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PACE to observe the early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan
A 19-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), headed by Sevilay Çelenk (Türkiye, UEL), will travel to Kazakhstan from 21 to 24 August to observe the early parliamentary elections alongside observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE Office...
International Youth Day: young people as equal partners in democracy
Sona Ghazaryan (Armenia, ALDE), Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Youth and the Society of the Future, and Yevheniia Kravchuk (Ukraine, ALDE), Youth rapporteur of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, made the following statement today: “On the occasion of 2026 International...
CEC of Ukraine Strengthens Crisis Communication Preparedness for Post-War Elections
Ensuring that electoral authorities are fully equipped to anticipate and respond to potential crisis situations is essential for safeguarding public trust and confidence in future post-war...
“Dear democracy, our youth is yours”
Democracy is worth fighting for, say young people on the International Youth Day
Doctors spanning the information gap to boost health literacy in Armenia
Council of Europe helps develop a more accessible and inclusive health system in the country
Council of Europe Congress Spokesperson on Youth reaffirms commitment to supporting the aspirations of young people across Europe
Strasbourg, 11.08.2026 – “Young people across Europe come from different communities, cultures and backgrounds, yet they often share a common aspiration: to have a meaningful voice in...
Strengthening Elections: Moldova reviews progress in implementing International Elections Observation Missions’ recommendations
The follow up and implementation of recommendations issued by international election observation missions, the Venice Commission and the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova were at the centre of a discussion organised by the Council of Europe and the Central Electoral Commission of...
PACE Parliamentary Network to conduct study visit to Romania in support of Ukrainian children
A delegation of the PACE Parliamentary Network on the situation of the children of Ukraine will carry out a study visit to Maramureș County, Romania, from 12 to 14 August 2026. The central programme will take place on 13 August in Moisei, alongside the concluding evaluation of the international...
“Change comes from the local level up to protect the rights of LGBTI persons” says Council of Europe Congress Rapporteur on LGBTI at the WorldPride Human Rights Conference
Amsterdam, the Netherlands 06.08.2026 – “Local and regional authorities across Europe must stand firm in protecting the rights of LGBTI people as we are at the forefront of safeguarding...
More than just Europe: where does the Council of Europe begin and end?
Definitions have been debated over time, but the idea of Europe is well represented by the 46-member-state organisation
As EU ministers meet following events in Ceuta, Council of Europe parliamentarians warn: ‘the principle of non-refoulement must be upheld’
Joint statement by Sandra Zampa (Italy, SOC), Chairperson of the Migration Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Christiana Erotokritou (Cyprus, SOC), PACE Rapporteur on “Frontline states: the role of the Council of Europe in implementing the EU Pact on...
Council of Europe marks World Day against trafficking in persons with renewed commitment to protecting children of Ukraine
Rights of children must remain central to response to Russia’s war
Parliamentary Assembly President Petra Bayr, marking Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: ‘Memory must change how we act tomorrow’
PACE President Petra Bayr, together with an ad hoc committee of the Bureau, took part in the official ceremony marking European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. The annual commemoration honours the memory of the Roma and Sinti victims of the Holocaust, including the...
Roma and Sinti Holocaust: PACE General Rapporteur calls for memory to be 'taught, not just marked'
Ahead of the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma, Georgios Stamatis (Greece, EPP/CD), PACE General Rapporteur on Roma and Travellers, made the following statement: “On 2 August, we honour the memory of the 4,300 Roma and Sinti men, women and children murdered in a single night at...
Council of Europe Congress Rapporteur: “Combating discrimination against Roma and Travellers today must be rooted in awareness of their history”
Ahead of this year’s European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma (2 August), and his participation, on behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, in the official Commemoration Ceremony in Auschwitz, Peter Drenth (Netherlands, EPP/CCE), Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human...
Türkiye: Council of Europe Congress deeply deplores the arrest of Congress Vice-President and Üsküdar Mayor, Sinem Dedetas
“We deeply deplore the detention of Sinem Dedetas, Mayor of Üsküdar and Vice-President of the Congress, on corruption charges...
Spain must enforce zero tolerance for the ill-treatment of detainees
Spain should take measures to address numerous allegations of ill-treatment of prisoners by custodial staff in three Andalusian prisons, according to the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has today published a report following...
A continent and a city shaped by Churchill
How the British leader’s blood flows through the seat of the Council of Europe
What are the copyright challenges of AI training?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way content is created, but how should European copyright law respond to the challenge of training AI systems in a balanced way? A new IRIS report from the European Audiovisual Observatory, Copyright and AI training, examines one of the most...
Pioneering local deliberative democracy: Citizens’ assembly simulation held in Kosovo*
A three-day simulation of a citizens’ assembly was organised by the Congress from 21 to 23 July 2026 in Brezovica/Brezovicë. The event brought together 30 participants from nine...
*All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.