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Bosnia and Herzegovina must immediately close the Vučjak camp and take concrete measures to improve the treatment of migrants in the country
“The living conditions of hundreds of human beings in the improvised Vučjak camp are shameful. That camp should have never been opened in the first place. It is now urgent to relocate these people and provide them with decent accommodations. I was assured by the State Minister of Security that...
Speaking European - our languages, ourselves
From a baby's first words to the greatest literature, our ability to connect and express ourselves through language is an essential part of our humanity. Without words, how can we express our feelings, care for our families and loved ones, build prosperous and fair societies, or fight for our...
Statement of Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić following the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Westhoffen
"I strongly condemn the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Westhoffen, eastern France. We must take all measures to fight increasing anti-Semitism on our continent. This is imperative for the Council of Europe and its member states. Jewish life and heritage are part of our European identity...
Implementing European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is holding its quarterly meeting to oversee the execution of judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 3 to 5 December. Information on the cases to be examined in detail during the meeting is available here....
A call for Bulgaria to speak out for human rights
“The government should step up its efforts to fight the hate speech prevailing today in Bulgaria in particular against Roma, LGBTI people and other minority groups” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, today after a 5-day visit to the country. Hate speech and...
“Two clicks forward, and one click back”: children with disabilities reveal their experiences in the digital environment
Ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, the Council of Europe presents a new report focusing on children with disabilities in the digital environment. The report describes the experiences of children with intellectual, physical, hearing and visual impairments....
Quality journalism needs to be strengthened and protected
Journalism has to be firmly supported by states, professional associations, internet intermediaries and platforms, regulatory authorities and journalists alike to ensure trust between public and media, concluded an international conference organised by the Council of Europe in Ljubljana in...
Violence against women: Council of Europe reaction to developments in the Slovak Republic
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has today made the following statement: “Today’s decision by the Slovak Parliament rejecting the ratification of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention and calling on the government to block the EU’s accession...
Committee of Ministers: Georgia takes over Presidency from France
The Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from France to Georgia, at a meeting at the organisation’s Strasbourg headquarters. France’s Secretary of State in charge of European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin gave an overview of her country’s achievements. The...
Earthquake in Albania: Secretary General expresses condolences and solidarity
Statement from Secretary General Marija Pječinović Burić
Si nous voulons des communautés ouvertes, tolérantes et inclusives, l’éducation est tout simplement vitale
Intervenant à la réunion des ministres de l’Education le 26 novembre à Paris, la Secrétaire Générale, Marija Pejčinović Burić, a souligné l’importance de promouvoir l’éducation à la citoyenneté numérique et l’enseignement de l’histoire en Europe. Extraits de son discours à retenir : « Lorsque le...
Achieving Sustainable Development Goals through North-South cooperation
This year’s Lisbon Forum – organised by the Council of Europe’s Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, or North-South Centre – focuses on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals for a better and more sustainable future. By promoting dialogue between countries in the northern...
New public policies for the Internet – 2019 IGF in Berlin
What are the risks of discrimination created by the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)? What access to data across borders do law enforcement need in order to fight cybercrime? How can privacy be protected in digital platforms? How do we rise to the challenge of tackling illegal content online...
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Council of Europe leaders note success of Istanbul Convention, but warn of challenges ahead
Marija Pejčinović Burić: The Budapest Convention will remain the most relevant international standard on cybercrime
Speaking at the opening of the conference on cybercrime, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić stressed the importance of the Budapest Convention, the only legally-binding international treaty, which is used on a daily basis by criminal justice authorities in national and international...
Preventing torture in Europe: The CPT at thirty
In November 2019 the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - or CPT for short - celebrates 30 years of work. Stopping torture and inhuman and degrading treatment is an essential ingredient in human rights protection. When people are...
Conference on cybercrime: evidence in cyberspace, fake news and election interference
From 20 to 22 November, ministers, other senior government officials, legal experts in criminal matters, and representatives of the internet industry, civil society and data protection organisations from all over the world will be meeting at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg with a view to...
Shaping future visions of Europe: European citizenship education is key
The concept of European Citizenship is a dynamic and complex idea deeply connected with the ideals of democracy, participation and human rights in Europe. Formal and non-formal education play a key role in promoting it to young people, engaging them in discussions about European topics,...
Violence against women in France: need to better protect victims and their children
In its first report on implementation by France of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention”) the Group of Experts (GREVIO) welcomes the authorities’ commitment and efforts in this field. It also underlines...
Secretary General: urgent measures needed to fight anti-Semitism and online hate speech
In a live television interview on German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has highlighted the key role of the Council of Europe in countering a rising trend of anti-Semitism and online hate speech in Europe and further afield. Speaking after an official...
Artificial intelligence: is a legal framework feasible?
The Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI), an intergovernmental committee set up by Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to examine the feasibility of a legal framework for the development, design and application of artificial intelligence based on the organisation´s...
French launch for “Start to Talk” campaign against child sexual abuse in sports
Roxana Maracineanu, Minister of Sports of France, and Adrien Taquet, French Secretary of State on Child Protection, have announced today the launch of the Council of Europe’s campaign “Start to Talk” in France. “Start to Talk” is a Council of Europe campaign against the abuse of children in...
GRECO calls for an overall anticorruption strategy and effective implementation of laws in Spain
In an evaluation report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on Spain to develop a comprehensive anticorruption strategy, and to improve its legal framework to prevent corruption in top governmental functions and law enforcement agencies. This...
Do European states do enough to protect the rights of the child?
A two-day international conference on children’s rights has started in Strasbourg today in the framework of the French Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It looks at what European states are doing to promote children’s rights protection and what challenges remain....
Inauguration of the new secondary site of the EDQM: resilience and business continuity
The Council of Europe will open and inaugurate on 15 November the new secondary site of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) in Ars-Laquenexy, close to Metz in eastern France. It will enable the safe storage of contingency stocks of European Pharmacopoeia...
Secretary General in Georgia: high-level meetings, new Action Plan launch
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has concluded on 11 November 2019 her official two-day visit to Georgia ahead of the Chairmanship in the Council of Europe that Georgia will assume on the 27th of November 2019. The agenda of the Secretary General’s visit...
International conference on children’s rights
Challenging social norms, attitudes and behaviours that hinder effective protection of children’s rights: conference in Strasbourg next week
Statement of Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Statement of Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall “All Europeans have a reason to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. People won freedom and democracy through peaceful revolution - and by efforts in the east and...
“Follow The Money” Initiative in Nigeria wins Council of Europe’s Democracy Innovation Award
At today’s closing session of the 2019 World Forum for Democracy, the Council of Europe announced that the winner of its Democracy Innovation Award was the initiative “Follow The Money”, a network of grassroots citizens in Nigeria dedicated to tracking government and international aid spending....
New guidelines for recruitment and training of prison and probation staff
The Council of Europe issued today a new set of Guidelines aimed at assisting its 47 Member States in improving the recruitment, education, training and professional development of prison and probation staff. The guidelines have been developed as a way to share best practices taking into account...
World Forum for Democracy
“Is democracy in danger in the information age?”
Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2020: deadline for candidates extended to 30 November
The Council of Europe Raoul Wallenberg Prize has been awarded every two years since 2014 in recognition of extraordinary humanitarian achievements by a single individual, a group of individuals or an organisation. The prize, which was established by the Committee of Ministers in 2012, derives...
Secretary General calls on member states to recognise, protect and promote Romani language
On the occasion of the World Day of Romani Language, Ms Marija Pejčinović Burić, Council of Europe Secretary General, calls on the Organisation’s member states to recognise, protect, and promote the Romani language, which forms an integral part of our common European cultural heritage. Romani is...
CPT at 30: conference on safeguards during first hours of custody
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) is organising a conference in Strasbourg on 4 November to mark its 30th anniversary and to discuss the implementation of detention safeguards in the first hours of police custody, a time when the risk of ill-treatment is higher. The...
Aegean islands: Greece should urgently transfer asylum seekers and improve their living conditions
“The situation of migrants, including asylum seekers, in the Greek Aegean islands has dramatically worsened over the past 12 months. Urgent measures are needed to address the desperate conditions in which thousands of human beings are living,” said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for...
National minorities in Finland: rising intolerance needs tackling
Finland has a long tradition of support for minority languages and cultures, through a well-developed legal framework that is generous towards persons belonging to minorities and affords extensive linguistic rights. However, as in other European countries, levels of intolerance and nationalism...
Russian local elections: all candidates need equal access to electoral rights
In its report on the Russian Federation adopted today, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe noted with satisfaction the developments that have taken place since 2010: the principle of local self-government is now recognised both in the Constitution and in...
Turkey: Congress adopts report on the observation of local elections and the Istanbul repeat mayoral election
Meeting in session on 30 October 2019, the members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a report on the local elections in Turkey (31 March 2019) and the Istanbul repeat mayoral election (23 June 2019), following observation missions led by the...
Liliane Maury Pasquier: "The Council of Europe needs the continuing commitment of the Assembly and the Congress"
"The Council of Europe has already strongly demonstrated its ability to adapt to the changing world. But the organisation needs our continued commitment and the Assembly and the Congress, as well as our national parliaments and local and regional authorities, have a fundamental role to play. It...
Council of Europe Secretary General addresses Congress members
“We can take pride in having created a common legal area for 47 member states in which common legal standards are adopted, promoted and upheld,” said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, in an address to Congress members at their session in Strasbourg, France,...
Anders Knape: "The Congress must have resources corresponding to its responsibilities within the Council of Europe"
Speaking at the opening of the 37th Session in Strasbourg on 29 October 2019, Congress President Anders Knape recalled the role of the Council of Europe in guaranteeing in its 47 member States democracy, human rights and the rule of law. He stressed that the Congress, which plays a key role in...
Language policies should protect minority rights, promote diversity and lower tensions
Languages are immensely enriching. They enable us to communicate with more people, to be better understood and to better understand other perspectives. Unfortunately, however, in many countries of the Council of Europe, languages are still sometimes used as tools to pit people against each other....
Tunisia: Secretary General confirms Council of Europe commitment to reinforced political dialogue
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić met with Mr Mokhtar Hammami, Minister of Local Affairs and Environment of Tunisia today, underlining the increasing political dialogue between Tunisia and the Council of Europe. She welcomed cooperation on democratic reforms, notably...
37th Session of the Congress: Mayors safeguarding democracy
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will meet in Strasbourg, France, from 29 to 31 October 2019, for its 37th Session, under the theme “Mayors safeguarding democracy”. The Session’s debates will focus on smart cities and cybersecurity, the working conditions of...
12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance: conference on 28 October
An international conference on the Twelve Principles of Good Democratic Governance is taking place in Strasbourg on 28 October. The event has been organised by the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Good Governance, within the framework of the French presidency of the Council’s Committee...
Session of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations
The Conference of INGOs has chosen the theme of migration for its October session, taking place in Strasbourg from 28 to 31 October 2019. The theme will be dealt with at different times and in different ways during the week: The Human Rights Committee will hold a round table on hate speech on the...
Supreme Court of Slovenia wins Crystal Scales of Justice Prize
The Supreme Court of Slovenia has just been rewarded for an initiative entitled “Improving the quality of justice” (IQ Justice) [video – powerpoint presentation] The 2019 European Crystal Scales of Justice prize, organised by the Council of Europe and rewarding innovative judicial practices in...
“Act for Heritage!”: Conference in Cyprus on protecting Cultural Property
Cultural property, as an invaluable testimony of history and identity to be preserved in all circumstances, contributes to the creation of a more peaceful, just and cohesive society. However, with alarming frequency, cultural property is targeted in both peace and wartime, often leading to a...
European summit of Presidents of Parliament in Strasbourg
The Presidents of Parliament from the 47 Council of Europe member states and many partner, observer and neighbouring countries, along with the Presidents of other international assemblies, will be meeting in Strasbourg on 24 and 25 October 2019 for a European parliamentary summit. Some 60...
European states urged to strengthen and support families before resorting to out-of-home care
A declaration on ”Protecting children in out-of-home care from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” has been adopted in Nicosia, Cyprus on 18 October by the Lanzarote Committee, the Council of Europe body overseeing the implementation by states of the Convention on the Protection of Children...
