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Cyprus: police abuse, prison overcrowding and poor conditions in psychiatric and social care establishments among critiques in anti-torture committee report
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) raises concerns over persistent allegations of police ill-treatment in Cyprus in a new report published today. During a visit last year to Cyprus, a CPT delegation logged...
Barbershop about how to involve more men in promoting gender equality and combatting sexism
Members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Ambassadors of the 47 member states to the Council of Europe and Judges of the European Court of Human Rights are meeting in Strasbourg on 26 April to discuss how to involve more men in promoting gender equality and combatting sexism. The conference is...
Anders Samuelsen: "The Court must be in a position to ensure the highest protection of fundamental rights"
Addressing the Assembly today, Anders Samuelsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers underlined the importance of the political declaration adopted on 13 April in Copenhagen by the 47 member States, on continued reform of the European system of human...
Secretary General to PACE: any attempt to divert attention from the corruption report is intolerable
Answering questions from members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said he was very sad that at a time when he and the Committee of Ministers were struggling to gain the release of a prisoner in Azerbaijan, in line with a judgment delivered by the European Court...
Nikola Dimitrov: "we are determined to make it"
Nikola Dimitrov, Foreign Minister of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, has told parliamentarians in Strasbourg of a “new positive momentum” in his country as it emerges from political crisis and seeks EU membership. “I can say with strong confidence that we have achieved a real...
'PACE is not a battlefield', says PACE President calling for conflict prevention and settlement through law
“Our Assembly is not a battlefield to confront national agendas. On the contrary, it is a place where bridges between peoples and governments are built and where parliamentarians from all over Europe defend the common good – the fundamental values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law as...
Allegations of corruption in PACE: Independent External Investigation Body publishes its report
The Independent External Investigation Body looking into allegations of corruption in PACE today presented its report to the Bureau of the Assembly. At the end of the meeting, the Bureau made the report public. Independent External Investigation Body report Background paper
Strengthening the system of protection of migrants and refugees in Bulgaria
In a report, published today, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees, Tomáš Boček, recognises the efforts made by Bulgaria to cope with the challenges of a high number of arrivals of migrants and refugees, but highlights concerns about difficulties they face...
Spring session: states of emergency, hybrid war, editorial integrity, corruption
At its spring session (Strasbourg, 23-27 April), the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) will look at states of emergency and derogations from the European Convention on Human Rights. It will also discuss fighting organised crime through the confiscation of illegal assets, the funding of the terrorist...
Democratic Culture - from Words to Action
“Democratic culture - from words to action' is the headline of the international conference taking place from Monday 23 to Tuesday 24 April in Copenhagen. The conference is organised as part of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and will be opened by...
Anti-torture committee: effective complaints mechanisms should be available to detainees across Europe
European states should ensure that persons deprived of their liberty have access to effective complaints mechanisms in prisons, police stations, immigration detention centres, psychiatric institutions and other places of detention. This is a fundamental safeguard against torture and inhuman or...
Secretary General Jagland on official visit to Croatia on 17 April
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, is on official visit to Croatia on 17 April, where he met Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Marija Pejčinović-Burić, and Deputy Speaker of the Croatian...
Copenhagen Declaration adopted
The Copenhagen Declaration on the reform of the European Convention on Human Rights system has been formally adopted by all 47 member states of the Council of Europe following a high-level conference in Copenhagen attended by more than 20 Ministers of Justice. Full declaration Statement by Danish...
Meeting of Ministers of Justice on the European human rights system: speech of Secretary General
The Danish Government made clear from the outset of its Chairmanship that strengthening our Convention system would be a priority. And I thank them for that. I was equally clear from the beginning of my first mandate that strengthening that system – and the European Court of Human Rights – would...
Iceland needs effective tools to preserve integrity in government and the police
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) called for Iceland to strengthen its systems to limit risks of corruption and improper conduct in government functions and law enforcement agencies. The Icelandic society has become over...
High-Level Conference on reform of Human Rights Convention system
The Danish Minister of Justice, Søren Pape Poulsen, will from 11 to 13 April 2018, as part of the Danish Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, be hosting a High-Level Conference titled: “Continued Reform of the European Human Rights Convention System – Better Balance, Improved Protection”. The...
Deputy Secretary General on official visit to Morocco
The Deputy Secretary General, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, will pay an official visit to Rabat on 11-12 April. She will have an exchange of views with the state authorities on the progress of cooperation with Morocco and the prospects for partnership for the period 2018-2021. The Kingdom of...
Romania: Group of States against Corruption deeply concerned about certain justice and criminal law reforms
In a report on Romania published today, the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) expresses serious concern about certain aspects of the laws on the status of judges and prosecutors, on the judicial organisation and on the Superior Council of Magistracy recently...
Anti-Torture Committee calls for a co-ordinated European approach to address mass migratory arrivals in Italy
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published today a report on an ad hoc visit conducted in Italy to examine the situation of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty in the so-called “hotspots” and immigration detention...
No Hate Speech Movement: first broad international initiative that helped recognise hate speech as human right abuse
Hate speech continues to poison public debate, and the urgency to counter it has not diminished over the past years. The youth campaign No Hate Speech Movement (NHSM) conducted by the Council of Europe in 2012-2017 as the first broad international initiative in this field has contributed to...
