Newsletter - January-March 2023
SRSG takes stock of Action Plan implementation; Report on Romania published; Fact-finding mission to Hungary; Project launch in Chisinau
Presenting the first interim report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, the Special Representative of Secretary General (SRSG) on...
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk addresses PACE Migration Committee
"As a human rights defender for 20 years, I would have never imagined myself working on war crimes in my country. No one chooses where he or she was born but we all have a choice whether we want to be active against human rights violations or remain indifferent to it. I chose not to be...
Commissioner publishes Activity Report; urges leaders of EU member states to commit to ending human rights violations against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants; makes several country-specific interventions
In her Activity Report the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, devoted a separate chapter to human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, which refers to her visits, reports, country-specific interventions and several meetings she had in relation to this...
Council of Europe event: “Responding to Regional and Global Challenges: Protecting the Rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-seeking Women and Girls” held at UN HQ in New York
On 7 March, in the margins of the 67th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, the Council of Europe organised a side-event on: “Responding to Regional and Global Challenges: Protecting the Rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-seeking Women and Girls” . The event was co-organised...
GRETA expresses concern over UK Illegal Migration Bill
On 29 March, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) issued a statement concerning the United Kingdom’s Illegal Migration Bill, calling on the authorities to uphold their international obligations in combating human trafficking by...
CPT general report calls on member state to end unlawful pushbacks
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published on 30 March its general report covering 2022. In it, the Committee calls on European states to put an end to unlawful pushback practices and the ill-treatment of...
ECRI urges Cyprus and Hungary to tackle hate speech against migrants and refugees
In a report published on 7 March, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) lauded positive steps taken by Cyprus since the adoption of its previous report in 2016, but also pointed out various areas of concern. While welcoming an improved access to labour market for asylum...
Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child meets in Reykjavik; Reviews progress in upholding rights of migrant children
On 28-29 March 2023, the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) held its 7th plenary meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland. During the meeting, the CDENF: Approved a draft Recommendation containing Guidelines on strengthening reporting systems on violence against children and adopted its...
New Council of Europe guide to health literacy – Contributing to trust building and equitable access to healthcare
The Council of Europe launched on 18 January 2023, a new “Guide to health literacy – Contributing to trust building and equitable access to healthcare”, as a practical tool to assist decision-makers, health providers and health professionals in healthcare, disease prevention and health promotion....
European Court of Human Rights issues rulings in migration-related cases concerning Croatia and Italy
On 17 January 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in the case in the case of Daraibou v. Croatia that there had been two violations of Article 2 (right to life/investigation) of the European Convention on Human Rights The case concerned a fire that broke out in the basement...