Newsroom
Council of Europe calls on member states to ban genetic tests for insurance purposes
The Council of Europe calls upon the Governments of its Member States to ensure non-discrimination, including on grounds of genetic characteristics, and the protection of private life in the framework of insurance contracts covering risks related to health, age or death. “People’s health and...
Secretary General meets Hungarian Justice Minister László Trócsányi
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland on Tuesday met the Hungarian Justice Minister, László Trócsányi. Minsiter Trócsányi reported that new legislation had been adopted to provide an effective remedy to victims of prison ovecrowding in line with a pilot judgment (Varga and others) by the European...
The European day of justice is celebrated in 18 member States of the Council of Europe
The European Day of Justice is celebrated each year around the 25 October. It aims to bring justice closer to citizens, to inform them on their rights and to to promote the work of the Council of Europe and the European Commission in the field of justice, through simulation of procedures and...
Prevention of corruption in respect of top government officials and law enforcement
In 2017, the Council of Europe anti-corruption body GRECO will start monitoring the prevention of corruption and the promotion of integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies, which will be the themes of its 5th Evaluation Round. In a plenary meeting...
EUR-OPA Hazard Ministerial Conference in Lisbon: Building more disaster resilient societies
This summer, some Southern European countries have faced unprecedented heatwaves and wildfires. Portugal is due to host the 13th ministerial session of the Council of Europe’s European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA) on 26 October 2016 in Lisbon. Designed to strengthen...
A Europe rich in history, heritage and values: the Cultural Routes Advisory Forum 2016 in Vilnius
A journey through space and time across Europe to foster cultural heritage, enhance diversity and promote intercultural dialogue: the Council of Europe Cultural Routes Annual Advisory Forum 2016 will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva in Vilnius (Lithuania) on 26-27 October. This year’s...
Local democracy in Cyprus
Today the Congress of Local and Regional authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a report on the state of local democracy Cyprus following a monitoring visit to Nicosia, Kokkinotrimithia, Ayios Dhometios and Paphos in April 2016. It was the third monitoring report since the ratification of...
European Committee of Social Rights: Greek minister attends hearing on social rights and austerity
A public hearing of the European Committee of Social Rights today focused on how austerity in Greece has affected social rights under the guidelines of the European Social Charter. The committee granted the hearing request, which was made by the complainant organisation, the Greek General...
Thorbjørn Jagland: “Congress' thematics are in line with the Council of Europe's priorities”
“It is very important for the Council of Europe to work with the Congress which represents the grassroots level closest to the people of our member countries”, said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland in his address to the 31st Session of the Congress on 19 October 2016. He...
Preventing radicalisation in towns, cities and regions: the Congress consolidates its strategy
The Congress committees on current affairs and governance have held joint discussions on the Congress’ strategy to prevent radicalisation in towns, cities and regions. The report and resolution presented by Josef Neumann (Germany, SOC) and Bert Bouwmeester (Netherlands, ILDG) urge the Congress...
Gudrun Mosler-Törnström elected as first woman President of the Congress
The members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, meeting for the 31st Session in Strasbourg (France), elected Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC) as President for a two-year term of office. Ms Mosler-Törnström is the first woman being elected to the...
How to fight human trafficking: new guide for governments
10th European Anti-Trafficking Day, 18 October
Why remembering the Holocaust is a human rights imperative
"The Shoah stands out as one of the defining moments of history that has shaped the conscience of mankind. It is unique in its roots, implementation and envisioned totality", says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner of Human Rights, in his latest Human rights Comment published today....
Calais camp closure
There must be alternative accommodation in France and increased cooperation for the transfer of unaccompanied children to the United Kingdom
Venice Commission: New Polish law on constitutional tribunal gives excessive power to parliament and the executive over the judiciary
An opinion adopted today by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, the Venice Commission, found that Poland’s new Act on the Constitutional Tribunal does not meet two essential standards of balance of power in government: the independence of the judiciary and the position of the...
New tool to help governments strengthen democracy through culture
The 47-nation Council of Europe is today launching a new statistical tool to help decision-makers see where changes in cultural policy can best help to strengthen democracy. “Experts have thought for a long time that there are strong links between people taking part in cultural activities and...
Finland: new report on minorities
Efforts needed to protect Samí rights, Swedish language and combat hate speech, says a report on minorities in Finland
Conference on Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the context of major risks prevention and management
Migrants are a risk group also facing natural hazards and technological accidents. To analyse how countries deal with their vulnerabilities, the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement of the Council of Europe will hold a conference on Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the context of natural and...
Frank-Walter Steinmeier: ‘Human rights are and must remain non-negotiable’
“Human rights are and must remain non-negotiable,” German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told parliamentarians today at PACE’s plenary session in Strasbourg. “They are not just an instrument to be used when it suits on the road to peace. They are in fact the cornerstone on which...
Ukraine: only ‘significant progress’ by Russia can form basis for full-fledged dialogue
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has said that only “significant and measurable progress” by Russia towards implementation of three recent resolutions of the Assembly can form the basis for restoration of a fully-fledged, mutually respectful dialogue. In a resolution on...
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu: the values of the Council of Europe should inspire further reforms in Turkey
“The Council of Europe has had a significant role in Turkey’s progress in the past 15 years. We will press ahead with our plans for constitutional and institutional reform and will continue to heed the Council of Europe’s recommendations,” said Mevlüt Çavusoglu, Turkey’s Minister for Foreign...
Thomas Bach: Governments and the Olympic Movement have a common responsibility in the fight against doping
“Deficiencies of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping have become apparent. It is encouraging to see that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is now starting to address these deficiencies through the organisation of Think Tanks and other measures”, today said the President of...
Cyprus: Secretary General Jagland on Official Visit
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is meeting with Cypriot government officials on Friday to discuss the upcoming Cypriot chairmanship of the Council of Europe (from 22 November 2016 to 19 May 2017). The chairmanship will address several key human rights issues, from detention of irregular...
Jürgen Ligi: the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly must work together closely
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly today, Jürgen Ligi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia, mentioned the recent events that had taken place during Estonia’s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, including notably the attempted coup d’état in Turkey. “It is important that the...
Managing diversity through minority rights
Council of Europe’s national minorities body launches new guidance document
François Hollande: "We need the Council of Europe more than ever"
“France stands alongside the Council of Europe and I am confident that the Council of Europe stands alongside France in all efforts to promote peace, freedom and democracy,” declared France’s President, François Hollande, addressing the Assembly today. Mr Hollande said he was a strong believer in...
OECD calls on policy makers to adopt a broader and more inclusive approach to productivity growth
The Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mari Kiviniemi, today urged to do everything to address the “concerns of those that have suffered unemployment” by “creating more inclusive societies where the benefits of growth are more equally...
European Local Democracy Week 2016
“Living together in culturally diverse societies: respect, dialogue, interaction”
Secretary General’s dialogue with Assembly members
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland replied to questions from members of the Assembly in a question and answer session during the Assembly’s autumn part-session. During this exchange, PACE members asked Mr Jagland for his reaction to Turkey’s derogation from part of the European...
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2016 awarded to Nadia Murad
The fourth Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights – has been awarded to Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad. The €60 000 prize was presented at a special ceremony today at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, on the...
Assembly President calls for principles to be respected and warns against double standards
In his opening speech of the PACE autumn session in Strasbourg today, PACE President Pedro Agramunt made a plea for the strict respect of principles and rules and warned against double standards. He urged PACE to react firmly whenever someone faced persecution for his or her political views or...
European Day against the Death Penalty: Council of Europe/EU confirm their strong opposition to capital punishment
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and the European Union’s High Representative For Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty on October 10. The statement reaffirms both...
The Commissioner publishes a memorandum on the human rights implications of the emergency measures in Turkey
The Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published today a memorandum on the human rights implications of the measures taken under the state of emergency by the Turkish authorities. This memorandum follows up on a visit to Ankara between 27 and 29 September 2016, during which the...
UK urged to improve protection of child victims of human trafficking
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged the United Kingdom to improve the identification and protection of child victims of trafficking, expressing particular concern about children going missing from local authority care. “Despite...
Secretary General Jagland discusses media freedom in Turkey with international journalist associations
Representatives of the eight partner organisations of the Council of Europe Platform for the Safety of Journalists met with the Council of Europe´s Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, to discuss the possible follow up to the media freedom alerts published on the Platform with regard to Turkey...
European judicial systems evaluation
The Council of Europe publishes 2016 assessment report and launches new interactive database
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the death penalty in Belarus
At their meeting on 5 October, the Minister’s Deputies adopted a declaration deploring the confirmation of the death sentence against Mr Siarhei Vostrykau by the Supreme Court of Belarus on 4 October 2016 and calling on the Belarus’ authorities not to carry out the execution, considering Belarus’...
Learning Equality, Living Dignity: Forum on Human Rights Education in Budapest
The 3rd Compass Forum on Human Rights Education is being held at the European Youth Centre in Budapest from 5 to 7 October. Using the slogan “Learning Equality, Living Dignity”, the forum brings together about 120 participants, including experts with extensive experience in educating young people...
Croatia should eliminate shortcomings in transitional justice, immigration and media freedom
“Croatia has substantially improved its human rights law and practice in the last years. However, some recent developments put at serious risk these achievements” said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing today a report based on his visit to the country...
Russia’s "foreign agent” list: Inclusion of “International Memorial”
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
Anti-racism commission issues new reports on the UK, Turkey and Armenia
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published today country reports on the UK, Turkey and Armenia. In the UK, the Council of Europe’s anti-racism experts welcomed the entry into force of the Equality Act 2010, as well as the government’s new hate crime action plan and...
Parliamentary Assembly Autumn Session
French President, German and Turkish Foreign Ministers to address Assembly
Freedom of thought (and from famine!) – The defamation balancing act
The Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen once wrote that countries with a free media do not suffer from famines. Food for (free) thought – literally! But freedom of expression is by no means a modern idea. 17th century thinkers such as John Locke and John Milton underlined their opposition...
Ukraine’s reforms the focus of high-level Council of Europe meeting
As a continuation of the Day of Ukrainian Reforms, Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko met today in Strasbourg with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to discuss the co-operation between the organization and Ukraine, and to sign on behalf of Ukraine the European Agreement on the...
Anti-trafficking body GRETA calls on Romania to intensify efforts to prevent trafficking in children
In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) calls on Romania to step up its efforts to prevent trafficking in children and to improve the identification and assistance to child victims. The report assesses...
Removing barriers to young people’s access to rights
New Recommendation by the Committee of Ministers
Report on judicial systems: Live broadcast of the press conference, 6 October - 11 a.m.
The Council of Europe will publish the 2016 report (data concerning 2014) of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) on Thursday 6 October. This study contains the analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data gathered in the 45 member states of the Council of Europe and...
Statement of Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland on Shimon Peres
“We have lost one of the world’s greatest statesmen. Like no other, Shimon Peres strived for peace and reconciliation in the region and internationally. Security for the Jewish people was always his priority. He was firmly convinced that peace with Israel’s neighbours would serve the country’s...
Council of Europe Platform Exchange on Culture and Digitisation
The event on “Culture 4D: Digitisation, Data, Disruptions, Diversity” will explore how to harness Big Data for European culture and empower diverse groups to enhance the “Internet of Citizens”. Cultural policy makers and practitioners, researchers, media and technology specialists, business...
MONEYVAL's annual report: anti-terrorist financing measures not fully exploited yet
Following the publication today of MONEYVAL's annual report, its Chair, Daniel Thelesklaf, pointed out that identifying the financing of terrorism has not yet been fully exploited as a strategy in the overall fight against terrorism. “We are struggling to find ways how to better combat terrorism....
European Day of Languages 2016
A day to celebrate the rich mosaic of languages coexisting in Europe and beyond: the European Day of Languages marks every year since 2001 our linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML), encouraging excellence and...
Committee of Ministers reviews the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
On 20 and 21 September, representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe held their third “Human Rights” meeting of 2016 at which they examined the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in keeping with the supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers,...
Venice Commission criticizes proposed modifications to Azerbaijani Constitution in upcoming referendum
A preliminary opinion by the Council of Europe's constitutional law experts, (the Venice Commission) criticizes draft modifications to the constitution of Azerbaijan, which will be put to a national referendum on Monday 26 September. Many proposed amendments would severely upset the balance of...
Conference on the Fight against the Manipulation of Sports Competitions
“The Macolin Convention is the first and only international treaty to clamp down on the serious, transnational, organised crime that is match-fixing. A crime which not only threatens the rule of law, but which is especially corrosive for trust in sport because it cuts against our most basic...
No violence against children is acceptable, all violence is preventable
Commissioner of Human Rights Nils Muižnieks publishes his latest Human rights Comment
Secretary General, in UN, calls for ensuring basic rights for all migrant and refugee children
On 18 September 2016, in the run-up to the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland took part in a high-level event Carry Light for Children co-organised by the UN Children Fund UNICEF, the Estonian Mission to the UN, and the Council of...
National minorities in Hungary
Hungary should improve efforts to stop discrimination against Roma, among issues raised in report issued today
Dalai Lama visit highlights shared values
His Holiness the Dalai Lama used his historic visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg today to make an impassioned plea for compassion, tolerance and understanding between individuals, different faiths and nations. He expressed his belief that moral education based on what he called...
European summit of Presidents and Speakers of parliament opens in Strasbourg
“National parliaments should be a source of reasoned debate, based on facts”
Slovak Foreign Minister Lajčák at Committee of Ministers
Miroslav Lajčák, the foreign minister of Slovakia, which currently holds the Presidency of the European Union, is at the Council of Europe today for an exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers. In his meeting with Secretary General Jagland, Foreign Minister Lajčák signed the Council of...
The launch of the European Youth Card in France – empowering Europe’s young people
On 13 September 2016, the Council of Europe, the City of Strasbourg, the University of Strasbourg and the European Youth Card Association launched the Youth Card in France The goal of the Card is to promote the active role young people can play all over Europe and to encourage their cultural,...
Independent experts: positive evaluation of Council of Europe/European Commission programmes for Roma
Although their new report found room for improvement, evaluator company Blomeyer and Sanz and experts selected from Creda Consulting found that two major Council of Europe programmes – ROMED 1 and ROMED 2 – have helped to successfully enhance Roma participation and integration in seven focus...
Dalai Lama to visit and address the Council of Europe
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will pay a visit to the Council of Europe on Thursday, 15 September, where he will meet Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Pedro Agramunt and Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks. H.H. the Dalai Lama will deliver an...
Secretary General speaks at colloquy on the role of the Council of Europe in defending human rights
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland took part in a colloquy on the topic "Is the defence of human rights in Europe outdated? The Council of Europe is more necessary than ever", organised in Paris on 12 September by the French National Assembly and Senate, as well as a number of...
Latvia: Strengthen policies against bias-motivated crimes and ratify the Istanbul Convention
“While Latvia has taken some important steps to advance human rights and reduce social exclusion, gaps remain in the protection of vulnerable groups. The authorities should develop community-based services for persons with disabilities, grant automatic citizenship to all children born in Latvia,...
European summit of Presidents and Speakers of parliament in Strasbourg
The Presidents and Speakers of parliament from the 47 Council of Europe member states and many partner, observer and neighbouring countries, along with the Presidents of other international assemblies, will be meeting in Strasbourg on 15 and 16 September 2016 for a European parliamentary...
Internet freedom as a factor of democratic security: Strasbourg conference
An international conference is bringing together in Strasbourg on 9 September some 200 representatives of governments, civil society, business and academia to discuss best practices to protect and promote Internet freedom in the context of the current international security crises. One of the...
Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees visits camps in northern France
The Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees, Ambassador Tomáš Boček, is conducting a fact-finding mission to camps in northern France on 12-13 September 2016. Mr Boček will visit the camps in Calais and Grande-Synthe and the Command and Control Centre in Calais....
Committee of Ministers - exchange of views with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey
The Minister’s Deputies today held an exchange of views at ministerial level with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey. This exchange of views organised following the attempted coup d’état in Turkey on 15 July, was opened by Marina Kaljurand, Minister for Foreign Affairs of...
Secretary General meets German Interior Minister de Maizière and attends OSCE conference on Sinti and Roma
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met with German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière on 6 September to discuss integration, radicalisation and the fight against extremism at national and European levels. The Secretary General also addressed an OSCE conference on...
Belarus: Anti-corruption summary report says faith in country’s commitment is undermined
Belarus has partly implemented only one out of the twenty pending recommendations on addressing corruption, with no progress registered on others, says the summary of the Interim compliance report by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published on 1 September. The...
New Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues
Today, Valeriu Nicolae, a Romanian Roma, has taken up the post of Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) of the Council of Europe for Roma Issues. "It is a great honour and responsibility for me to join the team of the Secretary General," said Nicolae. "I very much look forward to...
Human rights defenders’ work is vital for redress to victims of enforced disappearance
Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks publishes his latest Human rights Comment
Turkish expert delegation visits Council of Europe
Today a delegation of officials from the Turkish Ministry of Justice and from the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors is meeting with a group of Council of Europe experts. The meeting follows a visit by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to Ankara on 3 August, and is part of an...
Turkey: visit by the Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Estonian Foreign Minister M. Kaljurand
Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia Marina Kaljurand travelled to Ankara on 24-25 August to hold talks with Turkish officials at the highest level: she met with President R.T. Erdoğan, the President of the National Assembly İ. Kahraman, Prime Minister...
