Newsroom
SRSG on migration and refugees: visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Ambassador Tomáš Boček, will be visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina from 24 to 27 July 2018. He will have meetings with the government officials and representatives of relevant international organisations to discuss...
Azerbaijan: torture, impunity and corruption highlighted in new anti-torture committee publications
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today reports on six of its visits to Azerbaijan – in 2004, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 – together with the responses of the Azerbaijani Government. Thus, all...
The Commissioner requests decisive measures to safeguard Oyub Titiev’s rights
Today the Commissioner published a letter she sent to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Mr Yury Chaika, concerning the situation of Mr Oyub Titiev, the leading member of the Human Rights Centre Memorial who is being prosecuted in the Chechen Republic. In the letter, the...
The CEPEJ adopts a toolkit to strengthen the implementation of the CEPEJ guidelines on mediation
At its 30th plenary meeting, the CEPEJ completed the list of existing Council of Europe instruments in the field of mediation, in particular the Council of Europe Recommendations (Recommendation (98) 1 on family mediation; Recommendation (99) 19 concerning mediation in criminal matters ;...
Romania: Proposed reforms could undermine independence of judges and prosecutors according to Venice Commission
In a preliminary opinion published today and requested in May this year by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission commented on three legislative drafts amending existing judiciary legislation: Draft law amending Law 303/2004 on the statute of judges and...
GRECO acknowledges progress in Albania, but calls for further action
In a report published today, the Council of Europe´s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) acknowledges the progress made by Albania in implementing its recommendations to prevent corruption in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, but it also calls for a number of...
We must not forget Srebrenica
Today, Commissioner Mijatović, participated in the commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. In her speech she expressed her deepest condolences to the families of the victims, honoured the memory of the victims and called on all political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
Conference on cybercrime: evidence in cyberspace, WHOIS data, cyberviolence, global state of legislation
From 11 to 13 July, the Council of Europe will bring together ministers and other high-ranking government representatives, criminal justice experts, and representatives from the Internet industry, civil society and data protection organisations from all over the world to step up international...
Regional or minority languages are protected in Norway, but further efforts needed
Progress has been made while promoting regional and minority languages in Norway, such as the Sami languages, Kven/Finnish and Romani/Romanes, according to a report published today by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Almost all undertakings are fulfilled concerned the...
GRECO urges Ireland to ensure judiciary's independence on appointments and promotion of judges
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has urged the Irish authorities to step up their efforts to ensure judicial independence in respect of appointments and promotion of judges. In a report published today, GRECO notes that Ireland has only implemented fully three of...
Secretary General calls on Romania to wait for Venice Commission opinion on reform of Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe made the following statement today: “I call upon all parties concerned to wait for the Venice Commission’s Opinion, and to take it into account, before any further steps are taken to amend Romania’s Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code. This...
European states must put human rights at the centre of their migration policies
“European states’ current approach to the arrivals of refugees and migrants has transformed a manageable issue into an extremely divisive topic, in particular within EU member states. And it has caused immense suffering and hardship to thousands of people who sought our protection. It is time...
Council of Europe gives recommendations to member States on children’s rights in the digital environment
How to better respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment is at the core of the new Recommendation adopted today by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Building on international and European legal instruments, the text provides comprehensive...
The Council of Europe adopts a new counter-terrorism strategy for 2018-2022
In response to the acute terrorist threat in Europe, the Council of Europe today adopted a new strategy based on prevention, prosecution and protection, including assistance to victims. “We must improve the ability of our member states to prevent and combat terrorism, in full compliance with...
Safeguarding human rights in the era of artificial intelligence
“The use of artificial intelligence in our everyday lives is on the increase, and it now covers many fields of activity. Something as seemingly banal as avoiding a traffic jam through the use of a smart navigation system, or receiving targeted offers from a trusted retailer is the result of big...
Greece: immediate action needed to protect human rights of migrants
“The humanity and hospitality that Greece’s people and authorities demonstrated towards migrants in recent years is truly commendable. In spite of these efforts, however, the situation remains worrying and much more needs to be done to protect the human rights of those who have had to flee their...
Mexico joins the data protection convention
Mexico today acceded to the Council of Europe´s Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, known as “Convention 108”, and to its Additional Protocol on transborder data flows and supervisory authorities. Mexico, which has observer status in...
The future of the Council of Europe depends on respect for its underlying precept – “effective multilateralism”
“For the future of the Council of Europe to be secured, we must respect its underlying precept of ‘effective multilateralism’, in other words the process of seeking solutions together with due regard for international law”, said Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European...
The Council of Europe is not a "menu à la carte" where we choose what we want
“All Member States should realise that the Council of Europe is not a ‘menu à la carte’ where we only choose what we want. Therefore, we should not merely enjoy the benefits of the membership. On the contrary, it is necessary to honour and respect its obligations and to implement consistently the...
Luxembourg must improve its strategy to prevent risks of corruption in government and in the police sector
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) publishes today its fifth-round evaluation report on Luxembourg. The main focus of this round is preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies. GRECO...
