Newsroom
National minorities in Georgia
Despite important progress, marginalisation of national minorities remains, inter-faith tensions on the rise, says new Council of Europe report
Helping refugees in the Mediterranean: Greek association “Agkalia” awarded Raoul Wallenberg Prize
Today, a Greek association Agkalia from the island of Lesvos has received the Council of Europe’s Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2016 Prize for outstanding achievements in providing frontline assistance to thousands of refugees irrespective of their origin and religion. As Lesvos has become a European...
Network neutrality guidelines to protect freedom of expression and privacy
The Council of Europe today called on European states to safeguard the principle of network neutrality in the development of national legal frameworks in order to ensure the protection of the right to freedom of expression and to access to information, and the right to privacy. In a...
Response to terrorism must be resolute, says Secretary General in the wake of Istanbul attack
Following today’s bomb attack in Istanbul that claimed at least ten lives and left more people injured, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his solidarity with Turkey’s people and leadership conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of victims, many of...
Istanbul terrorist attack
Statement by Daniel Mitov, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria
Georgia should continue strengthening the independence and impartiality of judges
Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks addressed observations to the Prime Minister of Georgia following a visit to the country
How Europe can defeat terrorism
A “resolute and relentless” response to armed fanatics, “anchored by human rights first-principles,” can help democracies to defeat terrorism, according to Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland. He marked the one year anniversary of the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket...
Poland: Jagland offers expertise on media law
Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland has written to Polish President Duda expressing his concern regarding the legislative draft on public service broadcasting and its possible impact on the integrity and independence of public TV and radio. Jagland invites the Polish authorities to submit...
Counterfeiting of medical products: entry into force of the Medicrime Convention
The Council of Europe’s Medicrime Convention, which aims to combat the counterfeiting of medical products and protect public health, will enter into force on 1st January 2016. This Convention is the first legally binding international instrument making criminal offences of the counterfeiting,...
Helping refugees in the Mediterranean
Greek association “Agkalia” awarded Raul Wallenberg Prize on 13 January at Council of Europe Headquarters
Elections at the Venice Commission
During its December plenary session (18-19 December 2015), the Venice Commission held biennial elections of its governing structures: Presidency, Bureau and Chairs of Sub-Commissions and Councils. The incumbent President of the Commission Mr Gianni Buquicchio of Italy was re-elected to lead the...
Council of Europe and UNHCR urge Hungary to change tone over refugees
UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency, the Council of Europe and ODHIR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) have urged Hungary to refrain from policies and practices that promote intolerance, fear and fuel xenophobia against refugees and migrants.
Communist and Nazi propaganda in Ukraine
Ukraine law banning Communist and Nazi propaganda has a legitimate aim, but does not comply with European standards
Turkey: Freedom of expression working group agrees 2016 actions
Jagland looking forward to “real change”
Azerbaijan human rights inquiry
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has launched an official inquiry into Azerbaijan's implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights. "Judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have highlighted an arbitrary application of the law in...
Migration and Refugees: Secretary General appoints Special Representative
Council of Europe to examine reported human rights violations against migrants and refugees
Russia’s new law on the Constitutional Court. Jagland: “a solution should be possible.”
Constitutional Court will need to ensure respect for European Convention.
Holy See should step up money laundering prosecutions
The Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing body MONEYVAL today published the second progress report of the Holy See/Vatican City State. The report evaluates its compliance with the recommendations made by MONEYVAL in its Mutual Evaluation Report in July 2012 and...
LGBT sports coaches still taboo
“Sports teams should make all kinds of minorities visible, including LGBT people,” asserts former Finnish president Tarja Halonen. “I have been working for LGBT people in sports. It is still very much a taboo whether there can be gay or lesbian coaches, when we, the heterosexuals are expected to...
