Council of Europe

September

Committee of Ministers: decisions on execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments
[28/09/2012] The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe published the decisions and resolutions adopted at its third special human rights meeting for 2012. More information on the execution process and on the state of execution in cases pending for supervision as well as important reference texts (including the new working methods) can be found on the website of the Committee of Ministers, on the website of the Department for the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, and in the Committee of Ministers' Annual Reports on its execution supervision.

Closing Conference of the project entitled ''Dissemination of Model Prison Practices and Promotion of the Prison Reform in Turkey''
[26/09/2012] The Conference took place on 27 September in Ankara, to mark the conclusion of the Joint Programme between the European Union and Council of Europe in the field of prison reform. This project contributed to the dissemination of model practices to 90 prisons throughout Turkey. 
 More information about the project and the Conference

Colloquium on the right to work for refugees
[27/09/2012] A joint colloquium on the right to work for refugees, organised by UNHCR and the Council of Europe, was held in Strasbourg on 27 September 2012. The aim of this conference was to increase the awareness of the importance of the right to work for refugees in the process of integration and to assist States in defining guidelines on the proper implementation of the right to work for these persons of concern. It targeted a wide audience including State and local authorities’ representatives, officials from international and European organisations, parliamentarians, NGO members, social workers, trade unions, employers as well as refugees.
Programme

Official launch of the EU/CoE Joint Programme "Improving the Efficiency of the Turkish Criminal Justice System", Ankara, 26 September 2012
[26/09/2012] The Joint Programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe on ‘Improving the Efficiency of the Turkish Criminal Justice System’; which aims at improving the Turkish criminal justice system in line with European standards, is to be officially launched with the participation of guest speakers including the Minister of Justice, H.E. Mr. Sadullah ERGIN; Head of EU Delegation/Ambassador H.E. Mr. Jean Maurice RIPERT; Deputy President of HCJP, Mr Ahmet HAMSİCİ; Project Long Term Consultant, Mr Marcel LEMONDE; Council of Europe Director a.i. Office of the DG Programmes, Ms Verena TAYLOR; Council of Europe Head of the Human Rights Policy and Development Department, Mr. Jörg POLAKIEWICZ and Programme Authorizing Officer and Director of the CFCU Mr Muhsin ALTUN.
Speech by Jörg Polakiewicz, Head of the Human Rights Policy and Development Department

Regional Conference on the prevention and combat of violence against women, in Rabat, Morocco, 24-25 September 2012
[25/09/2012] The Conference was organised by the Council of Europe and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and with financial support from the Government of Norway. The objective of the Conference was three-fold : to share knowledge of the problem, particularly as regards identification, observation and analysis tools; to exchange good governance and monitoring practices between the countries on both shores in respect of the protection of women from all forms of discrimination and violence, as well as preventing action and social mobilisation; 
to introduce and develop shared tools for monitoring and taking action, and to strengthen the Mediterranean partnership in respect of the combating of violence against women.
Conference webpage

31st Conference of Ministers of Justice, Secretary General’s visit and report on the evaluation of European judicial systems, Vienna, 19-21 September 2012
[21/09/2012] The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, participateded in an informal discussion on corruption in Vienna, on the eve of the Conference of Ministers of Justice. A press conference was scheduled at 7 pm with Beatrix Karl, Federal Minister of Justice of Austria and Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. The Ministers of Justice of the 47 Council of Europe member states meet on 20 and 21 September to discuss how justice can handle urban violence, in particular in the case of  organised groups which are using Internet-based tools and instant messaging. They will propose, in a resolution, rapid, tailored, effective responses by the judicial system to juvenile perpetrators and victims of offences. On the sidelines of the Ministerial Conference, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice of the Council of Europe (CEPEJ) presented its 2012 report on the evaluation of European judicial systems.
Final Resolution adopted
Note to editors
Conference website

Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) publishes report on Armenia
[21/09/2012] GRETA has published today its first evaluation report on Armenia. In the report, GRETA welcomes the important steps taken by the Armenian authorities to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings, in particular the efforts to raise public awareness on THB and train relevant professionals. However, GRETA considers that more targeted awareness-raising measures should be developed for groups vulnerable to THB, in particular children. The report underlines that the current procedure for identification of victims of trafficking is not sufficiently effective as it is likely to leave out those who did not co-operate with the law enforcement authorities. GRETA urges the Armenian authorities to disconnect the identification of victims of trafficking from their participation in criminal proceedings. GRETA also considers that all actors involved in the identification of victims should adopt a more proactive approach and increase their outreach work, in particular as regards identification of cases of trafficking for labour exploitation. [More...]
See also other news from GRETA
First evaluation report on Montenegro
First Council of Europe assessment of human trafficking in the UK

Two new complaints have been lodged with the European Committee of Social Rights
[18/09/2012] European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) v.The Netherlands, Complaint No. 86/2012, concerns the situation of the homeless. (more information)
- International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) v. Italy, Complaint No. 87/2012, concerns the conscientious objection of medical practitioners in relation to the termination of pregnancy. (more information)
Collective complaints website

Regional Workshop “Business and Human Rights" in Berlin
[05/09/2012] A workshop on business and human rights, organised by the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions, will be held in Berlin, Germany, from 5 to 7 September 2012. Mr. Riccardo Priore, Administrator in the Department of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security will participate in this conference and will give a presentation on the collective complaints procedure.
Programme