Newsroom
Fight against extremism
Council of Europe action against radicalisation leading to terrorism
Social rights: 252 violations in 41 countries
European Committee of Social Rights publishes 2014 Conclusions
Anti-torture committee: annual report
Anti-torture committee warns states against intimidation and reprisals towards individuals who denounce ill-treatment
Parliamentary Assembly winter session
An urgent debate following the Paris terrorist attacks, and debates on the protection of media freedom in Europe and on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, are among highlights of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) taking place in Strasbourg from...
National minorities in Denmark
Rights of German minority well protected, but discrimination against Roma and Muslims still a reality in Denmark, say the Council of Europe experts
Ukraine needs help and support of Europe
“Ukraine needs Europe and Europe needs to support Ukraine,” said President of the Parliamentary Assembly speaking at the end of her visit to Kyiv
Immigration and asylum in Spain
Spain: Legislation and practice on immigration and asylum must adhere to human rights standards
Secretary General meets Latvian Prime Minister
Secretary General Jagland and Latvian Prime Minister Straujuma discuss security situation and EU co-operation
Anti-torture Committee publishes report on Turkey
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Turkey
Committee of Ministers on recent attacks in Paris
Committee of Ministers adopts declaration condemning Paris terrorist attacks
March for tolerance in Berlin
Parliamentary Assembly President marches for tolerance: “We are united in defending democratic values”
Report on torture in Ukraine
Severe ill-treatment, torture of prisoners and of Maidan protesters among key findings of 2014 visits to Ukraine by anti-torture committee
Terrorist attack against 'Charlie Hebdo' magazine
Statement by Didier Reynders, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Belgium, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe "I am deeply shocked by the horrendous attack committed this morning in Paris against “Charlie Hebdo” magazine. On behalf of the Committee of...
'Charlie Hebdo' massacre, attack on democratic society
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland participated in Unity Rally in Paris
Secretary General in Ankara
Secretary General Jagland holds talks with Turkish leadership, opposition and NGOs
Secretary General on decree of pardon by President Aliyev
Statement of Secretary General Jagland regarding the decree of pardon signed on 29 December by President Aliyev
Freedom of expression in Azerbaijan
Raid and closure of Radio Free Europe in Azerbaijan raises concerns over freedom of expression
EU accession to Human Rights Convention
Let's overcome hurdles to ensure EU accedes to the Human Rights Convention, says President of the Parliamentary Assembly
Eastern Partnership
Council of Europe and European Commission boost cooperation in Eastern Europe
Human rights report on Hungary
Progress needed on media freedom, anti-discrimination measures and migrants’ rights, says Commissioner for Human Rights
Concern at arrest of journalists in Turkey
Commissioner for Human Rights makes statement following yesterday's arrests of journalists and media workers
Ukrainian authorities agree to improve Lustration law
Just published, an “interim opinion” by the Council of Europe’s constitutional law experts, the Venice Commission, on Ukraine’s law on government cleansing (Lustration Law), welcomes the readiness of Ukrainian authorities to amend the law, so as to be more in line with the Ukrainian Constitution...
L’intégration des Roms n’est pas mission impossible
Journée internationale des droits de l'homme
Fight against death penalty
Committee of Ministers declaration on executions in the US
CIA's “extraordinary” renditions
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland welcomes transparency of US Senate CIA report
Safeguarding childrens' rights
European conference on the best interests of the child
Democratisation process in Ukraine
Didier Reynders reaffirms the support of the Council of Europe to the Ukrainian government reforms
2015 Museum Prize
Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations in Marseille wins 2015 Council of Europe Museum Prize
Conflict in eastern Ukraine
Commissioner for Human Rights: devastating effects of conflict in eastern Ukraine
Concern at detention of Azerbaijani journalist
“Khadija Ismayilova is one the long-standing partners of the Council of Europe. I met her in my office in Strasbourg during the Assembly’s last part session and I was shocked by the information she provided to me regarding pressure and intimidation exercised against her, as well as other human...
Supervision of execution of Court's judgments
Committee of Ministers: decisions on the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments
OSCE ministerial conference
Secretary General addresses OSCE ministers in Basel
Protecting journalists under threat
New online ‘rapid reaction’ platform for journalists under threat
ICRC president visits Council of Europe
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, visited the Council of Europe on Tuesday 2 December. Following a meeting at the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Maurer met with Secretary General Jagland. Mr Jagland welcomed the visit as a “valuable exchange...
Secretary General meets Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met today Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The exchange of views focused on the crisis in Ukraine, on the Secretary General’s proposal for a future Council of Europe summit and on the reform of the Organisation. Thorbjørn Jagland...
Elections in Moldova
Elections were well administered, in a campaign influenced by geopolitical aspirations, say international observers
Thorbjørn Jagland in Moscow
Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland in Moscow for talks with Foreign Minister Lavrov and meetings with civil society representatives
Ukraine protests 2013
First anniversary of Maidan 2013 events
Pope Francis in Strasbourg
Pope Francis visits and addresses the Council of Europe
Ending violence against women
Statement by Belgian Foreign Minister and Committee of Ministers Chairman Didier Reynders and Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
Presidential elections in Tunisia
Successful first round of presidential elections marks new phase in Tunisia's democratic transition
Violence against women
Secretary General Jagland: Europe must do more to investigate cases of violence against women
More countries join Council of Europe’s drugs policy group
Deputy Secretary General highlighted the Pompidou Group’s expansion both in and outside of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Brussels
Parliamentarians held exchange of views with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders
Study: abuse of prescription drugs
High use of prescription drugs by women in 17 countries surveyed
Children have rights
25 years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Willy-Brandt-Rede 2014
Thorbjørn Jagland, Generalsekretär des Europarates, hält am Dienstag, 18. November in Lübeck die Willy-Brandt-Rede 2014. Unter dem Titel „Von Willy Brandts Ostpolitik zum Prinzip der Demokratischen Sicherheit” wird der ehemalige Ministerpräsident und Außenminister Norwegens auf den...
Fight against terrorism
Council of Europe to strengthen criminal-law instruments to combat new terrorist threats
Belgian Chairmanship
The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today passed from Azerbaijan to Belgium, at a meeting at the Organisation's Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of its 47 member States. Before handing over the chairmanship to his successor, the outgoing...
Executions in Belarus
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the execution of Mr Aleysander Grunow in Belarus
EU-Council of Europe cooperation
Joint Statement by European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans and Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
Thorbjørn Jagland in Brussels
The Secretary General was in Brussels for meetings with high-level representatives of the European Union and the Belgian authorities. Topics for discussion with the First Vice President of the EU Commission, Frans Timmermans, include the state of human rights and democracy in Europe, the EU’s...
Social rights decisions in the Netherlands
Access to emergency social assistance for homeless people and irregular migrants in the Netherlands is not in line with the country’s commitments under the European Social Charter, according to two decisions published today by the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR). In relation to a...
Latest reports
1 August 2024 GRECO report on Iceland 4 JULY 2024 GRECO report on Serbia 24 june 2024 GRECO report on Croatia
World Forum for Democracy
French Minister for European Affairs spoke at the closing session of the World Forum for Democracy
Democracy Innovation Award
World Forum for Democracy Award goes to Turkish initiative “Generation Democracy”
Executions in Belarus
Secretary General deeply concerned by reports of third execution in Belarus this year
Secretary General Jagland opens WFD with Jeremy Rifkin
Key-note speaker Jeremy Rifkin calls for “digital bill of rights and responsibilities”
PACE President on so-called elections in East Ukraine
"I deplore the decision of the self-appointed authorities of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics to hold ‘parliamentary elections’ and ‘presidential elections’ on 2 November 2014. They are in violation of the Minsk Protocol signed on 5 September and will hinder the implementation...
How to eradicate impunity for attacks against journalists?
Representatives of regional human rights courts and inter-governmental organisations in Europe, the Americas and Africa, media freedom organisations, and human rights experts will discuss at a seminar in Strasbourg on 3 November how to enforce international standards and mechanisms for the...
In Crimea serious human rights violations and attacks on minorities and journalists require urgent action
“All cases of serious human rights violations that have occurred in Crimea[1] since February 2014, including the recent cases of abductions, must be effectively investigated and those responsible held accountable. Urgent steps must also be taken to ensure minority rights and security, as well as...
Parliamentary Assembly observers say Tunisian parliamentary elections exemplary
I would like to congratulate the Tunisian people on the outstanding quality of the electoral process, marking a crucial stage in the post-revolution transition,” said Andreas Gross, head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) which observed the...
Tunisia’s first post-revolution elections praised by Secretary General Jagland
Following this Sunday’s vote in Tunisia for the country’s first post-revolution parliament, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland issued a statement to “congratulate the people of Tunisia and the Tunisian authorities for the orderly manner in which the first elections of the...
Secretary General Jagland welcomes Ukrainian poll
Secretary General Jagland has welcomed the parliamentary election in Ukraine “Today's election was a clear expression of the Ukrainian people’s desire for peace, democracy and unity of the country. I welcome the steadfast commitment of President Poroshenko and Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to...
Azerbaijan: Stop reprisals against human rights defenders
“The targeting of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan must stop” says Commissioner for Human Rights. “The targeting of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan must stop” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, at the end of a two-day visit to the country. “The...
Council of Europe conference in Lisbon explores how to prevent outbreaks of urban violence
The Council of Europe and the Ministry of Justice of Portugal are organising an international conference in Lisbon on 23-24 October aimed at exploring how to increase co-operation between law enforcement and the telecommunication and Internet sectors to prevent outbreaks of urban violence in...
First meeting of Joint Working Group on Human Rights Issues in Azerbaijan
Following an agreement between Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and Azerbaijan's President Aliyev last August, a Joint Working Group on Human Rights Issues composed of some 18 human rights defenders, Members of Parliament and officials of the Presidential Administration met for the first time...
Secretary General
Secretary General and Irish Foreign Minister Charles Flanagan discuss human rights in Europe
Thorbjørn Jagland and Ireland’s Foreign Minister, Charles Flanagan, met in Strasbourg today to discuss the state of human rights in Europe, the situation in Ukraine, Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe and the Secretary General’s priorities for the next five years. Mr Flanagan also...
Secretary General
Law on IDPs adopted in Ukraine welcome development, good basis for addressing their needs, says Secretary General
The Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland made a statement on today’s adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the Law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of internally displaced persons in Ukraine: “This is a welcome development,” Jagland said. “The law is a good basis for...
European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ)
Council of Europe awards 2014 Crystal Scales of Justice Prize to the General Council of Spanish Bars
The Council of Europe today awarded the 2014 European Crystal Scales of Justice Prize to the General Council of Spanish Bars for an initiative concerning online legal aid. The award ceremony was held in Aveiro (Portugal) on the occasion of the European Day of Justice with the participation the...
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT)
The anti-torture Committee reports “no improvement” since 2011 on deficient prison conditions in Greece
In a strongly worded report – based on visits made in April 2013 – the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) said that “the situation has not improved, notably in respect of the conditions of detention of irregular...
Secretary General
Secretary General Jagland calls on Russia to allow Memorial to continue
In a statement today, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, responded to reports of the possible liquidation of the prominent Russian NGO “Memorial”: “In recent days there have been reports that the Ministry of Justice of Russia has filed a lawsuit with the Supreme...
Secretary General
Secretary General Jagland welcomes adoption of reforms in Ukraine; regrets law on IDPs was not adopted
Following today’s vote in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, made this statement: "I welcome today’s adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the package of laws related to the reform of prosecution, the fight against corruption and the creation...
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Jean-Claude Frécon (France, SOC) elected President of the Congress
The members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, meeting at the 27th Session in Strasbourg (France), today elected Jean-Claude Frécon (France, SOC) by acclamation as President for a two-year term of office. Jean-Claude Frécon is a French Senator and a...
Commissioner for Human Rights
Migrants’ and children’s rights need better protection in the Netherlands
"The Netherlands has a solid human rights protection system, but in practice there are shortcomings, in particular as concerns migrants and children, that need to be addressed" said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing the report on his visit to...
