Newsroom
“Sex without consent is rape: European countries must change their laws to state that clearly”
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has called on all member states to change how rape is defined. In an opinion article published in today’s EU Observer, she says that “Too few of our members treat this crime as...
Czech Republic urged to step up anti-corruption efforts
The Council of Europe anti-corruption body GRECO has urged the Czech Republic to accelerate the pace of ongoing reforms aimed at preventing and combatting corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. In a follow up report issued today evaluating the implementation of its...
President Knape reaffirms Congress support for Georgia’s decentralisation reforms
During his official visit to Georgia from 22 to 25 February 2020 the President of the Congress Anders Knape welcomed the continued commitment of Georgia to decentralisation, in line with the post-monitoring dialogue in 2014, the signature of the road map of the Congress in 2015 and the latest...
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 3 to 5 March. Information on the cases to be examined in detail during the meeting is available here....
Governments must not stifle civil society: INGO seminar in Brussels
Be sure to watch live the Council of Europe’s Conference of INGOs celebration of World NGO Day, to highlight the importance of civil society as an essential democratic actor, but one which faces too many restrictions today. Held at the Council of Europe’s Brussel’s office, “From the Past to the...
Environment and Human Rights: Georgian Presidency calls for modern legal standards and tools
In a declaration made today in Strasbourg at a conference on environmental protection and human rights, the Georgian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers called to review the relevant Council of Europe legal arsenal and complement it by adopting a recommendation and a strategy in this field....
Migration and refugees: Council of Europe presents achievements and sets new objectives
In a report published today, the Council of Europe takes stock of achievements and sets out new objectives for protecting vulnerable migrants and refugees, including children. “The Council of Europe will continue to play a key role in the protection and promotion of human rights of the most...
Ultra-nationalism, anti-semitism, anti-Muslim hatred: Anti-racism commission raises alarm over situation in Europe
Increasing influence of ultra-nationalistic and xenophobic politics across Europe, hate speech setting the tone in social media, rampant anti-semitism and anti-Muslim hatred, as well as an increasingly hostile environment for NGOs working with vulnerable groups - these alarming trends and new...
Environment and human rights: towards a right to a healthy environment?
In response to the threats to climate and biodiversity, the Georgian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will organise a conference on Thursday 27 February in Strasbourg on the protection of the environment from a human rights perspective. The conference, which will...
Statement by David Zalkaliani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia and President of the Committee of Ministers
“This year marks the 6th anniversary of the illegal annexation of the autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and the beginning of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. In my capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, I...
Secretary General tells UN Human Rights Council: “You can rely on our support”
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has assured the United Nations Human Rights Council that it can count on the Council of Europe’s support across a wide range of sectors. Speaking in Geneva at the UN body’s 43rd session, the Secretary General underlined the importance of close cooperation...
Osman Kavala ruling in Turkey: Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić's letter to Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić's letter to Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül, sharing her concerns about Osman Kavala’s re-arrest and the investigation against the Istanbul judges who delivered the verdict of acquittal in favour of Kavala.
Congress President Anders Knape on official visit to Georgia
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Anders Knape, will pay an official visit to Georgia from 22 to 25 February 2020, organised in the framework of the Georgian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Accompanied by Congress Secretary...
Secretary General expresses condolences after deadly shootings in Hanau
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić: I am shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible events in Hanau, Germany. I join my German friends and colleagues in their sorrow for the victims and their families. I wish the injured a swift recovery.
Turkish authorities must restore judicial independence and stop targeting and silencing human rights defenders
In a report published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, calls on the Turkish authorities to restore judicial independence and stop the practice of targeting human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists and silencing them by using administrative and...
Osman Kavala ruling in Turkey: Reaction from the Council of Europe Secretary General
In response to today’s ruling from a court in Istanbul relating to the Taksim Square protests in 2013, the Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, said: “We welcome today’s ruling from the court in Istanbul ordering Osman Kavala to be released, in line with...
Slovenia: GRECO considers whether parliamentary inquiry into judiciary interferes with separation of powers
In a new ad hoc report on Slovenia the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group GRECO did not rule out that parliamentary inquiries, if directed towards the judiciary in ongoing individual cases, may potentially interfere with the separation of powers and respect for judicial independence....
Monaco: insufficient anti-corruption progress says expert report
In a new report on the prevention of corruption of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors in Monaco the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body GRECO regrets the low level of implementation of its recommendations (two out of sixteen). As far as parliamentarians are concerned, GRECO notes that...
Protecting human rights in biomedicine, 2020-2025
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today supported a new five-year strategic action plan, presented by the Committee on Bioethics, on human rights and technologies in biomedicine. Designed to protect human dignity, human rights and individual freedoms with regard to the...
Towards a recommendation to ban the trade in goods used for torture and the death penalty
The Committee of Ministers has given its green light to the preparation of a recommendation concerning the trade in goods used for torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the death penalty. The Committee of Ministers draws on a feasibility study, prepared by the...