Council of Europe 20/06/2013 European Dialogue on Internet Governance in Lisbon addresses Internet public policy challenges Lisbon, 20 June 2013 - The 6th edition of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG ), which started today, is addressing in Lisbon on 20-21 June, the most recent public policy developments and challenges concerning the Internet, including the current controversy on online surveillance of individuals’ communications by governments.   Held under the theme “Internet for society – how to serve the public interest?” with the Council of Europe and other organisations, the event brings together some 400 representatives from...

Deputy Secretary General 20/06/2013 Deputy Secretary General welcomes Italian ratification of Istanbul Convention Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni Strasbourg, 20 June 2013 - “Italian Senate ratification of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention ), is an act of primary importance for the Council of Europe, given the sensitivity of the topic and the recent atrocious episodes of violence against women in Italy," said in Strasbourg Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini Dragoni. The bill ratifying and implementing this Council of Europe Convention, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies, was voted...

Commissioner for human rights 20/06/2013 Commissioner Muižnieks: Estonia should eliminate child statelessness Nils Muižnieks Strasbourg, 20/6/2013 – “There are still 1200 stateless children in Estonia, a situation which prevents them from taking part in society as full members. This situation must be remedied urgently”, said Nils Muižnieks in his report on the visit to Estonia carried out in March 2013.   Welcoming the current reform of the Child Protection Act, Commissioner Muižnieks stresses that “sufficient staff and expertise for child protection should be made available in every municipality ".   Furthermore he stresses a need...

Parliamentary Assembly 19/06/2013 On World Refugee Day, Parliamentary Assembly President deplores ‘unprecedented’ suffering of Syrian refugees Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 19.06.2013 – On the eve of World Refugee Day (20 June), the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, has made the following statement: “The drastic situation of the Syrian refugees is constantly worsening and has reached an unprecedented level of suffering. A million and a half Syrians have fled their country; it is an outright humanitarian disaster! Failing a political agreement to resolve a situation which has lasted far too long, the...

Parliamentary Assembly 18/06/2013 Decision on request to monitor Hungary among highlights of Parliamentary Assembly summer session . Strasbourg, 17.06.2013 – A decision on a request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary and a debate on tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity – to be addressed by the Women’s Rights Minister of France Najat Vallaud-Belkacem – are among the highlights of the summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on 24-28 June 2013. There have also been requests for urgent debates on "Religious persecution in Iran"...

MONEYVAL 17/06/2013 Anti-money laundering body publishes report on banking sector in Cyprus Strasbourg, 17.06.2013 – The Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body (MONEYVAL ) today published its report “Special Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Customer Due Diligence Measures in the Banking Sector in Cyprus ”. The assessment was conducted at the invitation of the Eurogroup Working Group (on behalf of the Troika institutions) to assist the decision-making process on Cyprus's request for financial assistance from the Euro area.   The report builds upon the MONEYVAL fourth round report on Cyprus, but largely focuses on the particular risks and...

Venice Commission 14/06/2013 Venice Commission opinion critical of Hungary’s constitutional changes, but welcomes government readiness to make certain revisions Venice Commission The European Commission for Democracy Through Law – the Council of Europe’s constitutional experts known as the “Venice Commission” – today issued an opinion that was critical of Hungary’s Fourth Amendment to its Fundamental Law, but welcomed the announcement of the Hungarian government to make certain revisions.   Requested in March this year by Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland and by the Hungarian government, the opinion concludes that "the Fourth...

Secretary General 13/06/2013 Statement of the Secretary General on the closure of the Greek public broadcaster ERT “I encourage the Greek government to accept the European Broadcasting Union’s offer of advice and assistance necessary to ensure ERT becomes a true public broadcaster corresponding to Council of Europe standards for public service media.    I recall the importance of public broadcasting for ensuring media pluralism and diversity of views within a democratic society. I am concerned about the abrupt manner in which the Greek public broadcaster has been shut down.   I acknowledge the need to remedy the shortcomings of ERT, but this can,...

Secretary General 12/06/2013 Statement by Secretary General on legislation in Russian Duma prohibiting "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among minors Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 12 June 2013 - “The Upper House of the Russian Parliament should not approve the draft law prohibiting the ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations’ among minors,” said Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland in a statement today. “This law clearly affects some of the most important principles in the European Convention of Human Rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.“ “I have previously expressed my...

Committee of Ministers 12/06/2013 Council of Europe alerts governments on risks of digital tracking and surveillance Strasbourg, 12.06.2013 – The Council of Europe today alerted its 47 member states to the risks of digital tracking and other surveillance technologies for human rights, the rule of law and democracy, and recalled the need to ensure their legitimate use.   In a Declaration issued to governments, the Committee of Ministers say that legislation allowing for overly broad surveillance of citizens can challenge their privacy and have a chilling effect on their freedom of expression and the freedom of the media.   The Committee recall that tracking...

European Court of Human Rights and EU Fundamental Rights Agency 11/06/2013 Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration The European Court of Human Rights and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) are today launching a second practical guide to European law. The Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration builds on the experience of the first joint project between the two institutions which led to the publication of the Handbook on European non-discrimination law in 2011.   The handbook focuses on law covering the situation of third-country nationals in Europe and covers a broad range of topics, including...

Deputy Secretary General 10/06/2013 Deputy Secretary General launches No Hate Speech Movement in Rome Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni Rome, 10 June, 2013 - “Parole libere o parole d’odio ?” (“Free speech or hate speech ?”): Gabriella Battaini Dragoni sets in motion today the No Hate Speech Movement in Italy, during a parliamentary seminar organised by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Laura Boldrini. “The Council of Europe has expressed its concern on hate speech as a political weapon almost twenty years ago; nowadays hate speech has not disappeared and has turned online, especially affecting our young people”, emphasised the Deputy...

Secretary General 07/06/2013 Lithuania, 30th country to sign Convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence Algirdas Butkevičius, Prime Minister of Lithuania and Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 07.06.2013 – Following the meeting with the Secretary General Jagland and Lithuanian Prime Minister Butkevicius, Foreign Minister Linkevicius signed the Council of Europe's Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in the presence of the Secretary General on 7 June. Secretary General Jagland welcomed this as a very important step and expressed his hope that the Convention could be ratified soon. Lithuania's...

Commissioner for Human Rights 06/06/2013 Commissioner for Human Rights and OSCE concerned at restrictions to free expression in Azerbaijan Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks Strasbourg, 6/6/2013 - The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights , Nils Muižnieks, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, expressed serious concern today at the promulgation by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, of amendments extending the application of criminal defamation provisions to online expression on 4 June 2013.   Muižnieks and Mijatovic, both of whom had explicitly called on the President not to sign these amendments into law following...

Committee of Ministers 06/06/2013 Chairman of Committee of Ministers presents priorities of Armenian Chairmanship at OSCE 6.06.13. Today, at the invitation of the Ukrainian Chairmanship of the OSCE, Mr Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, presented the priorities of the Armenian chairmanship before the Permanent Council of the OSCE.   Those priorities include promoting European values through intercultural dialogue; strengthening European standards on human rights and the rule of law; combating racism and xenophobia in Europe, fostering democratic societies; as well as reinforcing co-ordination and promoting...