russia
In a statement on Sunday, Secretary General Jagland offered Russia the Council of Europe’s assistance to improve legislation in the field of freedom of assembly
5 May: Europe Day
Statement by Anders Samuelsen, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on Europe Day
Secretary General Jagland to Armenian President Sarkissian: Letter and spirit of Constitution should be respected
In their phone conversation today, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, and the President of Armenia, Mr Armen Sarkissian, discussed the current situation in Armenia. Secretary General Jagland was informed about the latest events in Yerevan. He underlined that after...
Bulgaria: slight improvement in penitentiary establishments, but staffing still insufficient, social care institutions conditions inhuman and degrading
The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee published a new report today following its visit to police, penitentiary, psychiatric establishments and social care establishments in Bulgaria in September – October 2017. The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman...
North-South Prize 2017 to Kristiina Kumpula and Abbas Gullet
The Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross Kristiina Kumpula and the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society Dr Abbas Gullet are the two laureates of the Council of Europe North-South Prize 2017, a distinction awarded annually to two personalities, who stood out internationally for...
Europe’s duty to protect journalists
In an opinion editorial that more than 20 leading news outlets published today, ahead of World Press Freedom Day, Commissioner Mijatović called on member states to improve the safety of journalists. The article shows the extent of the threats journalists face in Europe, calls upon states to...
Council of Europe warns against reversal of progress in fight against corruption
New legislative initiatives in certain European countries in 2017 reversed reforms previously undertaken to strengthen the prevention of corruption or started reforms that may result in breaches of the Council of Europe´s anti-corruption standards. Although there was overall progress in...
Conference to launch the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023
In the framework of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, the international conference “Gender Equality: Paving the Way” will launch the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023. The aim of the event is to address current and emerging challenges which prevent a faster...
Deputy Secretary General welcomes European Minimum Income Network Bus
Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni today welcomed, on the forecourt of the Palais de l’Europe, the European Minimum Income Network (EMIN) Bus, an awareness raising operation on the relevance of the right to adequate, accessible and enabling minimum income schemes. The EMIN BUS...
Hungary must better identify victims of human trafficking among migrants and asylum seekers – including children, says expert group
The ability to detect potential victims of human trafficking among migrants and asylum seekers in Hungary has worsened, according to a new report published today, along with the Hungarian government’s reply, by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings...
Organ and tissue donation: A guide to better understand the principle of prohibition of financial gain
The Council of Europe has just published a new guide to facilitate the implementation of the principle that the human body and its parts must not, as such, give rise to financial gain. The principle of prohibition of financial gain, as set out in the Oviedo Convention and its additional Protocol...
Zero tolerance for corruption within PACE
The Assembly intends to draw all the necessary consequences, on all levels, from the conclusions of the investigation body on corruption allegations within PACE, “which are now indisputable”. This applies to recommendations aimed at improving its general operating framework and at remedying...
Cyprus: police abuse, prison overcrowding and poor conditions in psychiatric and social care establishments among critiques in anti-torture committee report
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) raises concerns over persistent allegations of police ill-treatment in Cyprus in a new report published today. During a visit last year to Cyprus, a CPT delegation logged...
Barbershop about how to involve more men in promoting gender equality and combatting sexism
Members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Ambassadors of the 47 member states to the Council of Europe and Judges of the European Court of Human Rights are meeting in Strasbourg on 26 April to discuss how to involve more men in promoting gender equality and combatting sexism. The conference is...
Anders Samuelsen: "The Court must be in a position to ensure the highest protection of fundamental rights"
Addressing the Assembly today, Anders Samuelsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers underlined the importance of the political declaration adopted on 13 April in Copenhagen by the 47 member States, on continued reform of the European system of human...
Secretary General to PACE: any attempt to divert attention from the corruption report is intolerable
Answering questions from members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said he was very sad that at a time when he and the Committee of Ministers were struggling to gain the release of a prisoner in Azerbaijan, in line with a judgment delivered by the European Court...
Nikola Dimitrov: "we are determined to make it"
Nikola Dimitrov, Foreign Minister of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, has told parliamentarians in Strasbourg of a “new positive momentum” in his country as it emerges from political crisis and seeks EU membership. “I can say with strong confidence that we have achieved a real...
'PACE is not a battlefield', says PACE President calling for conflict prevention and settlement through law
“Our Assembly is not a battlefield to confront national agendas. On the contrary, it is a place where bridges between peoples and governments are built and where parliamentarians from all over Europe defend the common good – the fundamental values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law as...
Allegations of corruption in PACE: Independent External Investigation Body publishes its report
The Independent External Investigation Body looking into allegations of corruption in PACE today presented its report to the Bureau of the Assembly. At the end of the meeting, the Bureau made the report public. Independent External Investigation Body report Background paper
Strengthening the system of protection of migrants and refugees in Bulgaria
In a report, published today, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees, Tomáš Boček, recognises the efforts made by Bulgaria to cope with the challenges of a high number of arrivals of migrants and refugees, but highlights concerns about difficulties they face...
Spring session: states of emergency, hybrid war, editorial integrity, corruption
At its spring session (Strasbourg, 23-27 April), the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) will look at states of emergency and derogations from the European Convention on Human Rights. It will also discuss fighting organised crime through the confiscation of illegal assets, the funding of the terrorist...
Democratic Culture - from Words to Action
“Democratic culture - from words to action' is the headline of the international conference taking place from Monday 23 to Tuesday 24 April in Copenhagen. The conference is organised as part of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and will be opened by...
Anti-torture committee: effective complaints mechanisms should be available to detainees across Europe
European states should ensure that persons deprived of their liberty have access to effective complaints mechanisms in prisons, police stations, immigration detention centres, psychiatric institutions and other places of detention. This is a fundamental safeguard against torture and inhuman or...
Secretary General Jagland on official visit to Croatia on 17 April
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, is on official visit to Croatia on 17 April, where he met Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Marija Pejčinović-Burić, and Deputy Speaker of the Croatian...
Copenhagen Declaration adopted
The Copenhagen Declaration on the reform of the European Convention on Human Rights system has been formally adopted by all 47 member states of the Council of Europe following a high-level conference in Copenhagen attended by more than 20 Ministers of Justice. Full declaration Statement by Danish...
Meeting of Ministers of Justice on the European human rights system: speech of Secretary General
The Danish Government made clear from the outset of its Chairmanship that strengthening our Convention system would be a priority. And I thank them for that. I was equally clear from the beginning of my first mandate that strengthening that system – and the European Court of Human Rights – would...
Iceland needs effective tools to preserve integrity in government and the police
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called for Iceland to strengthen its systems to limit risks of corruption and improper conduct in government functions and law enforcement agencies. The Icelandic society has become over...
High-Level Conference on reform of Human Rights Convention system
The Danish Minister of Justice, Søren Pape Poulsen, will from 11 to 13 April 2018, as part of the Danish Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, be hosting a High-Level Conference titled: “Continued Reform of the European Human Rights Convention System – Better Balance, Improved Protection”. The...
Deputy Secretary General on official visit to Morocco
The Deputy Secretary General, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, will pay an official visit to Rabat on 11-12 April. She will have an exchange of views with the state authorities on the progress of cooperation with Morocco and the prospects for partnership for the period 2018-2021. The Kingdom of...
Romania: Group of States against Corruption deeply concerned about certain justice and criminal law reforms
In a report on Romania published today, the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) expresses serious concern about certain aspects of the laws on the status of judges and prosecutors, on the judicial organisation and on the Superior Council of Magistracy recently...
Anti-Torture Committee calls for a co-ordinated European approach to address mass migratory arrivals in Italy
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published today a report on an ad hoc visit conducted in Italy to examine the situation of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty in the so-called “hotspots” and immigration detention...
No Hate Speech Movement: first broad international initiative that helped recognise hate speech as human right abuse
Hate speech continues to poison public debate, and the urgency to counter it has not diminished over the past years. The youth campaign No Hate Speech Movement (NHSM) conducted by the Council of Europe in 2012-2017 as the first broad international initiative in this field has contributed to...
New reports on protection of regional and minority languages in Austria, Cyprus and Romania
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 4 April 2018 examined the implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and provided recommendations to Austria, Cyprus and Romania, based on the country-specific reports of the Committee of Experts under the...
8 April, International Roma Day: Statement by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
With the number of elected Roma and Traveller women 'close to zero', the Secretary General urges political parties to fast-track Roma women in politics
Child sexual abuse in sport: Council of Europe calls for action to break the silence
The Council of Europe today made a call on public authorities and the sports movement to take determined action to prevent sexual abuse of children. Under the theme “Start to talk”, it launched in Madrid an international awareness-raising initiative urging governments, sports clubs, associations...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Record number of cases closed in 2017, but challenges remain
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which oversees the implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments, closed a record number of 3,691 cases last year, leading to a 24% decrease in the total number of outstanding cases. There were 7,584 pending cases at the end of 2017,...
Council of Europe issues policy guidelines to protect children of imprisoned parents
The Council of Europe today issued policy guidelines to its 47 member states aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of children of imprisoned parents. Some 2.1 million children in Europe have one of their parents in prison, according to estimates based on the number of inmates in prisons....
