Newsroom
Paris : la Commissaire Mijatović livre ses premières observations sur les questions de droits de l’homme liées au mouvement des "gilets jaunes"
« Le niveau élevé de tension qui prévaut actuellement en France suscite mon inquiétude et je considère qu’il est urgent d’apaiser la situation », a déclaré aujourd’hui la Commissaire aux droits de l'homme du Conseil de l'Europe, Dunja Mijatović, à l’issue d’un déplacement à Paris, le 28 janvier...
Corruption in Croatia: Code of conduct for MPs still lacking, but progress made to limit conflict of interest
Assessing measures taken by Croatia to implement recommendations that had been made in 2014, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) regrets that its recommendation to the Croatian Parliament to adopt a code of conduct for its members still has not been realized. The...
Armenia: the Commissioner for Human Rights publishes a new report
Report on Armenia recommends measures to improve women’s rights, protection of disadvantaged or vulnerable groups, and establishing accountability for past human rights violations Today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published the report of her visit to...
Poland: Anti-corruption group calls for more transparency and preventive measures to promote integrity in central government and in law enforcement agencies
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) says that it is a “top priority” for Poland to establish a system for appointment, promotion and dismissal of all senior managers in the Police and Border Guards, which would be based on objective, merit-based criteria and...
Data Protection Day
New guidelines on artificial intelligence
Greek parliament vote over "Republic of North Macedonia" welcomed by Secretary General
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has welcomed the vote in the Greek parliament today that promises to bring an end to the 27-year dispute over its northern neighbour's name. “The vote in Greece to approve the name "Republic of North Macedonia" is both...
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
Statement by the Finnish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
Italy urged to improve the protection of migrants and unaccompanied children against human trafficking and exploitation
Italy has taken additional measures to combat trafficking in human beings, according to a new report published today by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), but a number of issues continue to give rise to concern. The report assesses...
The situation of opposition politicians in Turkey is worsening, says PACE
Following an urgent debate held in plenary session in Strasbourg, PACE noted “the worsening of the situation of opposition politicians in Turkey” and called on the Turkish authorities to respect fully their rights and freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Following the co-rapporteurs'...
PACE urges Russia to release Ukrainian servicemen, ensure free passage in the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait
The Parliamentary Assembly has urged Russia to immediately release Ukrainian servicemen, to ensure freedom of passage in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, and to refrain from violence in the area. Approving a resolution based on a report by Andreas Nick (Germany, EPP/CD) after an urgent...
ECSR publishes its findings 2018 on decisions in collective complaints procedures in 8 countries
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) today published its findings 2018 on the follow-up given by 8 States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Portugal) to decisions in the collective complaints procedure. This procedure allows national and international trade...
"Peace is the most important contribution we can make to human rights", says Sauli Niinistö
“Human rights, democracy and the rule of law – the values the Council of Europe stands for – can only thrive in a state of peace. Maintaining the absence of war must be our highest priority. At the end of the day, peace is the most important contribution we can make to human rights. Everything...
Holocaust memorial ceremony
The President of Finland Sauli Niinistö has attended a ceremony in front of the Council of Europe’s headquarters in Strasbourg, to mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. In his address Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland underlined the importance of...
Secretary General to PACE: Russian people would suffer most if Russia leaves the Council of Europe
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly for the last time during a January session, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his satisfaction that the European Court of Human Rights was now on firmer ground than when he was elected in 2009. At that time, the credibility of the Convention...
Timo Soini: “a multilateral co-operation to prevent instability and conflict”
“We need effective rules-based multilateral co-operation to prevent instability and conflicts, and the Council of Europe is an important forum in this context,” said Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, addressing...
The state of human rights in Europe: forward and back?
All four Commissioners for Human Rights, Álvaro Gil-Robles, Thomas Hammarberg, Nils Muižnieks and the current Commissioner Dunja Mijatović will come together in Strasbourg on Tuesday 22 January to reflect on the evolution of human rights since the office was created, twenty years ago. They’ll...
Reelected, the President reiterates the statutory responsibility of all Council of Europe actors
For the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), speaking 70 years after the Council of Europe was set up, promoting peace and reconciliation, which has been crucial to the success of “the largest pan-European organisation”, remains central to her mission. This is what...
Violence against women in Sweden: from legal and policy innovation to blind spots in protection and support for victims
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) published its first evaluation report on Sweden today. The report analyses the implementation of the provisions of the Istanbul Convention covering psychological violence, stalking,...
Portugal and violence against women: significant progress but under-reporting and low rate of convictions
In its first report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (“Istanbul Convention”) by Portugal, the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) acknowledges the...
Seventy years of the Council of Europe – a website to explore our European story
Today the Council of Europe is launching its 70th anniversary website – a place to explore our history, understand our mission and learn how our work is as important now as it ever was. Initally in English, a French version will follow soon. Join us every month for a new video to see how the...
