News
6th European Day on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
On the occasion of the 6th European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (18 November 2020), the following joint statement was made by: The Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, outgoing Chair of the Council of Europe’s...
Ministers of justice confirm their commitment to Independence of justice and the rule of law
As the Council of Europe celebrates the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Ministers of Justice of the 47 member States of the Organisation, meeting by videoconference under the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, reaffirmed their commitment to...
Council of Europe leaders condemn terrorist attack in Nice
We are deeply shocked and saddened by the barbaric and cowardly terrorist act in Nice on Thursday. We condemn in the most vigorous way this heinous attack and we express our deepest condolences and our sympathy to the families of the victims. We also express our full and unconditional support and...
Statement by the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Mr. Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, on the terrorist attack in Nice and the murder of Samuel Paty
Expressing his full condemnation of today’s terrorist attack in Nice and the murder of Samuel Paty, the Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Mr. Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, made the following statement: “I would like to...
Conference of Ministers of Education: response to pandemic crisis
The Conference of Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe, organised in the framework of the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, has endorsed a Political Declaration on the education response to COVID-19. The Declaration is accompanied by a Roadmap for Action on the Council...
Responding to COVID-19 crisis: Ministers of Education conference
The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging our education systems and institutions, which need to innovate the ways in which we learn, teach and assess qualifications. The risk of increased exclusion and inequality in access to education is another effect of the sanitary crisis. In order to respond to...
Council of Europe leaders make joint statement on Belarus
The Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, the President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Rik Daems, and the Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić,...
Secretary General delivers keynote speech to Athens Democracy Forum
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić is in Athens today for a series of bilateral meetings with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Alternate Foreign Affairs Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Greek Justice Minister Costas Tsiaras and...
Greek Chairmanship: Online “Discussions” for civil society
As part of its Chairmanship, Greece is offering a series of online discussions, which aims to bring the Council of Europe closer to civil society. The meetings involve prestigious personalities from Greece and abroad, and are in line with the central theme of the Greek Chairmanship: “Protection...
Inauguration of the Greek Chairmanship at the Temple of Olympian Zeus
The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou will give a speech at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, to mark the inauguration of the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe. The event, starting at 20.15 local time on Wednesday 8 July, will also be attended by Greek...
Greek Chairmanship: Strasbourg inaugurates a tramway train in the colours of the Hellenic flag
Since 15 May, Greece has taken over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers from Georgia. The Council of Europe and the City of Strasbourg marked the handover on 18 June by inaugurating, at the “Human Rights” station, a tram train in the colours of the blue and white flag, and by raising...
Justice in Lockdown: new methods based on human rights could be model for future
The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to transform traditional court functioning for the better, as long as high-quality justice and respect for individual rights are at the forefront of changes, says the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) Launching new guidelines the...
CEPEJ meeting on impact and lessons of health crisis on efficiency of justice and functioning of judicial systems
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) is holding an ad hoc meeting on 10 June by video conference to examine a range of issues related to the delivery of justice and the functioning of courts during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The event is being organised within the...
Beyond COVID-19, human rights can help save the planet
Council of Europe statement ahead of World Environment Day
Human rights and the environment: towards a new non-binding instrument
Declaration by the outgoing and incoming presidencies of the Committee of Ministers In a declaration adopted today the outgoing (Georgia) and incoming (Greece and Germany) presidencies of the Committee of Ministers called for the elaboration of a non-binding instrument on human rights and the...
Greece takes over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers
Greece today took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Georgia during a video-conference meeting with representatives of the 47 member states of the Organisation. The Georgian Foreign Minister, David Zalkaliani, presented the stocktaking of his...