social rights 29/09/2011 Strengthening social rights: France, Council of Europe and EU announce initiative social rights shutterstock In order to maintain and strengthen the social rights of European citizens, the Council of Europe, the EU's European Economic and Social Committee and France's Economic, Social and Environmental Council have decided to jointly hold an annual conference with three main tasks : - take stock of application of social rights charters  throughout Europe, - work on developing synergies in practice, so as to enhance the effectiveness of the Charters of the Council of Europe and the European Union for  the benefit  of citizens, -...

Council of Europe Health Ministers Conference 29/09/2011 Child-friendly health care examined by Health Ministers in Lisbon 9th Council of Europe Conference of Health Ministers “We have to remember that the development of health policy is a long-term exercise targeted at the next generation – our children. Access to quality health care should not be a luxury or depend on donations by generous people” declared Maud de Boer-Buquicchio in her speech to Health Ministers in Lisbon. She stressed the fact that children need a health care system that takes into account their rights, their needs, their feelings and their opinions. Unfortunately a child’s right to the...

Commissioner for Human Rights 29/09/2011 Azerbaijan: “Worrying clampdown on journalists and human rights activists” Thomas Hammarberg “Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly have encountered serious setbacks in Azerbaijan. Urgent measures must be taken to uphold these fundamental human rights” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, publishing today observations on the respect of human rights in Azerbaijan, as a follow up to his June 2010 report . One year after the publication of the report, the Commissioner regrets to note that most of the recommendations he made as regards these areas have not been implemented....

Deputy Secretary General 28/09/2011 Internet should be open space where users’ rights are maximized and restrictions minimised Maud de Boer-Buquicchio at the opening of the Internet Governance Forum, Nairobi The Internet should be an open space where the rights of users’ are maximised while the restrictions are minimised, said Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, at the opening of the 6th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which the United Nations is organizing in Nairobi from 27 to 30 September. Internet governance policy should focus on people and on rights, she added. As a result of this, as part of its long-term strategy the Council of Europe is...

Committee of Ministers 27/09/2011 Match-fixing: exchange of views with Michel Platini and Serbian Minister Samardžić-Marković Committee of Ministers In the framework of the activities of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport ( EPAS ), the Ministers’ Deputies of the Council of Europe had an exchange of views on Wednesday, September 28th with Michel Platini (UEFA President) and Snežana Samardžić-Marković (Minister of Youth and Sport of Serbia), with the participation of Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio. Chantal Jouanno, as outgoing Minister of Sport of France, addressed a written statement to the Ministers’ Deputies. (more... ) The...

Commissioner for Human Rights 27/09/2011 Schools must stop spreading homophobic and transphobic messages Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights In schools across Europe young persons are being harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is time to react – especially in view of several national studies and reports warning that there have been a number of suicides among young LGBT persons feeling rejected by their peers and families, says Commissioner for Human Rights. His recent report “ Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe ” contains numerous examples of how...

Secretary General 23/09/2011 Secretary General agrees new ‘neighbourhood policy’ initiatives, meets with Mahmoud Abbas Thorbjørn Jagland and Mahmoud Abbas In New York this week to attend the UN General Assembly, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland discussed the Palestinian membership bid with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, who will address the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg in two weeks.   Neighbourhood policy Furthermore, working to promote neighbourhood policy initiatives, primarily with countries in the Southern Mediterranean, Mr. Jagland met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Taïb Fassi Fihri, Tunisian Foreign...

Committee of Ministers 23/09/2011 Council of Europe calls for state cooperation to respond to disruptions to the Internet Committee of Ministers The Committee of Ministers has adopted on 23 September two recommendations and two declarations that call on states to uphold free speech online, including when it is threatened by disruptions or interferences to the Internet. In a Recommendation on the protection and promotion of the universality, integrity and openness of the Internet the Committee laid out a framework of co-operation for member states with a view to preserve a global, stable and open Internet as a means of safeguarding freedom of expression and access to information. The...

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 22/09/2011 Summit of Mayors eager to make headway on inclusion of Roma population Summit of Mayors on Roma In a final declaration adopted by the 1st European Summit of Mayors on Roma in Strasbourg, participants from 47 Council of Europe member countries confirmed their determination to take sustained further action for the inclusion of the Roma population. “To this end, we support the proposal to establish a European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma inclusion”, concluded the Summit which was organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in co-operation with different partners.   ...

Council of Europe and OSCE 22/09/2011 Council of Europe and OSCE leaders meet in New York © Lithuanian Permanent Mission to the UN Council of Europe’s Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland met the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, in New York today. The meeting is the 20th between the OSCE and the Council of Europe in the “2+2” format that brings together the two organizations’ Chairs and Secretaries General. The participants strongly condemned...

Parliamentary Assembly 22/09/2011 Mahmoud Abbas to address the Parliamentary Assembly Mahmoud Abbas An address by the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, on Thursday 6 October 2011 will be one of the highlights of the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which will be taking place in Strasbourg from 3 to 7 October. On Tuesday 4 October the Assembly will consider the request for Partner for Democracy status submitted by the Palestinian National Council, whose President, Salim Za'noun, will address the Assembly the same day. A report by Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD) on co-operation between the Council of...

Congress 22/09/2011 Summit of Mayors to address Roma situation in Europe Summit of Mayors on Roma Over 300 participants from 34 countries are expected in Strasbourg today to attend the 1st European Summit of Mayors on Roma organised by the Congress. Representatives of municipalities and regions, Roma elected representatives, non-governmental organisations and networks will actively address the situation of Roma in Europe. Working languages will be French, English, German, Russian, Italian and Romani. Media services include a live webcast from the Summit, different websites and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook which will carry regular, updated news and interviews from...

Committee of Ministers 22/09/2011 Ukrainian Chairmanship denounces terrorist attacks in Ankara and Siirt Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko Following the bombing in the capital of the Republic of Turkey, Ankara, and in the city of Siirt on 20 September 2011, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Gryshchenko made the following statement: “The Ukrainian Chairmanship reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorism. I firmly denounce the terrorist attacks which took place in Ankara and Siirt. No cause can justify such barbaric acts. I want to express my condolences to the...

Committee of Ministers 21/09/2011 Statement by Committee of Ministers on Troy Davis’ death sentence Council of Europe, Strasbourg The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, meeting on 21 September 2011, was informed that the Board of Pardons and Paroles in the US state of Georgia has rejected the appeal for clemency lodged by Troy Davis against his death sentence, while there are serious doubts as to his guilt. The execution of Mr Davis is due to take place today. Recalling its unwavering opposition to the death penalty, the Committee of Ministers joins the Secretary General’s call for Mr Davis’ death sentence to be urgently commuted. Press release

Secretary General 21/09/2011 Thorbjørn Jagland condemns terrorist attacks in Ankara and Siirt Thorbjørn Jagland “I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in Ankara and Siirt. Terrorism is a crime. It's an attack on our common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We must combine our efforts to bring an end to these acts of violence",  declared Thorbjørn Jagland.   Press release

Secretary General 21/09/2011 Jagland calls on US to spare the life of Troy Davis Gamma "As Secretary General of the Council of Europe I appeal to the competent US authorities to find a way to spare the life of Troy Davis, scheduled to be executed today. The reason is not only our disagreement over capital punishment, but first and foremost the serious doubts which persist about the integrity of the conviction. I hope this appeal will not be perceived as outside interference. Europe is a close ally and a friend of the United States of America , and at moments like this true friends are the ones who speak out, with the respect and honesty that our relationship deserves, "...

Committee of Ministers 21/09/2011 International Day of Peace - Statement by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers Kostyantyn Gryshchenko On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, made the following statement: "Over the last thirty years, the International Day of Peace has been observed worldwide every 21 September. This year, the theme is “Peace and Democracy: make your voice heard” which has a particular echo for the Council of Europe. Our Organisation was established precisely to build after World War II a continent of peace based on the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law....

President of the Parliamentary Assembly 20/09/2011 Assembly President reacts to bombing in Ankara President of the Parliamentary Assembly Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, has responded to today’s bombing in the Turkish capital with the following statement:   “I am shocked by the news of today’s bomb explosion in Ankara, in which – according to initial reports – three people have died and several people have been injured as a result of this act of violence. My thoughts are with them and their families.   Only two weeks ago, on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I and other Council of Europe leaders...

Deputy Secretary General 20/09/2011 Equality is still not a reality for millions of women in Europe Maud de Boer-Buquicchio Opening an EU conference in Brussels on equality between men and women, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio stressed that – despite many different legal instruments being in force – equality is still not a reality for millions of women in Europe and across the world. The Deputy Secretary General highlighted three specific areas of particular importance, namely the need to increase female participation in decision-making, tackling persistent wage inequality and combating violence against women. Ms De Boer-Buquicchio underlined the importance of the...

European Court of Human Rights 20/09/2011 Human Rights Court issues its judgment in case YUKOS v. Russia European Court of Human Rights The applicant, OAO Neftyanaya kompaniya YUKOS, (YUKOS), was an oil company and one of Russia's largest and most successful businesses. YUKOS complained of irregularities in the proceedings concerning its tax liability for the 2000 tax year and about the unlawfulness and lack of proportionality of the 2000-2003 tax assessments and their subsequent enforcement. It maintained that the enforcement of its tax liability had been deliberately orchestrated to prevent it from repaying its debts; in particular, the seizure of its assets pending litigation had...