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Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
“The Council of Europe strives to protect and promote human rights of all, including people with disabilities of which there are an estimated 80 million in Europe,” Mr Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland pointed out...
Council of Europe discussed European academic cooperation with Russian universities
The Council of Europe discussed yesterday and today in Moscow with leading Russian universities the prospects for enhanced academic cooperation on the Council of Europe's conventions. As a first step, a new training course on human rights and biomedicine (bioethics) was presented at the Faculty...
“Ethics and Human Rights must guide any use of genome editing technologies in human beings”
Statement by the Council of Europe Committee on Bioethics
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, on death penalty in Belarus
“I deeply regret the reported executions of Mr Syamyon Berazhny and Mr Ihar Hershankow in Belarus, which were carried out despite the strong call made by the Committee of Ministers in October 2018 to the authorities of Belarus to establish a formal moratorium on executions as a first step towards...
Corruption among judges: the CCJE adopts an opinion
Corruption among judges is one of the main threats to society and the functioning of a democratic state. It undermines judicial integrity, which is fundamental to the rule of law and a fundamental value of the Council of Europe. Judicial integrity is the first prerequisite for the efficiency and...
Portugal assumes four-year presidency of the Pompidou Group
New programme includes focus on growing threat of online addiction
European Prevention prize: Winning projects from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey
Three projects from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey were awarded the Pompidou Group’s 2018 European Prevention Prize. Prize winners in 2018 – Civil Life Association in Turkey, Workshop of Life in Greece and Take Me in Your Village in Bulgaria – were selected out of 18 candidate projects. Special...
Statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, on the situation in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait
Mr Timo Soini, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, today made the following statement: “I am deeply concerned about the current situation in the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait following the grave incidents that took place yesterday....
Statement by the Secretary General on the situation around the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait
Free passage of the Kerch Strait is guaranteed by the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine about the cooperation on the usage of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait. It was signed in 2003 and came into force in 2004. According to this Agreement, the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait are...
30 new cases highlight the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights
Thirty new case studies have been added to the Council of Europe’s interactive website showing how the European Convention on Human Rights has changed people’s lives across the continent. The website now includes 131 examples of how judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, and their...
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Declaration by the Finnish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
Azerbaijan: How to prevent and detect trafficking for labour exploitation
Azerbaijan: progress made in countering human trafficking, but more must be done to prevent and detect trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation
Fulfil the promise of a comprehensive response to violence against women
“All women and girls have the right to live free from violence. Unfortunately, this is not the reality. One in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence – 22% at the hands of their partner. More than half of all women have been sexually harassed with 20% of young women reporting...
Upholding the child’s right to a family after parents’ separation
Shared parenting after separation/divorce, children’s rights and the role of the states in safeguarding best interests of the child is the key theme of the 4th International Conference for Shared Parenting held under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 22-23 November...
From meth addicted online gambling to AI cocaine simulation: Pompidou Group set to tackle new drug challenges
Participants at a ministerial conference of the Council of Europe’s drug policy platform the Pompidou Group are expected to express grave concerns over new types of drugs and worrying trends in drug abuse linked to online gambling. Open entirely to the press, the 17th Ministerial Conference of...
Ending misconceptions about the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Ending violence against women is not about ending traditions or ending sexual differences
Ukraine: the fight against human trafficking must go on
GRETA publishes second report on Ukraine
Democracy Innovation Award 2018: and the winner is...
Today, at the closing session of the World Forum for Democracy, the Council of Europe announced that the winner of its Democracy Innovation Award was the initiative Self-Representation of Women in Kenyan Courts. Three initiatives out of the 30 or so presented at the Forum were shortlisted for the...
Committee of Ministers: Croatia hands over presidency to Finland
The Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from Croatia to Finland, at a meeting at the Organisation’s Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of its 47 member States. The outgoing Chair, Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and...
Marlène Schiappa: gender equality, a priority for the French Chairmanship of the Council of Europe in 2019
The French Minister of State for gender equality has announced that practical measures will be taken during the French Chairmanship to promote the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (better known as the “Istanbul Convention”)....