In his reaction to the recent events in Kosovo, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said: "I deplore the violent events in the north of Kosovo and casualties they provoked. 
There is no place for violence in the European project which can only be based on respect for human rights and the rule of law. I urge all parties to call for moderation and restraint, and to resume peaceful dialogue".

My feelings of sympathy go out to the victims of the tragic events which have shaken my home country of Norway. The attacks were aimed at the heart of our democratic institutions and our open and peaceful nation. It appears the attack on the Utoya youth camp was intended to hurt young citizens who actively engage in our democratic and political society. But we must not be intimidated. We need to work for freedom and democracy every day. The Oslo bombing has reminded Europeans of the acute threat of terrorism which can strike out at innocent citizens anywhere. The Council of Europe will do all it can to combat terrorism together with its international partners.

The arrest of Goran Hadžic, the last remaining fugitive indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, following the arrest and extradition of Ratko Mladic last May, is a highly symbolic moment for the history of Serbia and for the whole region. It is an important step in the fight against impunity and essential for reconciliation in the region. The Council of Europe believes that all war crimes committed during this painful period of recent European history should be fully investigated and prosecuted.

Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met today with the Italian Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Vincenzo Scotti, at the Farnesina in Rome. The meeting focused on the reform of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Mr. Jagland also exchanged views with Luigi Vitali, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Delegation of Italy to PACE.

At a press briefing Secretary General presented the Eminent Persons' report "Living Together – Combining diversity and freedom in 21st-century Europe”, with the participation of Emma Bonino.

Reacting to recent allegations of telephone-hacking by journalists in the UK, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland issued the following statement: "Telephone-hacking is a crime. In times of cut-throat competition in the media sector, journalists and editors must act responsibly, strengthen their self-regulation, and respect citizens' right to privacy. He added that governments need to act resolutely to fight and to prevent violations of this fundamental right, whilst actively protecting and promoting freedom of speech.

"As the guardian of the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence, I am particularly concerned by recent allegations of serious violations. The Council of Europe will work closely with governments to update and strengthen the European Convention on Data Protection," Thorbjørn Jagland said. (more...)

Thorbjørn Jagland, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko and Catherine Ashton met in Strasbourg earlier this week to discuss a number of issues of common interest. Topics included recent developments in the southern Mediterranean, the situation in the western Balkans and in Belarus.

Kostyantyn Gryshchenko is Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Catherine Ashton is the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and First Vice-President of the European Commission.

Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland said today in an interview with Ria Novosti that he welcomed the decision in the State Duma to postpone the examination of the draft constitutional law which would allow the Russian Constitutional court to decide whether the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights should be executed.

“This draft constitutional law would affect the protection of the human rights of Russian citizens, and is a question which must be discussed thoroughly. The Council of Europe is ready to offer advice in this debate, if requested by the State Duma” said the Secretary General.

In an interview to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the Secretary General today reacted to the news about a draft constitutional law proposed by the Senator Torshin to the Russian Parliament. The law, if adopted, would allow the Russian Constitutional courts to decide whether the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights should be executed.

The Secretary General said that he was very concerned about this development, and was in contact with the Russian authorities. “I take this very seriously”, he continued, “but I trust that there will be a thorough debate before any decision is taken as there could be serious consequences both for the Russian Federation and the Council of Europe. I have full confidence that this will be handled in a responsible way by the Russian State Duma. I do not feel that it is necessary to comment further at this stage”.

“High ethical standards of those in power are essential to protecting human rights and developing prosperous democracies,” Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland told the opening session of the Council of Europe Summer University. His message was echoed by Rafaa Ben Achour, Delegate Minister to the Prime Minister of the new interim government of Tunisia. Achour said that ethics, and their place in the new democracy, are central to a number of key questions now facing his country. Tunisia is now faced with a crisis of conscience about what constitutes democracy following a revolution with a strong ethical basis. (more...)
Speech by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland
Special file

Today the Council of Europe and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn. The Memorandum of Understanding defines shared objectives and values, in particular the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and creates a framework for strengthening and further developing the existing cooperation between the two organizations. In the media field, these objectives translate into action to promote media freedom and pluralism in order to preserve media’s vital role in democracy. (more...)
Speech

Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland today met with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague at the Foreign Office in London. Mr Hague and Mr Jagland agreed on the need for reform of the Council of Europe, and in particular reform of the European Court of Human Rights, which will be a priority of the UK chairmanship beginning in November. Both emphasised the importance of EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. (more ...)
Speech by Thorbjørn Jagland

Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, met today with the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, to discuss co-operation between the Council of Europe and Tajikistan. They agreed on continued dialogue in the framework of the Council of Europe policy on relations with countries in Europe’s neighbourhood. The dialogue, including at parliamentary level, will deal with a number of human rights issues - notably the protection of national minorities, but also the building of democratic institutions in Tajikistan and countering threats such as trafficking in human beings, terrorism and cybercrime. (more ...)

''We must use the second decade of the 21st century to make equality between men and women a reality'', said Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland. ''Equality in professional and political life is essential to equality and respect in the private sphere''. Highlighting three key areas of concern, the Secretary General stressed the need for equal pay for work of equal value; for increased political participation of women; and for ending once and for all violence against women. (more ...)
File

Thorbjørn Jagland met on 8 March in Strasbourg with Italian Minister of Justice Angelino Alfano. The meeting focused on the Reform of the Council of Europe and on the European Union accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. In relation to recent developments in the southern Mediterranean, the Secretary General highlighted that the Council of Europe's Venice Commission and North-South Centre could provide assistance. (more ...)

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland and the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, met today in Brussels with EU Vice-President and High Representative Catherine Ashton.

The meeting focused on recent developments in the Southern Mediterranean, including Tunisia and Morocco. Minister Davutoglu and the Secretary General, who recently conducted a joint visit to Tunisia, underlined the need for increased coordination of the efforts made by the international community. ''I very much welcome the new initiative taken by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, to take the lead in ensuring effective coordination of the international community’s response to recent developments in the Southern Mediterranean'', said Secretary General Jagland. Photo: Catherine Ashton, Ahmet Davutoglu and Thorbjørn Jagland (more ...)

''Europe has one common identity, the one enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights, which remains a fundamental cornerstone of Europe, forming our democracy, developing our societies'', said Thorbjørn Jagland on 1st March in Brussels at the conference ''Shared social responsibility'', in which he participated alongside José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. (more ...)

Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is looking forward to strengthened cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria following his talks with senior government officials in both countries.

During his visit to Romania on 21 and 22 February, the Secretary General urged the Romanian authorities to find a speedy solution to the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on restitution and compensation of property nationalised during the communist regime. The Secretary General discussed reforms to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, enhancing democratic standards and the challenges of multiculturalism. .(more...)

''I am deeply disappointed and concerned by the decision taken on Friday by the Supreme Court of Belarus to confirm yet another death sentence in the country'', said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, on 15 February. ''I note the growing debate on abolition of the death penalty in Belarus, but talk is not enough to pave the way to a moratorium. There is now a need for a genuine political will to turn words into action. Capital punishment has no place in the penal systems of modern societies'', said Mr Jagland. (more ...)

The Secretary General was in Madrid for his first official visit to Spain, from 1 to 2 February. During the visit he discussed with the Spanish authorities relevant issues for the protection of human rights in Europe, such as EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights and the situation of the Roma, in particular Spain´s experience in integrating this minority. Other topics discussed were the increasing cultural and religious diversity of European societies and the Council of Europe reform.

Thorbjørn Jagland met with the minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Trinidad Jiménez, the minister of Justice, Francisco Caamaño, and with His Majesty the King Juan Carlos. Also, he gave a lecture on European institutions architecture at the Real Instituto Elcano. Photo: Thorbjørn Jagland with Trinidad Jiménez, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (more ...)

Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has urged lawmakers and representatives of industry and civil society from across the world to take part in the modernisation of the Council of Europe convention on data protection. “The only way to effectively balance freedom of expression and individuals’ right to privacy in the age of the internet is through a legally-binding treaty which is as inclusive and international as possible,” said the Secretary General at a high-level event in Brussels to mark the 30th anniversary of the Council of Europe convention.
Speech
Data Protection Day: guaranteeing individuals' privacy rights

In the framework of Council of Europe - European Union relations, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met today in Strasbourg the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. As part of their regular consultations, the meeting took place on the occasion of the official opening of the European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe: a diplomatic representation which is part of the newly established European External Action Service.

''The Council of Europe and the European Union enjoy close and regular contact, and I welcome this important EU initiative, paving the way towards an ever closer co-operation between the two institutions'', Thorbjørn Jagland said on this occassion. Following the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2007, the Council of Europe and the European Union decided to consider how best to enhance and strengthen their presence in Brussels and Strasbourg respectively.
European External Action Service
Council of Europe Liaison Office to the European Union

The Secretary General made a working visit to Hungary on 14 January, where he met Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi, representing the EU Presidency. They discussed, among other things, progress in EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, Roma and cultural diversity, and the new media law adopted by the Hungarian Parliament. (more ...)

On 13 January, in interviews with media from Italy and Turkey, Thorbjørn Jagland condemned recent attacks on religious groups in various countries around the world. He underlined that both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights guarantee freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and that this is a key human right we all must strive to make a reality. . (more ...)

Thorbjørn Jagland reacted to the Assembly report on inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo, by saying that it contains a number of very serious allegations. He called on all the competent authorities, including international ones, to do their utmost to establish the truth about what happened. (more ...)

Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, condemns the hanging of 40 year old Shahla Jahed in Tehran on 1st December.''I am dismayed by this latest execution in Iran and also by the inhumane way in which it was carried out. Once again we see that the regime in Iran has little respect for fundamental human rights. But Iran is not alone in carrying out executions and this underlines the urgent need for a global moratorium on capital punishment. I believe that democracies should lead by example, abolish the death penalty if they have not yet done so, and support our joint effort to bring an end to capital punishment worldwide'', said Jagland. (more ...)

Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, condemns the hanging of 40 year old Shahla Jahed in Tehran on 1st December.''I am dismayed by this latest execution in Iran and also by the inhumane way in which it was carried out. Once again we see that the regime in Iran has little respect for fundamental human rights. But Iran is not alone in carrying out executions and this underlines the urgent need for a global moratorium on capital punishment. I believe that democracies should lead by example, abolish the death penalty if they have not yet done so, and support our joint effort to bring an end to capital punishment worldwide'', said Jagland. (more ...)

Member states should respect ECHR decision on forced expulsions of Iraqis
The European Court of Human Rights has recently confirmed its decision to suspend forced returns to Iraq in a number of individual cases against the Netherlands, the UK and Sweden, until further notice. In this interview, Thorbjørn Jagland speaks about returns to Iraq and compliance of Member States with the Court’s decisions, and also about Europe’s responsibility towards refugees and the role of the Council of Europe. (more...)

Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomes the positive outcome of yesterday’s referendum on the amendments to the Turkish constitution as a significant step in Turkey's further democratic development. ''The constitutional reform which was approved yesterday by the Turkish citizens is an important step'', declared Thorbjørn Jagland. (more...)

Thorbjørn Jagland made a visit on 11 September to the Struthof site of the former Natzweiler concentration camp, accompanied by the families of Norwegian and Dutch survivors. ''Many of the witnesses who survived deportation to the concentration camps have now passed away, but we must remember their testimony and keep their memory alive,'' he said. (more...)
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