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Deputy Secretary General opens European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights in Kristiansand
The 2nd European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights in Kristiansand has marked Europe Day 2021 in Norway, despite the ongoing Covid pandemic. The international event, with a focus on freedom of expression, was jointly organised by the Council of Europe, the University of Agder, Kilden...
10 years of the Istanbul Convention: Bringing hope, promoting respect and inspiring change to end violence against women
The Committee of the Parties of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, have issued a declaration to mark 10 years since it was opened for signature on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul. The Committee...
Anti-torture committee warns against impact of austerity measures on prison conditions
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has issued a set of minimum requirements for conditions of detention in European prisons, concerned by the negative effects of pre-existing austerity measures in certain states, which could be exacerbated by possible deeper...
Protecting vulnerable groups in crisis situations: more effective structures and procedures needed
The Committee of Ministers has adopted Guidelines for the 47 member states to help them in upholding equality and protecting against discrimination and hate during the Covid-19 pandemic and similar crises in the future. The Committee stresses the importance of establishing effective structures...
Europe Day 5 May 2021: 72nd Anniversary of Council of Europe
Joint statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and Committee of Ministers Chair Heiko Maas
Migration and asylum: Council of Europe to increase protection of vulnerable persons
The Committee of Ministers have adopted an Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025). “Migrants and asylum seekers face particular challenges, in the Covid-19 pandemic, notably access to healthcare and vaccinations. We are increasing...
Council of Europe anti-torture committee publishes report on Finland
The Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CPT) has commended Finland of the tangible progress achieved in several areas, but regretted that a number of its long-standing recommendations remain unaddressed. In its report the CPT welcomed the...
Vaccine passes: protecting human rights and personal data
Statements by the Bioethics Committee and the Data Protection Convention Committee
Georgia: Venice Commission opinions on Election Code and election of Supreme Court judges
Proposed amendments to the Election Code of Georgia include some positive changes but raise some new concerns which add to long-standing fundamental issues that remain unaddressed, said the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR in their joint urgent opinion on draft amendments to the Election Code...
Journalism and Covid-19: Press freedom is essential in times of crisis
Joint statement by Council of Europe Secretary General and German Federal Justice Minister
The Secretary General presents her vision for improving the implementation of social rights in Europe
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, made public today her proposals (SG/Inf(2021)13) for improving the implementation of social rights in Europe by reinforcing the European Social Charter system. Improving the implementation of social rights in Europe and...
Human rights and the environment: New online course for legal professionals
The Council of Europe’s HELP programme (Human rights Education for Legal Professionals) has launched a new online course on the environment and human rights. The six-hour course, which is available free of charge via the HELP online platform, has been developed by experts on the European...
Bulgaria should improve access to justice and compensation for victims of trafficking
In a new report on Bulgaria published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking group GRETA calls on the authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to justice and compensation, and to ensure the sustainability of anti-trafficking measures through the allocation of appropriate...
Committee of Ministers: European states must step up efforts to protect children’s privacy in digital environment
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, European states should enhance safeguarding measures in processing personal data of children, notably health-related data and data collected in education settings, to minimise potential adverse effects, including the public identification of a child as a...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office visits Council of Europe
Ann Linde, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, visited the Council of Europe on 28 April 2021. She met with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, to discuss co-operation between the two organisations. During the meeting, she deposited...
Secretary General: European governments should show stronger political will to protect press freedom
In a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić urged European governments to show stronger political will to protect journalists and independent journalism in order to put a stop to the deterioration of media freedom in...
Covid-19: what measures to combat fake vaccines?
Amid the rise in counterfeiting and other illegal activities related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Council of Europe is issuing new recommendations to governments based on its Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (MEDICRIME...
A 10th Academy Award for Eurimages!
During the 93rd Academy Awards Ceremony which took place last night, the Academy Award for International Feature Film went to ANOTHER ROUND by Thomas Vinterberg, a co-production between Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands supported by Eurimages, the Fund's 10th Academy Award in this category. Two...
La Secrétaire Générale rencontre Éric Dupond-Moretti, ministre français de la Justice
Le 23 avril, la Secrétaire Générale Marija Pejčinović Burić a rencontré Éric Dupond-Moretti, Garde des Sceaux, ministre de la Justice de la République Française, au siège du Conseil de l’Europe à Strasbourg. La Secrétaire Générale et le ministre ont eu un échange sur la coopération entre le...
High-level webinar: impact of Covid-19 policies on human rights in Europe
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has delivered a keynote speech on Covid-19 policies and their impact on human rights at a webinar organised on 27 April 2021 by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). Other speakers at the online event included: Salla...
PACE calls on Turkish authorities ‘to put an end to laws and practices that contravene democratic standards’
The Assembly today strongly reiterated its call on the Turkish authorities “to put an end to laws and practices that contravene democratic standards, to revise its legislation and constitutional framework in order to ensure the separation of powers, to restore freedom of speech and media freedom,...
PACE invites Committee of Ministers to use all tools at its disposal to free Alexei Navalny
PACE has invited the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to “use all the tools at its disposal”, including under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to ensure full and prompt execution of the Strasbourg Court’s ruling in the case of Navalnyye v. Russia, and in particular...
Armenia: electoral legislation amendments welcomed but further improvements needed
The Council of Europe’s body of constitutional legal experts, the Venice Commission, and the OSCE/ODIHR have published an urgent joint opinion on amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislation of Armenia. Having examined the conformity of the procedure of their development, as well as...
Secretary General reiterates deep regret over Navalny’s imprisonment
Letter to the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation
Covid-19 and social rights: statement by European Committee of Social Rights
The European Committee of Social Rights statement is aimed at highlighting those rights of the European Social Charter that are particularly affected by the Covid-19 crisis, such as employment and labour rights, the right to social security, social and medical assistance, the right to be...
Belarus is urged to carry out comprehensive reform of its electoral system
PACE has urged Belarus to comprehensively reform its electoral system to bring it into line with international standards for democratic elections. Approving a resolution and recommendation based on a report by Lord Blencathra (United Kingdom, EC), the Assembly said that the current failed...
Implementing ECHR judgments: New factsheet on freedom of expression cases
The Council of Europe’s Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has published a new thematic factsheet focusing on cases related to freedom of expression. The factsheet summarises measures reported by 27 member states to safeguard and protect free...
David Sassoli: 'The EU must be more efficient, more flexible, more resilient and more democratic'
"We need a more efficient, more flexible, more resilient and more democratic European Union," European Parliament President David Sassoli told PACE today. Referring to the global health crisis, Mr Sassoli stressed that the only way to overcome it was "through solidarity, within Europe and with...
Secretary General: "Council of Europe fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine"
Addressing parliamentarians at the Spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić was asked about the danger of imminent armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in the context of the build-up of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. She...
‘A rules-based and reliable international order is the basis for peaceful relations between states’ says German Chancellor Angela Merkel
“Europe is the continent with the highest human rights standards. However, a look at Europe’s external borders and in the East of Europe shows us that, even today, peace and security, stability and welfare cannot be taken for granted,” said Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany, in a...
Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Alhathloul awarded 8th Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
The eighth Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights – has been awarded to Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Alhathloul. The 60,000-euro prize was presented at a special ceremony on the opening day of the spring plenary session...
Maia Sandu: ‘Where there is political will, there is genuine reform’
“Where there is popular will, there is change. Where there is political will, there is genuine reform,” today said Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, addressing the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg. Referring to the recent Presidential election, she said that “people voted for...
New Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova launched in Strasbourg
The Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021-2024 has been officially launched in Strasbourg in presence of Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova and Marija Pejčinović Burić, Council of Europe Secretary General. The Action Plan aims to improve national...
GRECO urges states to prevent corruption risks when tackling the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact
Governments should rigorously manage the corruption risks that have emerged due to the need to take extraordinary measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the infusion of large amounts of money into the economy to alleviate its economic and social impact, said the Council of Europe’s...
Informal exchange of views with representatives of civil society organisations on their role in electoral processes during the Covid 19 crisis
At an informal meeting on 13 April 2021, delegations from the Council of Europe’s 47 member States held an informal exchange of views with civil society representatives operating in the area of electoral assistance. The aim was to find out more about civil society’s work on the ground during the...
Vaccine passports: Council of Europe issues guidance to governments to safeguard human rights
In a document aimed at governments across Europe, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić highlights the relevant human rights standards for addressing the issue of “vaccine passports”. The Information Document was sent to all 47 Council of Europe member on 31 March. The document underlines the...
Angela Merkel to address PACE spring session
On the occasion of the German Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth will participate in the spring session of PACE (19-22 April 2021) which will take place in a hybrid format. The President of the European...
GREVIO report reveals trends in stopping violence against women
Trends and best practices in efforts to stop violence against women are outlined in a new report based on 17 countries in Europe, covering its work from June 2019 to December 2020. It has been published by GREVIO, the Council of Europe’s independent expert group responsible for monitoring...
Combatting racism and hate speech at sports events
Sports events are too often marred by incidents of racism, homophobia, sexism and other manifestations of hate speech. On some occasions the incidents also degenerate into physical violence, involving many supporters and occasionally result in the interruption of the event. The risk of such...
Covid-19 is worsening human trafficking – states should take action, warn Council of Europe experts
The Covid-19 pandemic is having a worrying impact on human trafficking across Europe and states should do more to prevent it, according to the latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). “The effects of the pandemic...
Europe’s imprisonment rate continues to fall: Council of Europe’s annual penal statistics
The overall European imprisonment rate - the number of persons in prison per 100,000 inhabitants - fell again slightly in 2020, consolidating a trend that started in 2013, according to the Council of Europe’s Annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations for 2020 (see also the Key findings). On...
Reform of mental health services: an urgent need and a human rights imperative
“Already in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was warning that substantial investment in mental health services was necessary to avert a mental health crisis. The evidence for the devastating impact of the pandemic on mental health is now...
International Roma Day: Remembering history to ensure a brighter future
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General
Links between terrorism and transnational organised crime: Committee of Ministers adopts guidelines
The Committee of Ministers has adopted guidelines which provide member States with practical advice to help relevant national authorities to better prevent and fight terrorism, and to enhance their understanding of the links between organised crime groups and terrorist organisations who are...
Legal aid in civil and administrative law: new guidelines
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a set of guidelines for the 47 member States to help them improve the functioning of national systems of legal aid in the fields of civil and administrative law. The Committee of Ministers stresses the importance of establishing an...
Committee of Ministers adopts Recommendation to strengthen national human rights institutions
The Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation to its member States on the development and strengthening of effective, pluralist and independent national human rights institutions (NHRIs). Such institutions are among the pillars of respect for human rights, the rule of law and democracy....
Implementing ECHR judgments: Progress in 2020 despite COVID, but further efforts needed
States across Europe are continuing to make progress on implementing judgments from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), despite the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. However, further efforts are needed to tackle...
What measures should be taken against the trade in goods used for torture or execution?
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has adopted a Recommendation inviting member States to take measures against the trade in goods used for the death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Committee is deeply concerned by the fact that...
Commissioner: High time for Hungary to restore journalistic and media freedoms
“The combined effects of a politically controlled media regulatory authority and distortionary state intervention in the media market have eroded media pluralism and freedom of expression in Hungary”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in a new Memorandum....
Human Rights Commissioner: Portugal should act more resolutely to tackle racism
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, has called on the Portuguese authorities to address more resolutely the increasing level of racism in the country, as well as to take additional steps to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. The...