Council of Europe News
Georgia is at a crossroads on its path to European integration, say PACE monitors
“Georgia is at a crossroads on its path to European Integration,” said Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, in a statement issued at the end of a three-day visit to...
Georgian draft law on de-oligarchisation: Supporting the goal of limiting excessive influence of oligarchs, Venice Commission calls for systemic reforms
In its interim opinion on the draft law of Georgia on de-oligarchisation published today, the Council of Europe’s body of constitutional experts, the Venice Commission, called on the Georgian authorities to adopt systemic reforms rather than targeting specific individuals, in order to achieve...
PACE Georgia monitors deeply concerned by first reading adoption of Transparency of Foreign Influence law
The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Georgia by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), have expressed their deep concern at the adoption at first reading by the Georgian Parliament of the controversial law on...
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on the situation in Georgia
I am following with concern recent developments in our member State, Georgia, regarding the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” adopted in the first reading by Georgian Parliament on 7 March. It is essential that any such legislation be in line with the Council of Europe standards on...
Equal rights for women and girls: the role of men and boys
Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Tiny Kox and Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić have made the following statement: “Today, on International Women’s Day, we...
Regional Project on Lawyers Concludes with the final Technical Committee meeting in Strasbourg
The Joint European Union and the Council of Europe regional project on strengthening the profession of lawyer in line with European standards in the Eastern Partnership countries held its final event on 27 February 2023 both remotely and in person in Strasbourg, France. The event which gathered...
Commissioner urges the Georgian Parliament to reject the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence”
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia published today, Commissioner Mijatović expresses concerns that the adoption of the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” may have a serious chilling effect on the work of civil society organisations in Georgia. “Such a...
Secretary General and EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement launch two major co-operation programmes between the European Union and the Council of Europe
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi have today launched two major co-operation programmes between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”...
Human Rights Day: Council of Europe leaders call for collective action to end impunity for crimes committed against Ukraine
Ahead of Human Rights Day (10 December), the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, and the Committee of Ministers Chair, Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, have issued a joint statement calling for a collective response to...
First report on Georgia’s implementation of Istanbul Convention welcomes steps on legislation, calls for more services for victims and dissuasive sanctions for perpetrators
In its first report on Georgia the Council of Europe’s monitoring body GREVIO has welcomed the many steps taken by the Georgian authorities to align its laws, policies and institutional framework with the standards of the Istanbul Convention. However, further legal amendments are needed, more...
Conflict in Georgia: Secretary General’s Consolidated Report says human rights challenges persist in conflict-affected areas
Concerns persist regarding the human rights situation in the areas affected by the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia in August 2008, according to a report by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić presented to the Committee of Ministers. The bi-annual report (covering...
Collecting equality data, developing policies and guidance among peers: Equality bodies across South/East Europe equipped with new tools to address hate speech
The third and the final workshop on “Addressing hate speech through improving data collection” for equality bodies from Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership region took place on 18-19 October 2022, in Strasbourg. As the previous two events on this subject this year (June, July 2022), but...
Efficiency and quality of justice in Europe: Council of Europe publishes its 2022 report
Strasbourg, 05.10.2022 – In a report, country profiles and an interactive database (all publicly available), the Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) sets out the main trends of the judicial systems of 44 European countries and 3 observer States (*). This...
Call for Tenders for International Short-Term Consultancy
The Council of Europe is currently implementing a Project on “Strengthening the profession of lawyer in line with European standards” funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022. Within the framework of this project, the website...
Georgia should ensure effective implementation of the anti-discrimination legislation and improve protection of human rights in the fields of labour and the environment
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published today the report following her visit to Georgia in February 2022, with recommendations on combating discrimination against LGBTI people and those belonging to religious minorities, as well as protecting human rights...
Georgia: GRECO publishes new report evaluating progress in preventing corruption in respect of parliamentarians, judges, and prosecutors
In the new report published today, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe notes some progress towards the implementation of its long-standing recommendations regarding judges and prosecutors, while regretting the lack of any tangible progress concerning members of...
2022 HELP Network Conference
On 30 June - 1 July 2022 the Council of Europe HELP Programme (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) will hold its 2022 Annual Network Conference in Strasbourg, France, and online. Primarily aimed at Judiciary Schools and Bar Associations throughout the Council of Europe member States...
Council of Europe and UNHCR: anyone fleeing war or persecution has the right to seek safety and protection
On the occasion of World Refugee Day on 20 June 2022, the Council of Europe and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) emphasise that anyone fleeing war, conflict or persecution or risking violence, abuse or exploitation, has the right to seek safety and protection. Almost four months into the war in...
Council of Europe proposes a comprehensive legal and policy framework to combat hate speech
The Council of Europe has issued a set of guidelines to its 46 member states aimed at preventing and combating hate speech, both online and offline. In a Recommendation adopted during its annual session held in Turin, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers calls on governments to develop...
IDAHOT: LGBTI persons fleeing war face specific risks and need protection
European states should pay attention to the specific challenges faced by LGBTI asylum seekers fleeing war, declared Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, the current President of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and...
Secretary General - Europe must remain resilient in the face of aggression and war
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has marked Europe Day 2022 by calling on European states to renew their investment in human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the face of “terrible violence and seismic change.” Launching her annual report, Moving Forward 2022, the Secretary...
Statement by the Secretary General
Press Freedom Day: Media and journalists need better protection
In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, urged European governments to provide greater protection to media and journalists so they can perform their essential role in democracy. “In these critical times, when...
Georgia monitoring: PACE welcomes ‘continuous and marked progress’, lists remaining shortcomings
PACE has welcomed the “continuous and marked progress” made by Georgia in honouring its Council of Europe membership obligations and commitments since 2014, but added that a number of shortcomings and concerns remain. Approving a resolution today, based on a report by Titus Corlatean (Romania,...
Prison overcrowding: Anti-torture committee calls for limits on prison inmate numbers and promoting non-custodial measures
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) is calling on European states with persistent prison overcrowding to address this problem with determination by setting a maximum threshold to the number of prisoners in every penal institution - to be strictly respected - and...
Child self-generated sexual images and videos: new report provides guidance to governments
Addressing challenges raised by the significant increase and exploitation of child self-generated sexual images and videos is the focus of the new monitoring report presented by the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Committee in Rome. The report covers 43 European states Parties (*) to the Lanzarote...
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on International Roma Day
Roma in Ukraine and throughout Europe in 2022
“8 April is always a welcome opportunity to celebrate Roma people and the contribution that they make to our diverse, modern societies. However, it is also a moment to reflect on the hardship and pain that many Roma individuals and communities experience and to renew our commitment to addressing...
Children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations: a new Council of Europe priority for 2022-2027
With climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, securing and protecting children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations has been designated a new priority in the Council of Europe’s Strategy for the Rights of the Child for 2022-2027...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest annual report shows progress amid increasing challenges
The latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights has highlighted many positive developments whilst also underlining that the system faces a number of serious challenges. The report shows that...
PACE Monitoring Committee welcomes ‘continuous and marked progress’ in Georgia, lists remaining shortcomings
The Monitoring Committee of PACE has welcomed the “continuous and marked progress” made by Georgia in honouring its Council of Europe membership obligations and commitments since 2014, but added that a number of shortcomings and concerns remain. Approving a draft resolution today, based on a...
Russia ceases to be a Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022
Following its expulsion from the Council of Europe on 16 March 2022, the Russian Federation will cease to be a High Contracting Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022. This was confirmed today in a Resolution by the Committee of Ministers. In line with the...
Council of Europe calls on states to support quality journalism: new guidelines
The Council of Europe has adopted a Recommendation calling on its 46 member States to create a favourable environment for quality journalism to thrive and to play its essential role in democracy. The recommendation contains a set of legal, administrative and practical guidelines aimed at ensuring...
The Russian Federation is excluded from the Council of Europe
In an extraordinary meeting this morning, the Committee of Ministers decided, in the context of the procedure launched under Article 8 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, that the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership....
Congress President condemns so-called “elections” held in occupied Abkhazia
Reacting to recent so-called “parliamentary elections” held on 12 March 2022 in the Abkhazia region in Georgia, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, made the following statement: “By organising these “elections”, the so-called...
International Women’s Day : #BreakTheBias starts with men
Pay trends in some Council of Europe member states over a recent 12-year period reflect improvements in the gender pay gap. Eurostat for example reported a drop in the gender pay gap in the Czech Republic from just over 26% in 2008, to less than 16.5% in 2020. In Cyprus, the figure stood at 19.5%...
Council of Europe suspends Russia’s rights of representation
In line with the Statute of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers has today decided to suspend the Russian Federation from its rights of representation in the Committee of Ministers and in the Parliamentary Assembly with immediate effect as a result of the Russian Federation’s armed...
Situation in Ukraine: Decisions by Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers
In a decision adopted today, at the end of an extraordinary meeting which brought together the representatives of the 47 Council of Europe member states, the Committee of Ministers: condemned in the strongest terms the armed attack on Ukraine by the Russian Federation in violation of...
Commissioner for Human Rights’ statement on the situation in Ukraine
What had seemed unthinkable in Europe in the 21st century has just happened. Our continent is today once more being drawn into an armed conflict. The Russian military attack on Ukraine has already resulted in the loss of human life and dire human suffering. It exposes millions of people in...
Statement from Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on the military attack by the Russian Federation on Ukraine
"I strongly condemn the Russian military attack against Ukraine in flagrant violation of the Statute of Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights. This is a dark hour for Europe and everything it stands for. I call upon the authorities of Russia to immediately and...
Time limit for ECHR applications reduced to four months
From 1 February 2022, the time limit for lodging a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights is being cut from six months to four months after a final ruling at national level. This follows the entry into force of Protocol No. 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights on 1 August 2021...
States should effectively apply corporate liability to money laundering offences: Warsaw Convention report
The Conference of the Parties of the Council of Europe’s Warsaw Convention has called on its states parties to apply corporate liability to money laundering offences effectively. In a report released today, the Conference of the Parties of Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and...
PACE rapporteurs call upon all political forces to overcome extremely polarised political climate
Following their visit to the country from 8 to 10 December 2021, the PACE rapporteurs for the monitoring of Georgia, Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE), expressed their serious concern at the extremely polarised political climate in the country which is foreclosing any...
Human Rights Day 2021: Now more than ever, we must stand up for human rights
The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has made the following statement ahead of Human Rights Day on 10 December: “When faced with difficult challenges, it can be tempting for states to consider relaxing human rights protections. In fact, the opposite...
PACE co-rapporteurs to make monitoring visit to Georgia
Titus Corlăţean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of obligations and commitments by Georgia, will make a fact-finding visit to the country from 8 to 10 December 2021. Discussions will...
New Council of Europe recommendation tackles the “digital dimension” of violence against women and girls
This year’s UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) shines a spotlight on the digital dimension of violence against women and girls. From body shaming (mocking someone’s bodily shape, size, or appearance) and cyber-flashing (sending unsolicited sexual...
Georgian politicians should fully respect the independent mandate of the Public Defender
Public attacks by members of the Georgian Parliament against the Public Defender of Georgia, in connection with her and her Office’s work related to the imprisonment of the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and his hunger strike, are unacceptable. I commend the Public Defender and...
Cybercrime: Council of Europe strengthens its legal arsenal
As the Convention on Cybercrime (“Budapest Convention”) turns 20, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on enhanced co-operation and the disclosure of electronic evidence. “This text is a significant step forward in...
To prevent sexual abuse, children’s circle of trust must be made safer
Ahead of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse marked on 18 November, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has called on the states to step up their efforts to ensure that children’s “circle of trust” (those around them...
First Steering Committee Meeting on the Implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023
“The Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia is a valuable instrument to facilitate bringing national legislation, institutions and practice in full conformity with European standards in the areas of Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy.” stated Lasha Darsalia, First Deputy Minister for...
Vote on 2 October was a missed opportunity for local democracy in Georgia, says Head of Congress delegation
The Congress concluded its mission to observe the local elections held on 2 October in Georgia. David ERAY (Switzerland, EPP/CCE, R), Head of the delegation, underlined the extremely polarized political environment in the country as well as an increase in verbal aggression, hate speech and fake...
Congress to observe local elections in Georgia
At the invitation of the authorities of Georgia, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will deploy a mission to observe the local elections on 2 October in 64 municipalities. The mission will be headed by David Eray (Switzerland, EPP/CCE, R), and involves 18...