Newsroom
We must grasp the global nature of the refugee crisis
Statement by Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia
PACE must continue to foster pan-European dialogue in response to challenges to face, says the President
"I firmly believe that our common interests in protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, both at national and international level, are stronger than the issues that divide us," the PACE President said at the opening of the June session. "We must keep open the communication channels...
Terrorism: #NoHateNoFear, a PACE initiative
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) today launched a #NoHateNoFear initative to counter terrorism. At a special ceremony, parliamentarians stood up to say NO to hate and fear. They committed to follow up on this initiative in their national parliaments. "We have to prevent the...
World Refugee Day: “Share our cities – Share the future”
The Intercultural Cities (ICCs) are working hard on ensuring inclusive integration and equal rights and opportunities for the people that chose Europe as host continent, after being uprooted because of conflicts and instability in their own countries. Today, the 99 cities which are member of the...
Say “No” to hate speech against refugees: 20 June is European Action Day
Ahead of the Action Day against Hate Speech Targeting Refugees marked on the 20th of June, the Council of Europe called for a speedy and systematic reaction by public figures to the instances of hate speech against refugees and asylum seekers, and stressed the positive role the youth can play in...
World Refugee Day: Council of Europe head calls for renewed effort to protect migrant children from sexual abuse
Ahead of World Refugee Day, Secretary General called on Europe’s governments to make protection of migrant and asylum-seeking minors against sexual abuse a top priority. “Child protection is a moral duty and legal obligation for all European states. Last year, an estimated 300,000 migrant and...
International data protection conference: Mauritius joins “Convention 108”
The Republic of Mauritius today became the second non-European state – after Uruguay in 2013 – to ratify the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, also known as “Convention 108”, and its Additional Protocol, taking the total number of...
CEB to hold its annual Joint Meeting in Strasbourg
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is holding its annual Joint Meeting today. The meeting is taking place in Strasbourg, at the invitation of the French government. As in previous years, the event is bringring together the members of the Bank’s Governing Board and Administrative...
European Convention on Human Rights remains crucial: annual legal HELP conference
The European Convention on Human Rights is crucial to maintaining stability and liberty on the continent, and the Council of Europe’s task is to help its States implement it, to “sow the Convention into the national legal fabric”, said Council of Europe’s Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland...
European states must do more to stop websites advertising child sexual abuse
European governments will spare no effort in assuring that competent Internet authorities and bodies prevent registration of, identify and remove any web addresses which self-evidently, sometimes even in their names, advertise child abuse material. This is a key conclusion of a meeting of the...
Anti-corruption: Germany praised for progress in bribery legislation but more transparency in party financing needed
In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) praises Germany for adopting legislation that should pave the way for its ratification of the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption and its Additional Protocol. According to GRECO, Germany has...
Erosion of rule of law threatens human rights protection in Poland
“Recent far-reaching changes to Poland’s legal and institutional framework threaten human rights and undermine the rule of law, on which the protection of human rights ultimately depends. Lawmakers and the Government should urgently change course”, said today Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe...
Conference addresses community involvement in prison and probation work
The 21st Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services – which is being held in Zaandam (Netherlands) on 14 and 15 June – is addressing community involvement in prison and probation work, including the role of families of offenders and the need to counter the negative...
Committee of Ministers reviews the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
On 7 and 8 June, representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe held their 1259th “Human Rights” meeting at which they examined the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in keeping with the supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers, under Article...
Euro 2016 football violence: Council of Europe calls for better police cooperation
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has called on European governments to improve police cooperation after the violent clashes between football hooligans in Marseille last Saturday. “What happened in Marseille is absolutely unacceptable. Europe can and must do more...
Attack on the LGBTI community in Orlando
Statement by the Chair of the Committee of Ministers
Parliamentary Assembly Summer Session
Addresses by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas are among the highlights of the session taking place in Strasbourg on 20-24 June
New ECHR/HELP training videos – one on asylum and the second on terrorism
The European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s HELP programme (Human rights Education for Legal Professionals) have released two new training videos in the pilot series COURTalks-disCOURs. The 25-minute videos, based on educational talks from lawyers at the Court, are geared to...
Iceland: ratify the Disabilities Convention and strengthen the human rights protection system
“Iceland should ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and align its legislation and practice with international standards and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Abolishing full deprivation of legal capacity and plenary guardianship of persons...
Secretary General expresses his condolences to the United States
"Europeans across the Continent are shocked and saddened by the cruel attack in Orlando in which so many innocent people were killed. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims, and with all who are suffering after this horrific homophobic and transphobic hate crime. The...
Police in Poland, foreign NGOs in Russia
Venice Commission adopts new opinions
20 June is the World Refugee Day: we need your words!
On 20 June countries around the world organise events to raise awareness about the millions of refugees and internally displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution. The Intercultural Cities (ICCs) are working hard on ensuring inclusive...
Internet: Web addresses promoting sex crimes against children must be stopped
Governments and internet bodies must prevent web addresses being registered which openly refer to child sexual abuse, according to the Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland. Speaking at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG 2016) in Brussels,...
Secretary General Jagland at the OSCE: When politics stall, the human rights convention moves us forward
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, highlighted the value of the European Convention on Human Rights and called on the 57 OSCE participating States to “put these shared standards and common laws at the heart of our...
Council of Europe at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance
The European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG 2016) is bringing together representatives of national authorities, industry, civil society and academia to discuss Internet policies, including the challenges in upholding human rights online, in Brussels on 9 and 10 June. On 9 June the...
Anti-racism commission issues new reports on Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published today several country reports. In Azerbaijan, against the background of the general attitude of openness towards many historical minorities, some positive legal developments and the authorities’ efforts in integrating...
Secretary General welcomes the adoption of Norwegian law on legal gender recognition
Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland made the following statement following the adoption of a new law on legal gender recognition in Norway: “Yesterday the Norwegian Parliament adopted a new law on legal gender recognition based on self-determination. Norway becomes the fourth Council of Europe...
Committee of Ministers examines implementation of human rights judgments
The representatives of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe will examine the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights between 7 and 9 June 2016. This supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers is provided for under Article 46 of the European Convention on...
Statement of Secretary General Jagland on the terrorist attack in Istanbul today
"Again a deadly attack in Istanbul has killed and injured so many innocent people in the nation's largest city. I am devastated by the news and cannot but repeat that these ruthless attacks are attacks on our values - on us all. I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the families, the...
Torture survivors have the right to redress and rehabilitation
Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks publishes his latest Human rights Comment
Secretary General meets Georgian President
On 6 June 2016, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland met in Strasbourg Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia. The meeting focused on the situation in the country in the run-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2016; amendments to the Georgian law...
Conclusions of an expert dialogue between the Polish Government and the Council of Europe
Within the framework of an expert dialogue with the Polish authorities the Council of Europe entrusted Ms Eve Salomon, legal expert on media related law and regulation, and Mr Jean-François Furnémont, Partner at Wagner-Hatfield consultancy and former Chair of EPRA (European platform of regulatory...
Security and safety in stadiums: Council of Europe launches a new convention
In the run-up to the EURO 2016 football tournament, the Council of Europe is kicking off a new international convention aimed at ensuring that football matches and other sports events take place in a secure, safe environment where everyone feels welcome. The convention, which the governments are...
Action against corruption: France could do better
In a report on corruption prevention in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors published today, the GRECO, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, concludes that France has only implemented two of the eleven recommendations made in 2013. In its conclusions, GRECO lists a number...
Jagland: Ukraine’s Constitutional amendments a major step towards European standards
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland today welcomed the adoption by Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada of the amendments to the Constitution regarding the Judiciary: “I welcome the adoption today by the Verkhovna Rada of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine related to the...
Deputy Secretary General opens Sports’ Conference in Vienna
Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni opened today the EPAS (Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport) annual conference in Vienna, together with Austrian Minister of Defence and Sport Hans Peter Doskozil. The event focused on how sport can be used as a tool to...
Council of Europe calls on Liechtenstein to ratify the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption
Group of States against Corruption also calls on the country to make political funding transparent
GRECO publishes its annual report
The Chair of the Council of Europe´s anti-corruption body GRECO, Marin Mrčela, has stressed the need for mobilising policy-makers to address the shortcomings identified in the prevention of corruption prevention in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. In its annual report,...
Secretary General concerned about Internet censorship
Rules for blocking and removal of illegal content must be transparent and proportionate
Nationalism “surge” has negative impact on minorities in Croatia
Although progress also noted in new Council of Europe report
European countries have to prioritise migrant integration
“In the wake of the arrival of over one million people seeking protection in recent months, European countries share the common, pressing need to get integration right” said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a report on migrant integration. “After...
Pedro Agramunt: "Greece needs our full support"
“The Greek authorities must cope with a disproportionate share of Europe’s responsibility to care for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers,” said Pedro Agramunt, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today, leading a delegation visiting both Athens and Lesvos on...
Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees visits Turkey
The Secretary General’s Special Representative on migration and refugees, Ambassador Tomáš Boček, is conducting a fact-finding mission to Turkey from 30 May to 4 June 2016 to assess the situation of refugees and migrants and identify areas where the Council of Europe could be of concrete...
Statement by the Secretary General on reforms in Ukraine
Secretary General Jagland reiterates that the Council of Europe is on the side of Ukraine and its people, as the country take steps to put in place a fully independent, efficient and professional judicial system. ”As we reach the midterm of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine, I take...
Growing anti-immigrant sentiment and Islamophobia among key 2015 trends
The ongoing migration crisis and the terror attacks were the key factors that influenced public debate and policies in Europe in 2015, said the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its annual report published today. With Europe is witnessing an unprecedentedly high number...
Secretary General meets Greek PM Tsipras
As part of his official visit to Greece, Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland met with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The Secretary General also met the President of Greece, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the Minister of Justice, Nikos Paraskevopoulos and the the Speaker of the Parliament, Nikos Voutsis. ...
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the death penalty in Belarus
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe deeply deplores the third death sentence passed by a Belarusian court in 2016, this time against Siarhei Vostrykau, on 19 May. It recalls that capital punishment contravenes the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and...
Unaccompanied minor refugees: local participation and inclusion
Unaccompanied minor refugees’ local participation and inclusion are the focus of a meeting at the European Youth Centre held by the Council of Europe’s Youth Department and an international network Voices of Young Refugees in Europe (VYRE) on 23-27 May 2016. Some 40 participants, including...
Pedro Agramunt warmly welcomes release of PACE member Nadiia Savchenko
“The release of my fellow PACE member Nadiia Savchenko is excellent news,” said Pedro Agramunt, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). “I commend both Russia and Ukraine for making this possible, and I look forward to welcoming her in Strasbourg soon – perhaps...
Secretary General on the release of Nadia Savchenko
Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland said on release of Nadia Savchenko this was “a good development, also from a humanitarian perspective, but also of course because Nadia Savchenko is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe”. He hoped that it would “lead to...
Council of Europe experts urge Jersey to increase money laundering convictions
Jersey has a mature and sophisticated regime for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism, as well as an internationally-recognised mechanism to ensure transparency of beneficial ownership information. However, the number of money laundering convictions and confiscations is...
World Humanitarian Summit: Council of Europe commitment
Attending the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland made this commitment today on behalf of the Council of Europe: Leaving No One Behind – A Commitment to Address Forced Displacement Core Commitment 4: Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on...
Deputy Secretary General on official visit to Armenia
In the context of the launch of the Council of Europe and Armenia Action Plan for 2015-2018 in Yerevan, the Deputy Secretary General met with Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan on 20 May to discuss cooperation on constitutional and electoral reform, reforming the judiciary, fighting ill...
No Hate is in the air: young people talk youth-friendly politics
More than 7,000 young people are getting together in Strasbourg on 20-21 May 2016 to exchange ideas on fighting political apathy among young people; to discuss and test innovative ways of engaging young people in decision-making around issues that affect them; and to learn from each other’s...
Committee of Ministers meets in Sofia
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe’s 47 member States met in Sofia on 18 May. The session was chaired by Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers. Rossen Plevneliev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, addressed...
Bulgaria hands over Committee of Ministers’ chairmanship to Estonia
The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers passed from Bulgaria to Estonia, at the end of a session held on 18 May in Sofia and attended by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states. The outgoing Chair, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov, presented the...
International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia
Harassment of LGBTI children must have no place in schools, says Secretary General
Research on biological materials of human origin: new recommendations to member States
A new set of recommendations to the Council of Europe member states on the removal, storage and use of biological materials for research purposes was adopted by the Committee of Ministers yesterday. It takes into account new developments in the field of biobanking, such as the increasingly...
New handbook on “intercultural mediation” for Roma communities just published
The Council of Europe has just published a new handbook on a human rights based approach to promote “intercultural mediation” in Roma communities. The 127-page ROMED1 Trainers’ handbook is based on five years of work from the Council of Europe and European Commission joint initiative “ROMED1...
The death penalty in Belarus: Declaration by the Committee of Ministers
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, like the Secretary General, deeply deplores the execution of Syarhey Iwanow in Belarus on 7 May 2016. It recalls that capital punishment contravenes the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the European...
Andorra: sustain progress on children and women’s rights and bolster human rights structures
“Andorra has a very advanced system of inclusive education, whereby all children, including those with disabilities and from migrant families, learn together with other children and are supported as necessary. However, further efforts are required to enhance the overall protection of children’s...
Migrants and refugees: report on Greece and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
Action needed to improve living conditions for and to protect unaccompanied children
Rights of LGBTI people: preventing emergence of parallel societies
Without smart policies to foster equality and promote mutual understanding and respect in Europe, parallel societies emerge: people living alongside one another, rather than living together. Supporting its member States to build truly inclusive societies is the goal of the Council of Europe, said...
Irregularly present migrants
“Firewalls” needed to prevent denying human rights through sharing personal data
CPT visits prisons affected by strikes in Belgium
A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has just completed a visit from 7 to 9 May 2016 to penitentiary establishments in Belgium where a large number of staff were absent due to industrial action and...
Chair of the Committee of Ministers and Deputy Secretary General on official visit to Georgia
Chair of the Committee of Ministers Daniel Mitov and Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni paid an official visit to Georgia in order to hold high-level meetings and to launch the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia for 2016-2019. In Tbilisi, Daniel Mitov and Gabriella...
Secretary General speaks out against death penalty in Belarus
Council of Europe Secretary General regrets another execution in Belarus, calls for moratorium on death penalty
World Press Freedom Day, 3 May
Council of Europe Secretary General calls on European states to ensure that defamation legislation does not silence the media
Secretary General Jagland on official visit to Denmark
Meetings with H.M. Queen Margrethe II, Prime Minister Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Jensen, Minister of Justice Pind
Azerbaijan court decision on Ilgar Mammadov “deeply disturbing”: Jagland
Azerbaijan should honour its commitments under the ECHR
Croatia: High time to create a tolerant and inclusive society
Declaration by Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muižnieks at the end of his five-day visit to the country
Thorbjørn Jagland: Europe’s human rights and security at risk through populist nationalism
Human rights, democracy and security are threatened across the continent, according to the latest annual report from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland. “Europe is currently struggling with many serious challenges, including terrorism, migration and conflict. This...
Biomedicine: co-operation, education and training are essential to ensure better protection of human rights
At an international conference organised by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, ethical, legal and health professionals, together with representatives of relevant authorities, agreed on the need for more experience-sharing, co-operation and public dialogue...
Ban of Mejlis risks targeting Crimean Tatar community as a whole
Secretary General Jagland made the following statement: "I am very concerned by the decision taken today by the Court of Simferopol to declare the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People an “extremist organisation” and to ban it. In a report recently prepared by a Human Rights delegation that I sent...
Crimea: Commissioner urges a reversal of the ban on the Mejlis
"I am very concerned about today’s court decision in Crimea to ban the Mejlis by declaring it to be an extremist organisation. As the highest representative body of the Crimean Tatars, the Mejlis is indissociable from their aspirations to reestablish themselves in the peninsula after decades of...
