Newsroom
2024 election year: Secretary General urges governments to protect journalists to safeguard democracy
In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said: “As millions of citizens in Europe and other continents vote in crucial elections in 2024, we must recall the critical role that journalists and quality media play in...
“Our rights, our future”
“Our rights do not apply only at one moment in time, or to a specific situation. Instead, they are built to apply over the decades, and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves”, stated Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić in the introduction to the 2024 report on democracy, human rights,...
Anti-trafficking group GRETA issues 2023 report
The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its latest general report of activities, highlighting the key achievements in 2023. These include the publication of 11 new country evaluation reports (in respect of Azerbaijan, Estonia,...
Learning from Estonian experience on promoting the culture, tradition, and language of national minorities
On 24-25 April 2024, the Albanian Committee on National Minorities exchanged experiences with their Estonian counterparts in a study visit organised in Tallin with the support of the European Union and Council of Europe, in cooperation with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. The...
Education at Times of Emergencies and Crisis – next pilot to be launched soon
A peer exchange and a joint working group comprised of representatives of the Albanian authorities, Council of Europe experts and Secretariat took place in Vienna on 24-25 April 2024 to exchange views on the recently adopted Council of Europe Education Strategy, the implementation of priorities,...
Exchange of experiences between the high courts of Italy and Albania on harmonisation of judicial practices
On 22-24 April, a delegation of the Albanian High Court paid a study visit at the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation to exchange experiences on harmonization of judicial practices in line with international standards, in particular the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They explored the...
Manual for police education on equality & non-discrimination: a new resource for police trainers in the Western Balkans
The Manual for police education on equality & non-discrimination translated into local languages of the Western Balkans is finally out and available for download. Law enforcement plays a key role in combating racism and racial discrimination, and in promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule...
The fight against doping in Albania - new evaluation report
The evaluation report of the Monitoring Group on the 2023 visit focuses on Albania’s actions to strengthen the fight against doping, assesses the structure and functioning of the national anti-doping organisation, and evaluates the role of public authorities in the upholding of clean sport. The...
Supporting the role of local government on the treatment of property registration processes
A series of three outreach monitoring activities were held at the municipalities of Librazhd (28 March) , Berat (3 April), and Malësi e Madhe (9 April), to collect data on the involvement of local government institutions in handling remaining key issues in property registration. Representatives...
Michael O'Flaherty takes up office as Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
The Council of Europe's new Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, begins his six-year mandate today with a pledge to put human rights at the heart of member states’ agendas. "I intend to inject a human rights perspective into the greatest challenges facing our societies," said...