Newsroom
New video for migrant children explaining their rights in age assessment procedures
On World’s Children’s Day the Council of Europe and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) have launched an animated video on age assessment of migrant children and adolescents. Age assessment is a process carried out by authorities to estimate a person’s age and determine whether he/she is an...
LGBTI policies in Europe: progress achieved, but more needs to be done
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić today highlighted substantial progress in the legal and social recognition of LGBTI people: more countries are offering civil unions and equal marriage, there are positive developments in ensuring freedom of assembly and association, in tackling bullying,...
Anti-torture Committee calls on Greece to reform its immigration detention system and stop pushbacks
In a report on a rapid reaction ad hoc visit to Greece in March 2020, the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee (CPT) once again urges the Greek authorities to change their approach towards immigration detention and to ensure that migrants deprived of their liberty are treated both with...
Germany takes over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
Germany has taken over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Greece during a video-conference meeting with representatives of the Organisation’s 47 member States. Greece’s Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis gave an overview of his...
Secretary General warns about the risks associated with sexual images and videos self-generated by children
Report from HINA (Croatian News Agency) published on European Day on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, on Wednesday warned about the risks associated with sexual images and videos self-generated by...
6th European Day on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
On the occasion of the 6th European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (18 November 2020), the following joint statement was made by: The Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, outgoing Chair of the Council of Europe’s...
Cyprus: Judicial Code of Ethics praiseworthy, but Parliament needs Code of Conduct to better fight corruption
A new report on Cyprus by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) stresses the need for a Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament to be adopted to prevent various forms of corruption, and to address issues such as conflicts of interest and lobbying. MPs’ asset...
Managing elections, including during pandemics: Venice Commission draws conclusions
The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has published conclusions to an online international conference it held last week on electoral management, addressing electoral law and electoral administration in Europe. Conference participants focused on two main issues: Holding elections during...
How associations of judges support judicial independence: new Opinion
In a new Opinion on “The role of associations of judges in supporting judicial independence”, the Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) calls upon member States to provide a framework within which the right of judges to associate can be effectively exercised, and to...
World Forum for Democracy 2020/2021 – “Can Democracy Save the Environment?”
Officially launching on 18 November, the next World Forum for Democracy will bring together intellectuals, politicians, activists, experts and young people from around the world to discuss responses to the environmental crisis over a whole year leading up to the live Forum event to be held in...
Manifesto on Freedom of Expression of Arts and Culture in Digital Era
The Council of Europe has launched a Manifesto on the Freedom of Expression of Arts and Culture in the Digital Era as well as the concept for a digital @exhibition « Free to Create, Create to be Free”. The Manifesto sums up the importance of artistic creation and cultural industry for our...
Anti-torture committee urges Portugal to tackle police ill-treatment and police impunity
In a new report on Portugal the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT) once again urges the Portuguese authorities to take determined action to prevent police ill-treatment and ensure that cases of alleged ill-treatment are investigated effectively. It also proposes a series of measures...
Child self-generated sexual images/videos: education vital to prevent risks
Ahead of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse marked on 18 November, the Council of Europe has held a webinar on how risks associated with sexual images and videos self-generated by children can be prevented and mitigated through...
Council of Europe launches Observatory on History Teaching in Europe
Seventeen Member States (*) of the Council of Europe have decided to establish the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe as an Enlarged Partial Agreement. The Observatory’s main purpose will be to collect and make available, through a series of regular and thematic reports, factual...
Paris Peace Forum: Council of Europe presents MEDICRIME Convention
The Council of Europe MEDICRIME Convention will be presented at the Paris Peace Forum which takes place online from 11 to 13 November. The main message to the Forum is that countries worldwide should take action using the only binding international instrument in this field to combat the...
Mid-term impact of Covid-19 on European prison populations: new study
Following the overall decrease of European prisons populations during the period of the lockdowns in spring, during the summer the incarceration rate remained stable in most European countries but started to grow in several prison administrations, according to a new study by the University of...
Ministers of justice confirm their commitment to Independence of justice and the rule of law
As the Council of Europe celebrates the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Ministers of Justice of the 47 member States of the Organisation, meeting by videoconference under the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, reaffirmed their commitment to...
Facing COVID-19 in prisons and probation
Directors of prison and probation services from the 47 Council of Europe member states as well as renowned experts and researchers in this field are meeting online on 9 and 10 November. They will discuss measures taken to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons and services in charge of...
Slovenia: draft law on Barnahus will better protect children from sexual abuse
The results and key recommendations of the public consultation process of the draft law on Barnahus in Slovenia are being discussed today at an online event. Barnahus (“Children’s House”) is a leading European model for a child-friendly multidisciplinary and interagency response to child sexual...
Role of European Youth Card in promoting young people’s rights post-COVID
A webinar “New challenges and opportunities for innovative youth services. The role of the European Youth Card in promoting the rights of young people in post COVID era” is being held under the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers on 5-6 November 2020. The Greek Chairmanship has...
